Devnya
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Devnya ( bg, Девня ) is a town in
Varna Province Varna Province ( bg, Област Варна, translit=Oblast Varna), formerly known as Varna okrug, is a province in eastern Bulgaria, one of the 28 Bulgarian provinces. It comprises 12 municipalities with a population of 494,216 inhabitants as ...
, Northeastern
Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedon ...
, located about 25 km away to the west from the city of
Varna Varna may refer to: Places Europe *Varna, Bulgaria, a city in Bulgaria **Varna Province **Varna Municipality ** Gulf of Varna **Lake Varna **Varna Necropolis *Vahrn, or Varna, a municipality in Italy *Varniai, a city in Lithuania * Varna (Šaba ...
and The Black Sea Coast. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous
Devnya Municipality Devnya Municipality ( bg, Община Девня) is a municipality ('' obshtina'') in Varna Province, Northeastern Bulgaria, not far from the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast. It is named after its administrative centre - the town of Devnya. The munic ...
. As of December 2009, the town has a population of 8,383 inhabitants.Bulgarian National Statistical Institute - towns in 2009
It lies at the western shore of
Lake Beloslav Lake Beloslav ( bg, Белославско езеро) is a liman, which connected by a navigation canal with Lake Varna. Before the canal was built the lake was freshwater, but now the water is brackish. The rivers Devnya and Provadiyska flow i ...
in the northeastern end of the Devnya Valley and along the southern slopes of the
Dobruja Dobruja or Dobrudja (; bg, Добруджа, Dobrudzha or ''Dobrudža''; ro, Dobrogea, or ; tr, Dobruca) is a historical region in the Balkans that has been divided since the 19th century between the territories of Bulgaria and Romania. I ...
Plateau, in the close proximity to the
Black Sea The Black Sea is a marginal mediterranean sea of the Atlantic Ocean lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bounded by Bulgaria, Georgia, Roma ...
. Two rivers, Devnya and Provadiya, empty into the lake nearby. The landscape is mostly
karst Karst is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks such as limestone, dolomite, and gypsum. It is characterized by underground drainage systems with sinkholes and caves. It has also been documented for more weathering-resistant ro ...
with 30 karst springs with a debit of 3700 litres per second used for water supply for Devnya, Varna and the local industries. One of the largest springs, feeding a pool, is open for visitors. Along the river mouths there are extensive wetlands once rich in fish and crabs but now polluted by
industrial waste Industrial waste is the waste produced by industrial activity which includes any material that is rendered useless during a manufacturing process such as that of factories, mills, and mining operations. Types of industrial waste include dirt and ...
. Local landmarks include
Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...
remains of ancient
Marcianopolis Marcianopolis or Marcianople (Greek: Μαρκιανούπολις), also known as Parthenopolis was an ancient Greek, then Roman capital city and archbishopric in Moesia Inferior. It is located at the site of modern-day Devnya, Bulgaria. The an ...
, including an
amphitheatre An amphitheatre (British English) or amphitheater (American English; both ) is an open-air venue used for entertainment, performances, and sports. The term derives from the ancient Greek ('), from ('), meaning "on both sides" or "around" and ...
and the Mosaics Museum, featuring some exquisite Roman mosaic

''in situ'', and ''
Pobiti Kamani Pobiti Kamani ( bg, Побити камъни, "planted stones"), Tubular concretions formed around a “rising methane-bearing fluid plume” also known as The Stone Desert, is a desert-like rock phenomenon located on the north west Varna Provi ...
'' ("stone forest"), a rock phenomenon to the east.


History


Ancient history

Devnya lies at the site of the
Ancient Roman In modern historiography, ancient Rome refers to Roman civilisation from the founding of the city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD. It encompasses the Roman Kingdom (753–509 BC ...
and Early
Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...
city of
Marcianopolis Marcianopolis or Marcianople (Greek: Μαρκιανούπολις), also known as Parthenopolis was an ancient Greek, then Roman capital city and archbishopric in Moesia Inferior. It is located at the site of modern-day Devnya, Bulgaria. The an ...
(Μαρκιανούπολις) founded by Roman Emperor
Trajan Trajan ( ; la, Caesar Nerva Traianus; 18 September 539/11 August 117) was Roman emperor from 98 to 117. Officially declared ''optimus princeps'' ("best ruler") by the senate, Trajan is remembered as a successful soldier-emperor who presi ...
after the
Second Dacian War The Second Roman–Dacian War was fought between 105 to 106 because the Dacian King, Decebalus, had broken his peace terms with the Roman Emperor Trajan from the First Dacian War. Before the War Following his subjugation, Decebalus complied with ...
, which ended in 106. The city was named after Trajan's sister,
Ulpia Marciana Ulpia Marciana (August 48 – 112) was the beloved elder sister of Roman Emperor Trajan and grandmother of empress Vibia Sabina the wife of Hadrian. Upon her death her brother had her deified. Life She was the eldest child born to Roman woman ...
. An important strategic centre, the city was part of Roman
Thrace Thrace (; el, Θράκη, Thráki; bg, Тракия, Trakiya; tr, Trakya) or Thrake is a geographical and historical region in Southeast Europe, now split among Bulgaria, Greece, and Turkey, which is bounded by the Balkan Mountains to t ...
until 187-193, and then belonged to Moesia inferior. Marcianopolis's prosperity under the
Severan Dynasty The Severan dynasty was a Ancient Rome, Roman imperial dynasty that ruled the Roman Empire between 193 and 235, during the Roman imperial period (chronology), Roman imperial period. The dynasty was founded by the emperor Septimius Severus (), w ...
was ended by a
Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...
raid in 248-249 and subsequent barbarian invasions from the north. Under Emperor
Diocletian Diocletian (; la, Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus, grc, Διοκλητιανός, Diokletianós; c. 242/245 – 311/312), nicknamed ''Iovius'', was Roman emperor from 284 until his abdication in 305. He was born Gaius Valerius Diocles ...
Marcianopolis became the centre of the province Moesia Secunda of the Diocese of Thrace, and was rebuilt thoroughly in the late 3rd and early 4th century. It grew in importance at the expense of neighbouring Odessos (Varna) in the 4th century. The city was an important episcopal centre and a basilica from the period was excavated in the 20th century. During Emperor
Valens Valens ( grc-gre, Ουάλης, Ouálēs; 328 – 9 August 378) was Roman emperor from 364 to 378. Following a largely unremarkable military career, he was named co-emperor by his elder brother Valentinian I, who gave him the eastern half of ...
' conflict with the Goths (366-369), Marcianopolis was a temporary capital of the empire and the largest city of Thrace according to a source from the period. The House of Antiope, a Late Roman villa decorated with several beautiful floor mosaics has been excavated and is on public display. The villa was constructed in the late 3rd or early 4th century AD. Despite the regular barbarian attacks, Marcianopolis remained an important centre until an Avar raid finally destroyed it in 614-615, although it still continued to be mentioned in maps until much later.


Middle Ages, Ottoman rule and liberated Bulgaria

As the
Slavs Slavs are the largest European ethnolinguistic group. They speak the various Slavic languages, belonging to the larger Balto-Slavic branch of the Indo-European languages. Slavs are geographically distributed throughout northern Eurasia, main ...
settled in the
Balkans The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...
in the 7th century they called the ruins of the ancient city ''Devina'', from
Proto-Indo-European Proto-Indo-European (PIE) is the reconstructed common ancestor of the Indo-European language family. Its proposed features have been derived by linguistic reconstruction from documented Indo-European languages. No direct record of Proto-Indo-E ...
''*dhew-(i)na'' or ''*dhew-eina'' ("spring, source, stream, current") through
Thracian The Thracians (; grc, Θρᾷκες ''Thrāikes''; la, Thraci) were an Indo-European speaking people who inhabited large parts of Eastern and Southeastern Europe in ancient history.. "The Thracians were an Indo-European people who occupied t ...
, but associated with Slavic ''deva'' ("virgin"). A small
Bulgar Bulgar may refer to: *Bulgars, extinct people of Central Asia *Bulgar language, the extinct language of the Bulgars * Oghur languages Bulgar may also refer to: *Bolghar, the capital city of Volga Bulgaria *Bulgur, a wheat product * Bulgar, an Ash ...
fortress existed at the place during the Middle Ages, possibly built under
Omurtag Omurtag (or Omortag) ( bg, Омуртаг; original gr, Μορτάγων and Ομουρτάγ', Inscription No.64. Retrieved 10 April 2012.) was a Great Khan (''Kanasubigi'') of Bulgaria from 814 to 831. He is known as "the Builder". In the very ...
in the 9th century and extended to the north in the 10th or 11th century. A large 9th-century Bulgar mass grave has been excavated. After the Ottoman invasion of the Balkans the fortress was destroyed and abandoned, with the settlement moved to the west. A village by the name of ''Devne'' is mentioned in a tax register from 1573, with other forms of the name also attested by foreign and Bulgarian travellers in the 16th and 17th century, sometimes used to designate the river. After the
Liberation of Bulgaria The Liberation of Bulgaria is the historical process as a result of the Bulgarian Revival. In Bulgarian historiography, the liberation of Bulgaria refers to those events of the Tenth Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878) that led to the re-establishmen ...
from Ottoman rule the village was called ''Devne'' until 1934, when it was substituted by the form ''Devnya''. The lower river Devnya was a traditional industrial centre since Ottoman times with numerous
watermill A watermill or water mill is a mill that uses hydropower. It is a structure that uses a water wheel or water turbine to drive a mechanical process such as milling (grinding), rolling, or hammering. Such processes are needed in the production of ...
s serving much or riverless
Southern Dobruja Southern Dobruja, South Dobruja or Quadrilateral (Bulgarian: Южна Добруджа, ''Yuzhna Dobrudzha'' or simply Добруджа, ''Dobrudzha''; ro, Dobrogea de Sud, or ) is an area of northeastern Bulgaria comprising Dobrich and Silistra ...
, a breadbasket area. On 27 August 1969 the town of Devnya was formed through the merger of the villages Devnya, Reka Devnya and Povelyanovo.


Economy

Devnya is part of the
Varna-Devnya Industrial Complex The Devnya Industrial Complex consists of several important factories and companies in the chemical industry sector of Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southe ...
and a number of important
heavy industry Heavy industry is an industry that involves one or more characteristics such as large and heavy products; large and heavy equipment and facilities (such as heavy equipment, large machine tools, huge buildings and large-scale infrastructure); o ...
facilities are located in or near the town, making it a chemical industry centre of national importance. Among these are:
Solvay Sodi AD
nbsp;—
sodium bicarbonate Sodium bicarbonate (IUPAC name: sodium hydrogencarbonate), commonly known as baking soda or bicarbonate of soda, is a chemical compound with the formula NaHCO3. It is a salt composed of a sodium cation ( Na+) and a bicarbonate anion ( HCO3−) ...
, dense and light
soda ash Sodium carbonate, , (also known as washing soda, soda ash and soda crystals) is the inorganic compound with the formula Na2CO3 and its various hydrates. All forms are white, odourless, water-soluble salts that yield moderately alkaline solutions ...
, largest soda plant in Europe (2007); part of the
Solvay Solvay may refer to: Companies and organizations * Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management, Brussels, Belgium * Solvay Conference, founded by Ernest Solvay, deals with open questions in physics and chemistry * Solvay Indupa, an Argen ...
Group
Agropolychim AD
nbsp;— nitrogen, phosphate and compound
fertilizer A fertilizer (American English) or fertiliser (British English; see spelling differences) is any material of natural or synthetic origin that is applied to soil or to plant tissues to supply plant nutrients. Fertilizers may be distinct from ...
s, exports to Europe (49% of output), the Americas (11%), Asia (9%), and supplying more than 50% of the Bulgarian market, member of the Acid & Fertilizers LLC (joint venture of Harland Investments Ltd., United States, with 99%, and Belgium's Cumerio with 1% share).
Polimeri AD
nbsp;— liquid
chlorine Chlorine is a chemical element with the Symbol (chemistry), symbol Cl and atomic number 17. The second-lightest of the halogens, it appears between fluorine and bromine in the periodic table and its properties are mostly intermediate betwee ...
,
dichloroethane Dichloroethane can refer to either of two isomeric organochlorides with the molecular formula C2H4Cl2: * 1,1-Dichloroethane (ethylidene chloride) * 1,2-Dichloroethane (ethylene dichloride) See also *Dichloroethene *Difluoroethane Difluoroethane m ...
,
sodium hydroxide Sodium hydroxide, also known as lye and caustic soda, is an inorganic compound with the formula NaOH. It is a white solid ionic compound consisting of sodium cations and hydroxide anions . Sodium hydroxide is a highly caustic base and alkali ...
(caustic soda),
hydrochloric acid Hydrochloric acid, also known as muriatic acid, is an aqueous solution of hydrogen chloride. It is a colorless solution with a distinctive pungent smell. It is classified as a strong acid Acid strength is the tendency of an acid, symbol ...
, chlorine lime,
carbide In chemistry, a carbide usually describes a compound composed of carbon and a metal. In metallurgy, carbiding or carburizing is the process for producing carbide coatings on a metal piece. Interstitial / Metallic carbides The carbides of the ...
, and emulsion polyvinyl chloride; AKB Fores portfolio company
Devnya Cement
nbsp;—
cement A cement is a binder, a chemical substance used for construction that sets, hardens, and adheres to other materials to bind them together. Cement is seldom used on its own, but rather to bind sand and gravel ( aggregate) together. Cement mix ...
; part of
Italcementi Italcementi is an Italian multinational company, quoted on the Borsa Italiana, which produces cement, ready-mix concrete and construction aggregates. In 2015, 45% of Italcementi was acquired by HeidelbergCement, together forming the world's secon ...
* Devnya Sugar Plant (Litex Sugar) — refined
sugar Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose, fructose, and galactose. Compound sugars, also called disaccharides or double ...
; part of Litex Commerce JSC * Deven AD — thermal
power plant A power station, also referred to as a power plant and sometimes generating station or generating plant, is an industrial facility for the generation of electric power. Power stations are generally connected to an electrical grid. Many pow ...
(steam station owned by Solvay Sodi) * Provadsol AD — brine (near
Provadiya Provadia ( bg, Провадия ) is a town in northeastern Bulgaria, part of Varna Province, located in a deep karst gorge (Provadia syncline) along the Provadiya River not far from the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast. It is the administrative centre ...
; owned by Solvay Sodi) * Devnya Limestone AD (owned by Solvay Sodi) Devnya is also a major transportation hub with the inland
Port of Varna Port of Varna ( bg, Пристанище Варна, Pristanishte Varna)map is the largest seaport complex in Bulgaria. Located on the Black Sea's west coast on Varna Bay, along Lake Varna and Lake Beloslav, it also comprises the outlying port of ...
West and two railway stations. The Devnya industrial cluster produced 14% of the Bulgarian exports by volume (2004). The privatization of Solvay Sodi AD (formerly Sodi Devnya EAD) was the second largest cash privatization deal in the nation after 1989.


Municipality

Devnya is also the seat of Devnya municipality (part of Varna Province), which includes the following 2 villages: * Kipra * Padina


Honour

Devnya Valley Devnya Valley (Devnenska Dolina \'dev-nen-ska do-li-'na\) is 2.5-km long and 700 m wide valley and is situated between the north slopes of Great Needle Peak (Falsa Aguja Peak) and Helmet Peak in Levski Ridge, Tangra Mountains on Livingston Islan ...
on
Livingston Island Livingston Island (Russian name ''Smolensk'', ) is an Antarctic island in the Southern Ocean, part of the South Shetlands Archipelago, a group of Antarctic islands north of the Antarctic Peninsula. It was the first land discovered south of 60 ...
in the
South Shetland Islands The South Shetland Islands are a group of Antarctic islands with a total area of . They lie about north of the Antarctic Peninsula, and between southwest of the nearest point of the South Orkney Islands. By the Antarctic Treaty of 195 ...
,
Antarctica Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean, it contains the geographic South Pole. Antarctica is the fifth-largest contine ...
is named after Devnya. Also there's a Devnya street in Alverca, Vila Franca de Xira, Portugal, its twin city.


References

* *


External links


Devnya municipality website


{{Authority control Towns in Bulgaria Populated places in Varna Province