Madan, Smolyan Province

Madan [ mɐdan ] ( Bulgarian Мадан ) is a town in southern Bulgaria, in the Oblast Smolyan, near the city Rudosem. Madan is the administrative center of the municipality Madan.

Madan is located in the Rhodope Mountains, 30 km southeast of Smolyan, 120 km south of Plovdiv.

Municipality Madan

The municipality has 15500 inhabitants Madan, an area of 175 km ² and is located in the Western Rhodopes. The neighboring communities are the towns Rudosem, Slatograd, Nedelino, Ardino, Banite and Smolyan. The average height above sea level is 700 m. The terrain is mostly hilly and has a highland region. The walls of the valleys are very steep. The forest area is 13,125 hectares (131 km ²). The ratio of deciduous trees to conifers is 25:75.

History

Madan is an old mining settlement. The extraction of lead ore began in this region in the 4th to 5th century BC, by the Thracian tribe Koilaleti. In the pits tools of the miners were found from the Middle Ages.

Today, the majority of the population is Muslim by Madan. In the city there are three mosques and an Orthodox church Sveti Georgi Pobedonosez ( Свети Георги Победоносец ).

Economy

Until the 1980s, the mining was the main industry. Structural reforms in 1999 was liquidated the state company Gorubso - Madan ( Bulg Горубсо - Мадан ). Of the 80% are operating in the Russian- Turkish consortium gone rhodopsin investment.

Of great importance for the region is the Minstroj - rhodopsin AG ( Bulg АД " Минстрой - Родопи " ), which deals with mining except with construction projects, pipelines, installations, industrial activity, trade and foreign trade activity.

In recent times in the city develops the clothing industry.

Museums

Rhodope crystal - - ​​1984 Crystal Hall was opened in Madan, which includes a collection of 581 pieces of mineral crystals that were found in the region.

There is also a mining museum in the city.

Others

The city holiday and the day of the miner is celebrated on the last Sunday in August.