Online ... - Blagoevgrad / Gorna Dzhumaya | Resorts Guide Bulgaria - City
A Bulgarian quarter called Varosha was formed during the Bulgarian National Revival, with many of its typical houses and the Church of the Presentation of the Mother of God from 1844 being preserved to this day. A chitalishte was founded in 1866 and the Balkan Wars of 1912-1913 saw the occupation of the area from Ottoman rule and its integration in the Bulgarian state. Attractions in the surrounding area include the resort Bodrost.HistoryAn ancient Thracian settlement called Scaptopara emerged on the site around 300 BC and was later conquered by the Roman Empire. Bala, meaning Upper Juma in Persian and Ottoman Turkish. Cyril and Methodius National Humanitarian High School”, the former Bulgarian Men’s High School of Thessaloniki moved from Thessaloniki to Blagoevgrad (then Gorna Dzhumaya) in 1913. It is located in the valley of the Struma River at the foot of the Rila and Pirin Mountains, 101 km south of Sofia, close to the Greek, Serbian and Republic of Macedonia borders. It lies on the banks of the Blagoevgradska Bistritsa River.The city is the economic and cultural centre of southwestern Bulgaria. The settlement was known for the hot springs in the vicinity.Although the history of the settlement in the Middle Ages is not known, during the Ottoman rule of the Balkans it was initially a Muslim-majority town called Cuma-?