Kochan

Infobox Settlement
name = Kochan
subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = BUL
settlement_type = Village

---

subdivision_type1 = Province
(Oblast)
subdivision_type2 = Municipality
(Obshtina)
subdivision_name2 = Satovcha
timezone = EET
utc_offset = +2
timezone_DST = EEST
utc_offset_DST = +3
map_caption = Location of Kochan
pushpin_

pushpin_label_position =
pushpin_map_caption = Location of Kochan
pushpin_mapsize =
leader_title = Mayor
postal_code_type = Postal Code


subdivision_name1 = Blagoevgrad
native_name = Кочан
population_total = 3076
population_footnotes = [bg icon [http://grao.bg/tna/tab02.txt Table of the population in Blagoevgrad District] ]
population_as_of = 2007-15-12
population_density_km2 = 93.83
elevation_m = 961
postal_code = 2955
area_code = 07545
LicensePlate = E
latd = 41
latm = 35
lats =
latNS = N
longd = 24
longm = 2
longs =
longEW = E
leader_name = Rumen Orachev
blank_name = Car plates
blank_info = E

Kochan ( _bg. Кочан) is a village in southwestern Bulgaria. It is located in the municipality of Satovcha, Blagoevgrad province.

Geography

spring several kilometers north of the village. There are different types of rocks, soils and typical wood vegetation.

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

In the second half of the 20^th century a large portion of the birch forest was cut and the deforestated regions were planted with pine trees.

It is known that 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 8^th centuries BC. They were populated by the Thracian tribes called Bessi and Satrae.The modern village was founded between 4^th and 5^th century AD. It is being speculated that Alexander The Great passed through the village on his way to Perperikon. Later the villages of the region fell under Roman rule. 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 lay the remains of an ancient Roman settlement and a Roman built church. There are scarce remains from the later Byzantine rule.

During the 14^th century Kochan was added to Momchil Voyvoda's realm (Momchil, Greek "Mimetil" or "Mimet" in the local dialect). When the Ottomans arrived, Momchil supported them, so the village was safe from being drawn in a war and avoided massacres. According to the old inhabitants of the village, the very Sultan Bayezid I passed through the village, built a mosque and gained the support of the local people.

There is information that in a later period of the ottoman rule, the population of this part of the Rhodope mountain expelled the local ottoman officials in protest because of the high taxes. The authorities returned seven years later.

In 1912 during the Balkan Wars, Kochan was acceded to Bulgaria.

Most probably the ancient name of the village was "Akrovoni". Translated from Greek, it means "end of a mountain" which is in accordance with the geographical position of the village. In documents from the 19^th century it is being mentioned as 'Kochen' which refutes the common idea of the name, being a derivative of the words "koch" (ram) and "han" (inn) which coexisted at some point in the village. Note that the local inhabitants omit the sound 'h'! As of today, the origin of the name is still unclear.

Religion

. 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 9^th century.

Rumor has it that Islam came in Kochan sometime between 8^th and 10^th 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. 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 vllage.

In 1912 the Bulgarian army acceded Kochan to the present Bulgarian state. Not like 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 mayer 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 baned. 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 date state in 1991. A few repair works have been undertaken during the last years, but they are merely cosmetics. 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

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

Kochan has a rich folklore. There are many typically Kochani songs that are being sung. Some of them, eventually, were included in the Veda Slovena collection.

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.

Nightlife and entertainment

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".

External links

* [http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Europe/Bulgaria/West/Blagoevgrad/Kochan/ The nature of Kochan - Photo gallery]

Notes