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Kochan

Coordinates: 41°35′13.3794″N 24°1′40.4394″E / 41.587049833°N 24.027899833°E / 41.587049833; 24.027899833
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For the village in Poland, see Kochań.
Kochan
Кочан
Village
Country Bulgaria
Province
(Oblast)		Blagoevgrad
Municipality
(Obshtina)		Satovcha
Government
 • MayorRumen Orachev
Elevation
961 m (3,153 ft)
Population
 (2007-15-12)[1]
 • Total3,076
 • Density93.83/km2 (243.0/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+2 (EET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+3 (EEST)
Postal Code
2955
Area code07545
Car platesE

Kochan (Template:Lang-bg) is a village in southwestern Bulgaria. It is located in the municipality of Satovcha, Blagoevgrad Province.

Geography

The center of the village of Kochan.

The village of Kochan is located in mountainous region in southwestern Bulgaria 10 km away from the border with Greece in the Chech region. The village is surrounded by high peaks, the tallest of which is the Marashova Chuka with 1414 m elevation. A small river passes through the village, taking its source from a karst spring several kilometers north of the village. There are different types of rocks, soils and typical wood vegetation in the surroundings of the village.

There are coniferous, deciduous and mixed type forests on the territory of the Kochan. Birch forests dominate the lowest terrains. The largest birch massif on the Balkans is situated on Kochan territory.

In the second half of the 20th century a large portion of the birch forest was cut and replanted with pine trees. The village was once surrounded by a century old birch forest which extinguished some 1.5-2 centuries ago due to a large bush fire.

History

The village of Kochan has a rich history. The remains of the villages around are dated to 3000 BC.[2] In historical times they were populated by the Thracian tribes called Trausi.[citation needed] The modern village was founded between 7th and 8th century AD when the local Thracian villages united in the valley of the Kochanska River.[3] The two Roman graves in the outskirts of the village testify for the Roman presence in the village and just three kilometers north of the village are to be found the remains of a Roman settlement. But archeological surveys of the region show that the local inhabitants weren't romanized and their Thracian culture and language persisted well through the 6th - 7th century.[4]

Thracian settlements in the vicinity of Kochan existed in the places called Kravek, Dalboki dol, Kvachevo, Lukovitsa, Chindzhovo, Iztok, Baleva niva, Shiroka polyana, Livadeto, Visoka maglitsa, Zaimova chuka, Padiboga, Selishte, Kirmikya, Kalyovishte, Redovna niva and Rata.[4] The settlement in Zaimova chuka existed between the 3rd millennium BC and 10th - 11th century AD.[2] In 2001 an iron sword was excavated from a tomb near Kochan. The weapon is called Rhomphaia. It is dated back to the second half of the 4th century to the middle of the 3rd century BC. The total length of the sword is 128 cm - the handle is 52 cm long while the length of the blade is 76 cm.[5]

Kochan was acceded to the First Bulgarian Empire during the reign of Presian (836–852).[6] Later it fell again under the rule of Byzantium. Eventually, during the 12th or 13th century Kochan was within the borders of Despot Alexius Slav's realm. During the 14th century Kochan was acceded to the Ottoman Empire.

As of 1873 Kochan (Kotchen) had male population of 280 Pomaks and 100 houses.[7] According to Stephan Verkovic at the end of the 19th century the village had male population of 312 Pomaks and 100 houses.[8] In his statistic Vasil Kanchov mentions that in 1900 Kochan (Кочен) is a Pomak village with 773 inhabitants (Bulgarian Muslims) in total.[9]

In 1912 during the First Balkan War, Kochan was acceded to Bulgaria and shortly after its population was forced to convert from Islam to Christianity. But soon Bulgaria was drawn into the Second Balkan War and the local inhabitants formed guerrilla corps together with the inhabitants of the villages of Vaklinovo, Lyubcha, Valkosel and Dospat. Detachments of 30, 50 and 60 insurgents were formed to counter the Bulgarian haidouks and eventually the Bulgarian military. On the eve of the 27th of September 1913 they attacked a Bulgarian frontier post adjacent to the village of Chavdar. Finally the appointed priest in the village was expelled and Islam restored.[10] Due to the fear of revenge or second baptism in 1914 15 families emigrated to the village of Kocapınar, Balıkesir Province, Turkey. After the Treaty of Lausanne in 1923 all Muslims from Drama Prefecture were expelled from Greece. Some Pomaks found temporary shelter in Kochan where they prepared for emigration to Turkey. After two years, in 1925, they left dragging along some inhabitants of Kochan with them and settled in the villages of Edirne Province, but after all some of the refugees remained in Kochan.[11]

Due to the isolation of the Pomaks and the poverty the emigration continued in the following years. In a message from the minister of war to the Ministry of Internal Affairs is reported that on the 11th of May 1934 16 inhabitants of Kochan and Zhizhevo illegally crossed the border with Greece and emigrated after they have been told by a Greek merchant that Greece and Turkey provide land and financial support for Pomak refugees.[12]

During 1964 the Communist regime made an attempt to change the Muslim names of the Pomaks in Kochan with Slavic ones but the attempt failed and only those loyal to the regime had their names changed. On 23 April 1972 in the town of Sarnitsa an appointed Bulgarian policeman was killed by five native Pomaks because of a confiscated driving license. One of the ravishers surrendered immediately while the rest made an attempt to escape to Greece but were arrested in Kochan where they had received temporary shelter. That was a good moment for the regime to make a second attempt for a forced name change since the inhabitants of the village were shocked by the incident and the authorities charged them with complicity in the murder. Thus the name change went relatively smooth.[13]

Religion

Medieval inscription on the mosque in Kochan.

The ancient ancestors of the inhabitants of Kochan confessed the common Thracian polytheistic religion. The discoveries of shrines and artifacts in the territory of the village support this thesis. It is being speculated that around the 4th century Saint Paul converted the population of the region to Christianity, but no proofs in support of that claim have been discovered so far. The only thing that reminds of the presence of Christianity in the area is the remains of church in the Cyrkvata area north of the village. But it is well known that the church was built by Roman soldiers, often using the road to Plovdiv.[citation needed] The scholars think that Christianity never found solid ground in this region because the local folk was not in good relations with the neighboring Greeks and they avoided converting to Christianity in order to avoid the influence of the Greek clerics.[citation needed] It is, though, possible that the inhabitants of the region confessed Paulicianism and Bogomilism. There is even probability that they remained pagan until a much later period similar to the northern part of modern Bulgaria which converted to Christianity during the 9th century.

Rumor has it that Islam came in Kochan sometime between 8th and 10th century during the wars of the Caliphate with Byzantium. There is a probability that an Arabic military party reached the village or it was visited by Islamic missionaries.[citation needed] The existence of Arabic kins in Kochan points that maybe during these wars, Byzantium interned the Islamic population from its borders with the Caliphate in Rhodope and presumably in Kochan. The people in Kochan sing a song which tells the story of the Ottoman arrival and their surprise to find Muslim inhabitants in the village.[citation needed]

In 1912 the Bulgarian army acceded Kochan to the present Bulgarian state. Unlike the inhabitants of most neighboring villages, the inhabitants of Kochan chose to convert to Christianity when they were posed an ultimatum by the Bulgarian army and they avoided the genocide which took place in many villages in Rhodope. The mayor and the imam of the village gathered the people and explained to them that according to the Koran it is permissible to convert to other religion when threaten by death, on the condition to remain a true Muslim in the heart. When the army arrived, it destroyed the mosque and built a church. The expelled Bulgarians from present Greece were given land and real estate in the village, but very soon after the withdrawal of the Bulgarian army they fled leaving the church unattended. Eventually the church was dismissed and the mosque and Islam restored by the end of 1913.

During the totalitarian regime in Kochan, as everywhere in Bulgaria, the confession of any religion was limited and the access to the mosque banned. Eventually in 1989 the minaret of the mosque was ruined in such a manner that it damaged the whole building. Immediately after the rise of democracy in the late 1989, an effort to repair the mosque began. It was finished to its present state in 1991. A few repair works have been undertaken during the last years, but they were merely cosmetic. Though the mosque is in good condition, it needs further repair works and upgrades like installing a heating system and renovating the bathroom. No resources for these works have been found so far.

In general the inhabitants of Kochan are not very religious. Actually many people from the neighboring villages call them giauri (unbelievers).

Public institutions

The following public institutions are established in the village of Kochan: local government office, hospital, primary and secondary schools, three kindergartens, post office, mosque, small museum and chitalishte.

Culture and nature

A nice view from north of Kochan (Chinjovo summit) towards Greece.

The different relief forms of the mountain combined with the different types of forests, the fields and the meadows comprise to fantastic scenes and landscapes. The surrounding of the village is very picturesque. One can see regions in Greece from the highlands and notably mount Falakro. Other fantastic scenes are the mountains Slavyanka, Pirin and Rhodope. There remains of several Thracian villages lay around the villages. Notably in the regions Ushite, Kravek, Livadeto and Redovna niva. There are also two ancient cities - one in Iztok and the second is adjacent to the road fork for the village. The most fascinating view is the fortress near the city in the Iztok region. Other ancient cities are discovered in the territory of the neighboring villages and specifically the ones in Visoka magiltsa and Orfeevoto.

It is less than 10 km to the Konski dol natural park, 19 km to the Tymnata gora natural park and 25 km to Dospat Dam.

Literature

  • Искренов, Андон (1995). Кочан (in Bulgarian). София: Културно-просветен център „Васил Априлов“. ISBN 954-8528-03-7.
  • Мельов, Антон (1973). "Извори и предания за миналото на с.Кочан". Пиринско Дело (in Bulgarian) (114). {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  • Поликар, Сами (1995). "70 години училище в село Кочан". Свободен Народ (in Bulgarian) (22). ISSN 0861-1068. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  • Докузов, Иван (1972). "Срещи и разговори в обновения Кочан". Пиринско Дело (in Bulgarian) (16). {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  • Колев, Симеон (1973). "Новите измерения на Кочанска община". Пиринско Дело (in Bulgarian) (295). {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  • Христов, Р. (1970). "Koчан: очерк за селото". Родопи (in Bulgarian) (11): 4–7. ISSN 0861-1327.

Regular events

  • The weekly market is held every Thursday in the center of the village.
  • In 2004 the tradition of holding a fair was reintroduced. It takes place every year on the Vaklinovski livadi meadows.
  • In 1995 the tradition of holding a school festival was reintroduced. Students from different ages present theatrical scenes, sing songs or dance traditional or modern dances.

Famous people

Nightlife and entertainment

A cheshma in the outskirts of Kochan.

There is a disco club in Kochan, a lot of cafes and two mehani (old fashioned traditional bar similar to an Irish pub). The inhabitants of Kochan are jolly fellows and like to joke a lot, especially in the cafes which are normally overcrowded during the weekly market on Thursdays, national and religious holidays and weddings which are celebrated by the whole village. The people of Kochan love organizing barbecues and for that purpose they have built tens of rest places near the notorious cheshmi which number more than 200 only in the vicinity of the village.

Kitchen

A typical meal in Kochan is the Kochanski kachamak.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kochan.

Notes

  1. ^ Template:Bg icon Table of the population in Blagoevgrad District
  2. ^ a b Община Гоце Делчев. "Археологически обекти и места". Retrieved 2 November 2008.
  3. ^ Искренов, Андон (1995). Кочан (in Bulgarian). София: Културно-просветен център „Васил Априлов“. p. 11. ISBN 954-852-803-7.
  4. ^ a b Искренов, Андон (1995). Кочан (in Bulgarian). София: Културно-просветен център „Васил Априлов“. p. 9. ISBN 954-852-803-7.
  5. ^ Paunov, Evgeni (2005). "Rhomphaеa: A new thracian sword from the Western Rhodopеs (Southwest Bulgaria)" (PDF). Bulgarian Academy of Science. p. 42. Retrieved 2 November 2008.
  6. ^ Искренов, Андон (1995). Кочан (in Bulgarian). София: Културно-просветен център „Васил Априлов“. p. 10. ISBN 954-852-803-7.
  7. ^ Македония и Одринско. Статистика на населението от 1873 г. (in Bulgarian, French, English, and Russian) (II ed.). София: Македонски научен институт. 1995 [1878]. pp. 132–133.
  8. ^ Райчевски, Стоян (2004) [1998]. Българите мохамедани (in Bulgarian) (II ed.). София: Национален музей на българската книга и полиграфия. p. 111. ISBN 954-9308-51-0.
  9. ^ Кънчов, Васил (1996) [1900]. "Неврокопска Каза". Македония. Етнография и статистика (in Bulgarian) (II ed.). София: Проф. М. Дринов. p. 196. {{cite book}}: External link in |chapterurl= (help); Unknown parameter |chapterurl= ignored (|chapter-url= suggested) (help)
  10. ^ Мехмед, Хюсеин (2007). "Помаците по време на Междусъюзническата война от 16.06.1913 г.". Помаците и торбешите в Мизия, Тракия и Македония (in Bulgarian). София. p. 91.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  11. ^ Арденски, Владимир (2005). "Родопите обезлюдяват". Загаснали огнища (in Bulgarian). София: ИК „Ваньо Недков“. p. 124. ISBN 954-817+696-3. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help)
  12. ^ Арденски, Владимир (2005). "1934-та - година на заседания, доклади, изложения и... бягства". Загаснали огнища (in Bulgarian). София: ИК „Ваньо Недков“. p. 172. ISBN 954-817-696-3.
  13. ^ Груев, Михаил (2008). Възродителният процес. Мюсюлманските общности и комунистическият режим (in Bulgarian). София: Институт за изследване на близкото минало; Фондация „Отворено общество“; Сиела. pp. 75–76. ISBN 978-954-280-291-4. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)

41°35′13.3794″N 24°1′40.4394″E / 41.587049833°N 24.027899833°E / 41.587049833; 24.027899833

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