Sapareva Banya

Infobox Settlement
official_name = PAGENAME
native_name = Сапарева баня
subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = BUL
subdivision_type1 = Provinces
(Oblast)
timezone=EET
utc_offset=+2
timezone_DST=EEST
utc_offset_DST=+3
map_caption = Location of Sapareva Banya
pushpin_

pushpin_label_position =
pushpin_map_caption =Location of Sapareva Banya
pushpin_mapsize =
leader_title =Mayor
postal_code_type =Postal Code

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image_caption = Sapareva Banya with the geyser
subdivision_name1=Kyustendil
population_total=4425|population_footnotes=
population_as_of=13.09.2005
elevation_m=983
postal_code=2650
area_code=0707
latd=42|latm=17|lats=|latNS=N|longd=23|longm=16|longs=|longEW=E|leader_name=Sasho Ivanov
website=http://www.saparevabanya.bg/

Sapareva Banya ( _bg. Сапарева баня) is a town in southwestern Bulgaria, part of Kyustendil Province. It is located at the north foot of the Rila mountain 15 km east of Dupnitsa. The town is known for its mineral (103°C hot) and clear mountain water, as well as the geyser in the town centre that sprang forth in 1957.

History

The 12th-13th-century St Nicholas' Church, the 18th-century St George's Church from the Bulgarian National Revival and the St Forty Martyrs Church from 1859 are located in Sapareva Banya.

The former Byzantine town of "Germane" or "Germania" once stood at the location of modern Sapareva Banya. It was the birthplace of the great Byzantine general Belisarius and was first mentioned in the 6th century as Γερμανία, Γερμανός, Γέρμεννε. In an 11th-century charter of Basil II, it was listed as Γερμάνεια. The modern name first appears as "Bane" in 1576. Later on, it was disambiguated by adding the name of the nearby village of Saparevo: the area is rich in mineral springs and many localities have similar names. Saparevo's name, first attested in 1570, is probably derived from the noun "tsapar" ("woodchopper"), from the dialectal verb "tsaparim" (цапарим), "to chop, to cut". Some authors suggest an etymology from the Thracian "*Sapara". [cite book|last=Чолева-Димитрова|first=Анна М.|title=Селищни имена от Югозападна България: Изследване. Речник|publisher=Пенсофт|location=София|date=2002|isbn=9546421685|oclc=57603720|language=Bulgarian|pages=p. 164]

Municipality

Sapareva Banya is also the seat of Sapareva Banya municipality (part of Kyustendil Province), which includes the following 3 villages:

* Ovchartsi
* Resilovo
* Saparevo

Honour

Saparevo Glacier on Smith Island, South Shetland Islands is named after Saparevo / Sapareva Banya.

References

External links

* [http://www.saparevabanya.bg/ Official municipality website]
* [http://sapareva.hit.bg/bg/ Sapareva.hit.bg]