Maritsa or Maritza ( bg, Марица ), also known as Meriç ( tr, Meriç ) and Evros ( ell, Έβρος ), is a
river
A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of w ...
that runs through 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 Southeast Europe. With a length of ,
[Statistical Yearbook 2017]
National Statistical Institute (Bulgaria)
The National Statistical Institute or NSI ( bg, Национален статистически институт or НСИ) is the Bulgarian state agency responsible for the collection and dissemination of statistical data on the population, ec ...
, p. 17 it is the
longest river that runs solely in the interior of the
Balkan peninsula, and one of the
largest in Europe by discharge. It flows through
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 Macedo ...
in its upper and middle reaches, while its lower course forms much of the border between
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders ...
and
Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula in ...
. Its
drainage area
A drainage basin is an area of land where all flowing surface water converges to a single point, such as a river mouth, or flows into another body of water, such as a lake or ocean. A basin is separated from adjacent basins by a perimeter, t ...
is about , of which 66.2% is in Bulgaria, 27.5% in Turkey and 6.3% in Greece.
It is the main river of the historical region of
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 ...
, most of which lies in its drainage basin.
It has its origin in the
Rila Mountains in Western Bulgaria, its source being the
Marichini Lakes
Marichini Lakes ( bg, Маричини езера) are a group of four glacial lakes situated in the eastern part of Rila mountain range of southwestern Bulgaria at an altitude between 2,301 m and 2,508 m. They are situated in the Marich ...
. The Maritsa flows east-southeast between the
Balkan and
Rhodope Mountains, past
Plovdiv and
Dimitrovgrad in Bulgaria to
Edirne
Edirne (, ), formerly known as Adrianople or Hadrianopolis ( Greek: Άδριανούπολις), is a city in Turkey, in the northwestern part of the province of Edirne in Eastern Thrace. Situated from the Greek and from the Bulgarian borders ...
in Turkey. East of
Svilengrad, Bulgaria, the river flows eastwards, forming the border between Bulgaria (on the north bank) and Greece (on the south bank), and then between Turkey and Greece. At Edirne, the river meets it two chief tributaries
Tundzha
The Tundzha ( bg, Тунджа , tr, Tunca , el, Τόνζος ) is a river in Bulgaria and Turkey (known in antiquity as the Tonsus) and the most significant tributary of the Maritsa, emptying into it on Turkish territory near Edirne.
The rive ...
and
Arda, and flows through Turkish territory on both banks. It then turns towards the south and forms the border between Greece on the west bank and Turkey on the east bank all the way to the
Aegean Sea
The Aegean Sea ; tr, Ege Denizi (Greek: Αιγαίο Πέλαγος: "Egéo Pélagos", Turkish: "Ege Denizi" or "Adalar Denizi") is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea between Europe and Asia. It is located between the Balkans ...
, which it enters near
Enez forming a
river delta
A river delta is a landform shaped like a triangle, created by deposition of sediment that is carried by a river and enters slower-moving or stagnant water. This occurs where a river enters an ocean, sea, estuary, lake, reservoir, or (more ra ...
. The upper Maritsa valley is a principal east–west route in Bulgaria. The unnavigable river is used for power production and irrigation.
Etymology
The earliest known name of the river is (,
Alcman, 7th–6th century BC).
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- ...
and
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic p ...
meant "wide".
The Proto-Indo-European
consonant cluster
In linguistics, a consonant cluster, consonant sequence or consonant compound, is a group of consonants which have no intervening vowel. In English, for example, the groups and are consonant clusters in the word ''splits''. In the education fie ...
*''-wr-'' shifted in
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 ...
to ''-br-'', creating the Thracian name .
Thereafter, the river began to be known as () in Greek and in Latin. Rather than an origin as 'wide river', an alternative hypothesis is that is borrowed from Thracian meaning 'splasher'.
While the name () was used in
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic p ...
, the name () had become standard before the ancient form was artificially restituted in
Modern Greek
Modern Greek (, , or , ''Kiní Neoellinikí Glóssa''), generally referred to by speakers simply as Greek (, ), refers collectively to the dialects of the Greek language spoken in the modern era, including the official standardized form of the ...
as (now: ). The name may derive from a mountain near the mouth of the river known in antiquity as or , Latinized as .
[
]
History
In 1371, the river was the site of the Battle of Maritsa, also known as the battle of Chernomen, an Ottoman victory over the Serbian rulers Vukašin Mrnjavčević
Vukašin (Cyrillic script: Вукашин) is an old Slavic name of Serbian origin. It is composed from two words: Vuk (wolf) and sin (son), so it means sin vuka (son of wolf). In some places in Croatia and Bosnia it can be found as a surname.
...
and Jovan Uglješa Jovan may refer to:
*Jovan (given name), a list of people with this given name
* Jovan, Mawal, a village on the western coastal region of Maharashtra, India
*Jōvan Musk
Jōvan Musk is a line of cologne for men and women. Barry Shipp developed th ...
, who died in the battle.
Migration
The Maritsa river as a natural barrier on the border between Turkey and Greece has become a major route for migrants from a variety of countries attempting to enter the EU irregularly. Between 2000 and 2019, 398 bodies were found on the Greek side of the Maritsa river. Up until that time, drowning in the Maritsa was the leading cause of death among migrants trying to enter Greece.
Following the heavy losses Turkish armed forces incurred at the hands of the Russian-backed Syrian government in northern Syria at the end of February 2020, a drastic change in Turkey's policy towards irregular migrants on its territory led to escalation of the situation at the Evros border crossings as well as exacerbation of tension between Turkey on one hand and Greece and the EU as a whole on the other hand.
In May 2020, news emerged that Turkish forces occupied a of Greek territory, Melissokomeio, as shown on maps of 1923, following a change in the flow of the Maritsa river.
Tributaries
Starting from the river's source, significant tributaries of Maritsa include:
*Left tributaries:
** Topolnitsa (flows into Maritsa near Pazardzhik
Pazardzhik ( bg, Пазарджик ) is a city situated along the banks of the Maritsa river, southern Bulgaria. It is the capital of Pazardzhik Province and centre for the homonymous Pazardzhik Municipality.
The Tatars founded Pazardzhik i ...
)
**Luda Yana
The Luda Yana ( bg, Луда Яна, "Crazy Yana") is a 74 km-long river in southern Bulgaria, a northern tributary of the Maritsa River. It runs through the towns of Panagyurishte and Strelcha, as well as a number of villages, including P ...
(near Ognyanovo)
**Stryama
The Stryama ( bg, Стряма , known in Antiquity as ''Syrmus'') is a river in southern Bulgaria, an important left tributary of the Maritsa. The river is 98.7 km long and has a drainage basin of 1,490 km2.
The Stryama has its sourc ...
(near Sadovo)
**Sazliyka
The Sazliyka or Rakitnitsa ( bg, Сазлийка,, ; also transliterated ''Sazlijka'' or ''Sazliika'') is a river in southeastern Bulgaria, a left tributary of the Maritsa. It originates in the Sarnena Sredna Gora mountains. In its upper course un ...
(near Simeonovgrad
Simeonovgrad ( bg, Симеоновград ) is a town in the Haskovo Province of southern Bulgaria, located on both banks of the Maritsa River. Three bridges connect the town's two parts. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous Sime ...
)
**Tundzha
The Tundzha ( bg, Тунджа , tr, Tunca , el, Τόνζος ) is a river in Bulgaria and Turkey (known in antiquity as the Tonsus) and the most significant tributary of the Maritsa, emptying into it on Turkish territory near Edirne.
The rive ...
/Tunca (in Edirne
Edirne (, ), formerly known as Adrianople or Hadrianopolis ( Greek: Άδριανούπολις), is a city in Turkey, in the northwestern part of the province of Edirne in Eastern Thrace. Situated from the Greek and from the Bulgarian borders ...
)
**Ergene
Ergene ( tr, Ergene Nehri; grc, Εργίνης, ''Eryinis'') is a major left tributary of the Maritsa (Meriç) river, flowing entirely in the East Thrace region of Turkey.
The river rises from the southern part of Strandzha mountain, not far fr ...
(near İpsala
İpsala (, ) is a town and district of Edirne Province in northwestern Turkey. It is the location of one of the main border checkpoints between Greece and Turkey. (The Greek town opposite İpsala is Kipoi.) The population is 8,332 (the city) an ...
)
*Right tributaries:
** Chepinska reka (near Septemvri)
** Vacha (near Stamboliyski)
**Chepelarska reka
The Chepelare (, Chepelarska reka, also called Chaya, Чая and Asenitsa, Асеница) is a river in Bulgaria that takes its source from Rozhen Peak (around 1,500 m above sea level) in the Rhodopes. The river's length is about 82 km and t ...
(near Sadovo)
** Harmanliyska reka (near Harmanli
Harmanli ( bg, Харманли , tr, Harmanlı) is a town in Haskovo Province, south-central Bulgaria. It is the administrative centre of the eponymous Harmanli Municipality.
Near the site of Hamanli in Late Antiquity, during the early 4th- ...
)
** Arda/Ardas (near Edirne)
**Erythropotamos
The Erythropotamos ( el, Ερυθροπόταμος, meaning "red river") or Luda reka ( bg, Луда река, meaning "mad river") is a river in southern Bulgaria (Haskovo Province) and northeastern Greece ( Evros regional unit). Its Turkish na ...
/Luda reka (near Didymoteicho
Didymoteicho ( el, Διδυμότειχο, Didymóteicho ) is a city located on the eastern edge of the Evros regional unit of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, in northeastern Greece. It is the seat of the municipality of the same name. The town ...
)
Floods
The lower course of the river Maritsa, where it forms the border of Greece and Turkey, is very vulnerable to flooding. For about 4 months every year, the low lands around the river are flooded. This causes significant economic damage (loss of agricultural production and damage to infrastructure), which is estimated at several hundreds million Euro.[Environmental management of big riverine floods: the case of Evros River in Greece]
Z. Nivolianitou, B. Synodinou
Recent large floods took place in 2006, 2007, 2014, with the largest flood taking place in 2021. Several causes have been proposed: more rainfall due to climate change, deforestation in the Bulgarian part of the catchment area, increased land use in the flood plains and difficult communication between the three countries.[
]
Honours
Maritsa Peak 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 1 ...
, 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 cont ...
is named after Maritsa River.
''La Maritza'' is also a 1968 song written by Jean Renard
Jean Renard (born 12 July 1932) is a Belgian boxer. He competed in the men's bantamweight event at the 1952 Summer Olympics
The 1952 Summer Olympics ( fi, Kesäolympialaiset 1952; sv, Olympiska sommarspelen 1952), officially known as the ...
and Pierre Delanoë
Pierre Delanoë (16 December 1918 – 27 December 2006), born Pierre Charles Marcel Napoléon Leroyer in Paris, France, was a French lyricist who wrote thousands of songs for dozens of singers, including Dalida, Edith Piaf, Charles Aznavour, Pet ...
and interpreted by Sylvie Vartan
Sylvie Vartan (; born Sylvie Georges Vartanian; hy, Սիլվի Ժորժ Վարդանյան. on 15 August 1944) is an Armenian-Bulgarian-French singer and actress. She is known as one of the most productive and tough-sounding yé-yé artists. ...
.
Hebrus Valles
The Hebrus Valles are an ancient system of troughs and valleys in the Amenthes quadrangle of Mars, located at 20.2° north latitude and 233.4° west longitude. They are 317 km long and were named after a river in the Balkans which runs throu ...
on Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the second-smallest planet in the Solar System, only being larger than Mercury. In the English language, Mars is named for the Roman god of war. Mars is a terrestrial planet with a thin at ...
is named after this river.
The Bulgarian Maritsa motorway, which roughly follows the course of the river from Chirpan (where it branches out of the Trakia motorway
The Trakia motorway (, ) or Thrace motorway, designated A1, is a motorway in Bulgaria. It connects the capital city of Sofia, the city of Plovdiv and the city of Burgas on the Black Sea coast. The motorway is named after the historical region of ...
) to the Turkish border at Kapitan Andreevo
Kapitan Andreevo ( bg, Капитан Андреево ) is a village near the Bulgaria—Turkey—Greece tripoint in Svilengrad municipality, Haskovo Province, southern Bulgaria. As of 2005 it has 948 inhabitants and the mayor is Dimitar Shidero ...
, is also named in honour of the river.
Gallery
File:MaricaRiveratHarmanli.jpg, Spring freshet
The term ''freshet'' is most commonly used to describe a spring thaw resulting from snow and ice melt in rivers located in upper North America. A spring freshet can sometimes last several weeks on large river systems, resulting in significant in ...
of Maritsa River at Harmanli
Harmanli ( bg, Харманли , tr, Harmanlı) is a town in Haskovo Province, south-central Bulgaria. It is the administrative centre of the eponymous Harmanli Municipality.
Near the site of Hamanli in Late Antiquity, during the early 4th- ...
File:Maritsa.jpg, View from the river, Edirne.
File:Meriç River.jpg, The river viewed from Turkey. Greek land visible on the right.
File:ΔΕΛΤΑ ΤΟΥ ΕΒΡΟΥ 20.jpg, Boat on the delta.
Notes
References
*
{{Authority control
Rivers of Bulgaria
Rivers of Greece
Rivers of Turkey
International rivers of Europe
Bulgaria–Greece border
Greece–Turkey border
Landforms of Edirne Province
Landforms of Pazardzhik Province
Landforms of Plovdiv Province
Landforms of Haskovo Province
Landforms of Sofia Province
Landforms of Evros (regional unit)
Rivers of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace
Border rivers