The meaning of the word "thrace". Thrace and the Sea of Marmara on the map of Turkey In which country is Thrace located?
Thrace
historical region in the east of the Balkan Peninsula, between the Aegean, Black and Marmara seas (from the name of the ancient population - Thracians). East Thrace from Edirne (to the Maritsa River) - part of Turkey, West. Thrace Greece, North. Thrace - Bulgaria (these borders were established by the Lausanne Peace Treaty of 1923).
Thrace
historical and geographical region in northeastern Greece. 8.6 thousand km2. Population 345 thousand people (1981). The largest cities are Xanthi and Komotini.
Thrace
Thrace- historical and geographical region in the eastern Balkans. Now, in accordance with the Lausanne Peace Treaty of 1923, it is divided between three states: Bulgaria (Northern Thrace, also known as the Upper Thracian Lowland), Greece (the modern Greek province of Thrace, also historically known as Western Thrace) and Turkey, which received Eastern Thrace together with the largest metropolis in the region - Constantinople.
In the geographical center of Thrace there is an important transport hub - the Turkish city of Edirne (historical Adrianople). About 13 million people live in the modern region, including about 10 million Turks, about 1 million Bulgarians and 0.2 million Greeks.
The macula Thrace on Jupiter's moon Europa is named in her honor.
Thrace (Roman province)
Thrace(, (Thráki), ( Thrāíkē) or ( Thrēíkē), or,) - a province of the Roman Empire with a center in Perinthos, which occupied the territory of modern Bulgaria, Serbia, Greece and Turkey. During the time of Marcus Aurelius the population exceeded 1 million people.
Thrace (theme)
Theme Thrace- a military-administrative unit of the Byzantine Empire, located in the southeastern Balkans and included various parts of the geographical region of the same name throughout its history.
Thrace (disambiguation)
Thrace:
- Thrace is a historical and geographical region in the eastern Balkans.
- Thrace is a province of the Roman Empire with its center in Perinth.
- Thrace is a military-administrative unit of the Byzantine Empire, located in the southeastern Balkans.
Thrace (motorway)
Motorway A1 "Thrace" or Thracian Highway- a highway in Bulgaria connecting the cities of Sofia, Plovdiv and Burgas. Named after the historical region of the same name, part of which is occupied by Bulgaria. The total length is 360 km, the official opening of the last section of the road took place on July 15, 2013, and the construction itself took more than 40 years. The Thracian motorway is currently the first in terms of total length in the country: the A2 Hemus motorway has a length of 167 km against the planned 433 km.
A1 connects to the western part of the Sofia Ring Road and allows quick access to the A2 Hemus and A3 Lyulin motorways. In the future, a connection with the A7 Kalotina motorway and the Sofia Northern Passage is possible to reduce traffic density in Sofia. At the very end near Burgas, the Thrace motorway connects with the A5 Cherno More, which allows faster access to Varna and the Black Sea resorts. At the 169th kilometer at the Orizovo junction there is a fork with access to the A4 “Maritsa”, connecting the Thracian Highway with the road across the Turkish border (the town of Kapitan-Andreevo). The node is located between Plovdiv and Chirpan, approximately 5 km north of Pervomay.
Examples of the use of the word Thrace in literature.
Then the Bulgarians devastated Thrace and Macedonia, they burned everything, cut it down and again approached the capital.
Hercules lands in Thrace and they find there that Phineus, incited by his new wife, is torturing his two sons born of his rejected wife, the boread Cleopatra.
With the speed of his transformations, he left even a chameleon behind: besides, a chameleon, as they say, is capable of taking on any color except white, while Alcibiades, whether he saw good examples or bad ones around, imitated both with equal ease: in Sparta he did not leave the gymnasium, was unpretentious and gloomy, in Ionia - pampered, voluptuous, careless, in Thrace he drank heavily, did not get off his horse in Thessaly, at the court of the satrap Tissaphernes in luxury, arrogance and pomp he was not inferior even to the Persians, and it is not that without the slightest effort he changed his true nature and was transformed in any way in his soul, by no means, but when he noticed that, following his inclinations, he risked causing the displeasure of those around him, he always took refuge behind any guise that could please them.
Alexander the Great, each of the commanders will retain the conquered lands, and Lysimachus will rule Thrace, Ptolemy - Egypt and Africa, Antigonus - Asia, Cassander - Macedonia, and the Greeks must live in their own rights.
But also those who live by the Strymonian waters, neighboring neighbors 870 Thrace flat, Antistrophe 2 Like those far from the seaside places covered by the fortress rampart, They were faithful to Darius.
In one poem, Archilochus, without a shadow of embarrassment, recalls how once in Thrace shamefully fled from the battlefield.
The head of the hetaira Seleucus got Babylonia and India, Antigonus the One-Eyed - Asia Minor, with the exception of Ionia and Thrace, sent to Lysimachus.
Turkish possessions began behind Polish Podolia: immediately beyond the Dniester - Bukovina and Moldova with Iasi, behind Moldova - Wallachia with Bucharest, behind the Wallachian lands - Bulgaria, behind it - Thrace, and beyond Thrace is Constantinople.
The first to extend friendly embraces to Ulfila was the famous Thrace preacher Eunomius, bishop of Cyzicus.
In Thrace With the allegiance of the guilty, he outraged the legitimate rulers, captivating with the smell of wine reserves, a spring of invention.
Having mastered Thrace Maroneans and Enos, he then captured Kypsela, Doriscus and Serei.
Through the lands of the Slavs from the Adriatic and to the Danube, in Bulgaria and Serbia, and to the Carpathian Mountains, and beyond the Carpathians, in Galich and Volyn, and throughout the Russian land to the Midnight Sea, and from there to the Volga and to the Oka, and under the mountains Caucasian, in the lands of Yas, and in Dagestan - ancient Serir, - and beyond the Caucasus mountains, in Georgia, in Greater and Lesser Armenia, and in Asia Minor - in Cilicia, Phrygia, Syria, - and on the slopes of Lebanon, and even under the rule of sultans in Mesopotamia and Egypt, and in distant Abyssinia, and throughout Greece - in Epirus, Thessaly and the Peloponnese, in Thrace and Macedonia - the Orthodox faith extended everywhere.
Kintus - a mountain in Sicily, Ofris - a mountain in Thessaly, Rhodope - mountains in Thrace.
Demetrius, having gone on a campaign to Thrace, left Antigonus to watch Greece.
And so the Goths and our Sarmatians constantly carried out raids on the Romans, starting from Augustus, until then, like the Huns, the Tatar people, expelled them from those places, which Emperor Valens allowed to flee to the Mission and Thrace He commanded them to settle and be baptized.
The culture, religion, and customs of the Thracians were formed in close intertwining with Scythian, Greek and Macedonian culture and traditions. 
After the Sarmatian invasion in 2 thousand BC. uh, numerous tribes of Skolots (Scythian farmers) moved to Thrace. Strabo reports: “Many people from Scythia Minor crossed Tiras and Ister and settled in that country (Thrace). A significant part of Thrace in the Balkans was called Scythia Minor."
In the 2nd millennium BC, Thracian tribes occupied vast territories from the Adriatic to the Black Sea (Pontus). The area in Asia Minor near Troy was inhabited by ethnic Thracian tribes, immigrants from Thrace (Bulgaria)…
In Pliny's description of the Transdanubian lands says: " Thrace, on one side, begins from the shore of the Pontus, where it flows into it. In this part there are the most beautiful cities: Istropol, founded by the Milesians, Tomy, Callatia (formerly called Kerbatira). They were lying here Heraclea and Bison, swallowed up by the opening earth. Now it remains Dionysopol, formerly called Kroon. It flows here Zira River. This entire area was occupied by Scythians called plowmen. They had cities: Aphrodisias, Liebist, Zigera, Rocoba, Eumenia, Parthonopolis and Gerania».
The ancient culture, religion and mythology of the Thracians in the Balkans was adopted by the Hellenic Greeks. Thracian myths about Dionysus, Ares, about Europe, the daughter of the Phoenician king, about Orpheus, who, according to legend, was the king of the Thracians and became known in Greek myths. In his 5th book Herodotus writes: " The Thracians honor only three gods: Ares, Dionysus and Artemis. And their kings (unlike the rest of the people) worship the gods more than all other gods Hermes and they swear only by him. According to them, they themselves descended from Hermes. Rich Thracians are like that. The body of the deceased is exposed for three days. At the same time, sacrificial animals of all kinds are slaughtered and, after funeral cries, a funeral feast is held. Then the body is burned or otherwise buried in a mound..."
Herodotus, describing the military equipment of the Thracians fighting the Persians, writes:
“The Thracians wore fox hats on their heads during the campaign. They wore tunics on their bodies and colorful burnouses on top. On their feet and knees they had windings from deerskin. They were armed with darts, slings and small daggers(History, VII, 75).
The Thracians grew a mustache and beard, but preferred hair on their heads collect on top of the head.
According to modern genetics, the Thracians were carriers of the “Indo-European” haplogroup R1a
The first Thracian state in the Balkans formed in the 5th century BC - Odrysian State. King of the Thracian Odrysian tribe Tiras united all that were not homogeneous in ethnic composition - Proto-Slavic, Celtic, etc.
Describing the Thracians, the Greek philosopher Xenophanes reports that outwardly the Thracians are different from the Greeks. The Thracians had blond hair and blue eyes, this is exactly how the Thracians imagined their gods.
« All Ethiopians think of gods as black and snub-nosed,
The Thracians think of them as blue-eyed and fair-haired...«
His Thracian daughter King Tiras married (Herodotus, IV, 80), thus arose a political union of peace and kinship between the dynasty of Thracian kings and the Scythians of the Black Sea region. After the death of King Tiras, his son ruled the Thracia Sitalk.
In the 6th century BC, the Odrysian king Tiras and his son Sitalkos managed to expand the possessions of the Thracian kingdom from the city of Abdera on the Aegean coast to the mouth of the Istria River (Histria - Danube) on the Black Sea coast. In 360 BC. The Odrysian kingdom collapsed.
In a mound near Plovdiv, a gold ring of one of the Odrysian rulers was discovered, on which was engraved Name
Josephus leads self-name of the Thracians - Tirans, descending from Tiras, the seventh son of Iapetus (Japhet), considered the common ancestor of all Indo-Europeans. In ancient times, the Dniester River was called Tiras, hence the modern name of the city - Tiraspol. 
The root of the word “tir” makes the name Tiras related to the mythical (Ταργιταος), the progenitor of the Scythian tribes. According to legend, the Scythian king Targitai was the son of Hercules from horned, daughter of the river Borysthenes(Dnieper). The name Tagitay is Tarha-King, that is, “Bull-King,” the image of a bull, in Latin the word “tayros” means “bull.”
The territory of Macedonia (Greece), Dacia (Romania), Bithynia (northwestern Anatolia), Mysia (northwestern Anatolia) was also inhabited by Thracian tribes who adopted Hellenic culture. In 336 BC. Alexander the Great undertook a campaign against Thrace and subjugated it to his rule, leaving local power to the Thracian princes.
In 46 BC, Thracian Kingdom came under Roman rule and became a province of Rome. The Romans divided Thrace into 33 administrative units (strategies), which were called after the names of the old Thracian tribes.
The Roman ruler Agrippa gained control of Thrace, under Augustus all of Thrace became province of the Roman Empire. Exactly, in the 1st century begins mass exodus of Thracians from Thrace. The Thracians suddenly disappeared from the geographical map of the Balkans. The Thracians moved from these places, this fact is confirmed by the Roman occupation of these territories, the dominance of the Romans in these lands. In Thracian mounds in the Dnieper region, archaeologists find many Roman coins from the 1st century AD.
Many chipped - “Thracians” returned to their former lands in Scythia yu, reviving its agriculture and cities. Antique author of the 2nd century. n. e. Ptolemy reports 6 cities on the Dnieper: Sar, Olvia (Borysthenes), Azagarius, Serim, Metropol, Amadoka. There is a legend in ancient sources about the Thracian king Amadok the First, who ruled the Odrysian state in 410-390.
After the death of Alexander the Great and the collapse of the Roman Empire, the Thracian Prince of Odrysov Seuthes III(324-311 BC) restored the independence of Thrace. Prince of the Odrysians Seuthes III issued his own silver coin in Thrace. The Roman general Lysimachus in 301 BC burned the capital of the Thracian king Seuthus - city of Sevthopolis.
In Ancient Greece, legends were made about the Thracians, as well as the Scythians, as brave warriors who possessed countless gold treasures. The legendary Roman gladiator Spartacus is often classified as Thracian or Scythian. Historian Blades reads Scythian name Pardokas (Παρδοκας), as Spardokas - Σπαρδοκας or identical to the Latin name Spartacus - Spartacus - Spartacus. 
The Thracians living on the Black Sea coast, like the Black Sea Scythians, were fair-haired and blue-eyed, had mustaches and beards. The hair on the head, both the Scythians and the Thracians, was collected on the top of the head, in order to comfortably wear a shaggy fox hat or a small pointed hat (“Thracian cap”), a similar cap was also worn by the Scythians (in the old Russian language - “ skouphia" - pointed hat; in Greek - skouphia, in Greek skyphos - "cup"), the Thracian combat helmet follows the shape of the cap. The clothes and shoes of the Thracians and the Black Sea Scythians were made of leather and fur. When the Scythian king died, his wife, horse and servants were burned with him, their remains were buried in a stone tomb covered with earth (mound) along with her husband; the Thracians had the same custom.
According to modern genetics, the Thracians were carriers of Indo-European , Accordingly, the origins of the now defunct Thracian language must be sought in the Indo-European language group. The ancient Thracians, like the Skolotes (Scythians), spoke one of the dialects that the Hellenes did not know.
Sources of information about the Thracian language are extremely scarce:
1. Glosses in the works of ancient and Byzantine authors (23 words).
2. Thracian inscriptions, of which four are the most valuable, the remaining 20 short inscriptions have been found on the island of Samothrace. The longest inscription in Thracian, found in 1912 near the village of Ezero in Bulgaria, dates back to the 5th century BC. e. It is carved on a gold ring and contains 8 lines (61 letters).
3. In the Thracian language there were - bebrus-"beaver", berga(s) - shore, "hill", berza(s) - "birch", esvas (ezvas) - “horse”, ketri- "four", rudas- ore, red, svit- sweet, “to shine”, udra(s) “otter”, etc.
4. The presence of the ancient Thracians in the Balkans is indicated, first of all, by geographical names - hydronyms - names of rivers in which Proto-Slavic roots are clearly heard - Iskar, Tundzha, Osam, Maritsa, names of mountains - Rhodopes, settlements - Plovdiv, Pirdop and etc.
Slavic roots can also be found in the names of the ancient Thracians:
Astius - Ostash, Ostik. (Ukrainian Ostap)
Brigo - Braiko, Breshko, Breiko, Breg.
Brais - Brashko (related words - mash, boroshno).
Bisa - Bisa, Bisco.
Bessa - Besa, Besko.
Bassus - Bassus, Basco
Vrigo - Vrigo, Frig.
Auluzanus - Aluzanus, Galusha.
Durze - Durzhe (from the word - friend, squad),
Didil - Didil, Dedilo. (related words in Russian: detina, etc.)
Doles - Dolesh (related words in Russian: share).
Dines - Dines, Tinko.
Tutius - Tutius, Cloud, Tuchko
Mettus - Mittus, Mitusa (from the name of the goddess of earth and fertility Demeter, the names Dmitry, Mityai come from).
Mucasis - Mukoseya, Mukosey, Mokoseya
Purus -Purus, Puruska
Sipo - Sipo.
Suarithus - Suaritus, Sirich.
Scorus - Skorus, Skora, Skaryna, Skorets, Skoryna, Skoryata.
Sudius - Sudius, Sudislav, Sudimir, Sudich, Sudets, etc.
(modern name – Sergei)
Tarsa - Tarsha, Turusa.
A little history
The presence of humans in eastern Macedonia and Thrace dates back to the Neolithic era. During the Iron Age, the Achaeans settled in eastern Macedonia.
In the 7th century b.c.e. Hellenes from the islands of the eastern Aegean Sea and the coasts of Asia Minor founded the first colonies on the coast of Thrace. Some of the colonies turned into important cities. In the 5th century b.c.e. a powerful kingdom of the Odrysians was formed, which stretched from the Danube to the Aegean Sea on one side, and from the Strymon River to the Black Sea on the other. This kingdom was liquidated in the 4th century. b.c.e. Philip II, who annexed Thrace to the Macedonian kingdom. During the same period, colonies were founded on the coasts of Macedonia by settlers from the south of Hellas. The subjugation of the poleis of eastern Macedonia began in the 5th century. b.c.e. and ended during the reign of Philip II.
After the battle of Pydna, where the Romans won, Macedonia was completely subjugated to Rome. The entire area up to the Nestos River was a Roman province with the capital Amphipolis, cities such as Abdera, Maronia and Enos were proclaimed free cities. In the northern part of Thrace, the king of Odres Kotius was forced to recognize the dominance of Rome. Thrace officially became a Roman province in 46 BC, and Macedonia was declared an imperial Roman province from 20 BC. During the years of Roman rule, the Hellenization of the Thracians, who were mainly engaged in agriculture and animal husbandry, took place. In eastern Macedonia, the major cities were Amphipolis, Philippi and Limenas on the island of Thasos. Roman emperors contributed to the development of eastern Macedonia and Thrace by founding new cities. And, most importantly, the Romans built a road called Egnatia, which connected the city of Byzantium with Dures and was the main connecting artery for many centuries.
During the Byzantine Empire, Thrace and Macedonia were the two most important provinces of the empire. However, this did not save them from invasions and robbery. The first major invasion was carried out by the Huns and Slavs, it occurred in the 5th century. From the middle of the 7th century. and until the liquidation of the Bulgarian kingdom by the Byzantine emperor Vasily II the Bulgarian Slayer in 1018, the Bulgarians made repeated invasions into the territories of Macedonia and Thrace. The re-formation of the Bulgarian state in 1186 resulted in renewed Bulgarian invasions in the territory of Macedonia and Thrace.
After the capture of Constantinople by the Crusaders, Thrace and some territories of Macedonia passed to the Latin kingdom of Constantinople. However, the crusaders met resistance from the Bulgarians, who in 1230 achieved almost complete control over Thrace and Macedonia, except for the sea coast. Macedonia and Thrace were conquered by the Byzantines in the 13th century.
Thrace is also a region on whose territory in the 14th century. The largest scenes of the internecine war of the Byzantine Empire unfolded. In addition to the destruction of many cities and fortresses, the devastation of provinces, economic decline, and the physical destruction of the inhabitants of these areas, this civil strife brought with it another disastrous result. It was the reason for the appearance of the Ottomans on the territory of Thrace, whom the warring parties used for their own purposes, regardless of further consequences.
The Ottomans reappeared in Thrace in the 14th century, this time not as allies of any of the warring parties, but as invaders. The Byzantines managed to push them back for some time and forced the Ottomans to conclude a peace treaty in 1357. However, this peace did not last long; in 1361, the Ottomans began a holy war in order to spread Islam among the population of Thrace. In 1361 Didimoticho was captured, in 1363 - Komontini, Maronea, Perifori and Xanthi. And after the Battle of Cyrene in 1371, Thrace was completely under the rule of the Ottomans, except for some fortresses located near Constantinople. Very soon the conversion of the local population to the Muslim faith began, which intensified even more in the 15th century. The Christian population, in order to avoid all this, left cities and ancient cities, settling in mountainous or remote areas. The population that remained in place and did not want to change their faith was converted into serfs who cultivated land owned by the Ottomans.
From the end of the 16th and beginning of the 17th centuries. the situation has changed. The beginning of the decline of the Ottoman Empire coincides with the settlement of Jewish refugees in Macedonia and Thrace, as well as the return of the Greek population to the plains, since living in the mountains was associated with great difficulties. As part of this movement of human masses, compact parts of the Greek population from the Peloponnese, Thessaly and Macedonia advanced into Thrace. Cities such as Adrianople, Philippopolis, Heraklion, Redestos, Enos, Silivria and Kallipoli were important trading centers. The Greek population continued to grow and become richer throughout the 18th century. Greek schools existed at the very beginning of the Ottoman yoke, but in small numbers and were located in large cities. However, after the birth of the Greek Enlightenment, the number of schools increased.
Thrace is one of the few regions that did not take part in the Uprising of 1821, although, of course, some rebel centers were formed, but they very soon ceased to exist. The constant presence of the Ottoman army on the territory of Thrace and its location at a short distance from Constantinople, as well as the flat landscape of this area, were the main reasons standing in the way of the active assistance of the Greek population of Thrace in the fight against the Ottoman yoke. Likewise, in eastern Macedonia the Uprising did not find adequate support for the above-mentioned reasons.
In subsequent years, the Ottomans hardened their stance towards the Greek population. There was a general decline in the economy and a breakdown in administrative rule, all of which worsened the lives of the Christian population, and in particular the Greeks of Thrace and Macedonia. At the same time, an increasing number of Bulgarians begin to acquire national consciousness and compete with the Greeks in all social spheres of activity. During the 1860s, the Greek-Bulgarian conflict took a dramatic turn due to the religious emancipation of the Bulgarians. The position of the Bulgarians was further strengthened after the formation of the Church Exarchate.
The crisis of the Eastern Question was caused by the uprising of the Christian population of Bosnia in 1875 and the Bulgarians in 1876, which caused massacres of the Christian population, this in turn led to the outbreak of the Russo-Turkish War. The Russian army reached Constantinople, in 1877 the San Stefano Peace Treaty was signed, according to which Bulgaria acquired vast territories: all of today's Bulgaria, Thrace and Macedonia, except Thessalonica and Chalkidiki. However, the decisions of this treaty were revised at the Berlin Congress in 1878. This time, instead of vast territories, Bulgaria was limited to a small autonomous state. However, in 1885, Bulgaria arbitrarily and illegally annexed Eastern Rumilia. These actions were eventually recognized by the Great Powers. The Greek population was a major political force in the area of northern Thrace until 1906, when serious unrest broke out and most of the Greek population, who had lived in the area for centuries, was forced to leave the area.
In southern Thrace and Macedonia, after 1878, competition began between Greeks and Bulgarians in the fields of education, religion and various professions. Since 1897, Bulgarian military detachments appeared on the territory of Macedonia and in some regions of Thrace, which forcefully forced the Christian population to submit to the Bulgarian Exarchate and demanded that children enter Bulgarian schools. Greek anti-propaganda began to appear after 1906.
During the First Balkan War, all of southern Thrace and eastern Macedonia were captured by the Bulgarian army. In the 2nd Balkan War, the Greek army reached Alexandropol and expelled the Bulgarians. However, according to the Treaty of Bucharest, Thrace was ceded to Bulgaria, except for a small area around Constantinople, which remained under Ottoman rule. As a result, after the conclusion of the Treaty of Neuilly in 1919, Greece annexed western Thrace (up to the Evros River), and after the conclusion of the Treaty of Sèvres in 1920, eastern Thrace, except for Constantinople and its environs, went to Greece.
However, the Asia Minor disaster marked the final loss of eastern Thrace. The Greek population was forced to leave eastern Thrace and settle in Macedonia and western Thrace. In total, more than 145 thousand refugees from the regions of eastern Thrace, Asia Minor, Bulgaria, the Caucasus and Armenia settled in Thrace. In turn, 23 thousand people moved to Bulgaria. The population exchange continued in eastern Macedonia, Muslims left these areas, and Greek refugees from the Pontus region settled in their place.
During World War II, Thrace and eastern Macedonia were occupied by German and Bulgarian troops, after which these areas came under the control of the Bulgarian occupation forces, and their center was the city of Drama. The Bulgarians made attempts to change the ethnic composition of the Greek population, and thereby create a new order of things in the political arena. However, their actions met resistance from the local population, in particular, in many cases the Greek population took up arms. The Bulgarian occupation ended in 1944. Eastern Macedonia and Thrace again became part of Greece.
Geochronology of the region
Eastern Macedonia and Thrace are part of the Balkan Peninsula. Today we know that the territory of the Balkan Peninsula, Hellas, the Aegean Sea and the territory of today's Turkey were for many millions of years the bottom of a huge sea, which scientists symbolically call Tithis. Approximately 30 million years ago, at the beginning of the Miocene, the floor of the Tithis Sea began to rise, resulting in the formation of a large land mass - Aegis. The Aegis spread out across the region that is today Greece, Turkey and the Aegean Sea. At the beginning of the next geological period, the Pleistocene, approximately 2 million years ago, the geographical map of Greece begins to take on its present form, resulting in the final formation of the Balkan Peninsula, Asia Minor and the Aegean Sea.
The region's mountains are mostly crystalline, but there is also a significant amount of volcanic deposits. In particular, the Rhodope mountain range is rich in granite, slate, etc. To the west, some of the mountains of eastern Macedonia, Falakro, Orvilos, etc., are rich in limestone and marble.
Prehistoric flora and fauna
Remains of prehistoric flora, mainly fossilized tree trunks, leaves and seeds, have been discovered in the region. In the prehistoric period, the territory of eastern Macedonia and Thrace was inhabited by various animals that do not exist today, for example, mammoths and other proboscideans. Lions are also known to be found in the region.
Eastern Macedonia and Thrace today
Eastern Macedonia and Thrace consists of the districts of Drama, Kavala, Xanthi, Serres, Rhodope and Evros, which are under the administrative jurisdiction of the Regional District of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace. The district of Serres covers an area of 3968 square meters. km., with a population of 201 thousand people. The administrative center of the district is the city of Serres. Drama district has an area of 3468 square meters. km., its population is 104 thousand people. The administrative center of the district is the city of Drama. Kavala district covers an area of 2111 square meters. km., its population is 63,293 people, the administrative center is the city of Kavala. The district of Xanthi occupies an area of 1793 square meters. km., with a population of 102 thousand people, the administrative center of the district is the city of Xanthi. The territory of the Rhodope region is 2543 square meters. km., and on its territory the population is 110 thousand people, the administrative center is the city of Komotini. The Evros district covers an area of 4242 square meters. km., with a population of 105 thousand people, the administrative center of the district is the city of Alexandropol.
The landscape of this area is characterized by mountain ranges, plains stretching all the way to the sea coast, and large rivers. The largest mountain ranges are: in Thrace – Papiko (1827 m); in Macedonia - Falakro (2111 m), Bleles (2031 m) and Pangeon (1956 m). The major rivers are the Strymon, Nestos and Evros, which originate in Bulgaria, cross Greece and flow into the Aegean Sea, forming a delta. Large lakes are Kerkini, located in the Serres district, and Lake Vistonida, located on the borders of the Xanthi and Rhodope districts. The only islands existing in this region are Thasos and Samothrace.
The climatic conditions are slightly different from the rest of Greece. Due to the northern and northwestern winds, in winter there is a strong drop in temperature in mountainous areas, in particular, the Nevrokop plateau is considered the coldest inhabited area of Greece. In coastal areas the climate is milder.
Vegetation
The difference in climatic conditions is reflected in the vegetation of the region. At the foot of the mountains, mainly Mediterranean shrubs (Mediterrnean maqui) grow. Above is a zone of deciduous trees - oaks, which usually reaches 100 m or a little more. Trees that grow in this zone include Broadleaf Oak (Quercus frainetto), Shaggy Oak (Quercus pubescens) and Holm Oak (Quercus petraea). Above this zone, at an altitude of up to 2000 m, there is a zone of coniferous forests. Black pine (Pinus nigra), Macedonian pine (Abies borisiiregis), forest pine (Pinus sylvestris) and red pine (Picea abies) grow here. This zone partially contains beech forests of species such as Fagus silvatica, Fagus orientalis, or mixed forests of coniferous and deciduous trees. On mountain peaks exceeding 2000 m, only perennial dwarf grasses grow
In addition to the above-mentioned zones, there is also a zone of valleys, which is mostly intensively cultivated by the population, and there is practically no natural vegetation here.
Flora and fauna
The flora of eastern Macedonia and Thrace contains approximately more than 2,500 species of different plants. Among them, mountain endemics such as Dianthus dimulans and Diantgus noeanus, Rhodope lily (Lilium rhodopeum), Viola rhodopeja, Viola ganiatsasii, Viola sereiana rhodopes, Haberlea rhodopensis, etc. are of particular value. There are also many species of rare trees.
The fauna of this region is also rich. Due to the numerous and large biocenoses, almost all waterfowl of the country live here. On the other hand, the existence of mountain ranges favors the presence of migratory birds. It is roughly estimated that of the 410 bird species, 400 live in eastern Macedonia and Thrace. As for mammals, there is no other area in Greece where there are so many mammals. These are bear, wolf, jackal, wild boar, fox, hedgehog and many others. Other classes of animals here include amphibians, reptiles, insects, etc.
Here is a detailed map of Thrace with the names of cities and towns in Russian. Move the map while holding it with the left mouse button. You can move around the map by clicking on one of the four arrows in the upper left corner. You can change the scale using the scale on the right side of the map or turning the mouse wheel.
What country is Thrace located in?
Thrace is located in Greece. This is a wonderful, beautiful place, with its own history and traditions. Coordinates of Thrace: north latitude and east longitude (show on large map).
Virtual walk
The “man” figurine above the scale will help you take a virtual walk through the cities of Thrace. By clicking and holding the left mouse button, drag it to any place on the map and you will go for a walk, while inscriptions with the approximate address of the area will appear in the upper left corner. Select the direction of movement by clicking on the arrows in the center of the screen. The “Satellite” option at the top left allows you to see a relief image of the surface. In the “Map” mode you will have the opportunity to get acquainted in detail with the roads of Thrace and the main attractions.
We can safely say that the region of Thrace and Sea of Marmara- one of the first that numerous guests of Turkey meet as soon as they decide to leave the resort area and touch the rich historical heritage of the country.
Just turning the pages of the history of Thrace, from ancient times to the present day, is striking in the number of ethnic cultures that have succeeded each other, prominent names, powerful conquerors and conquered peoples.
Once a single entity, and today historically divided between Turkey, Greece and Bulgaria, the region of Thrace and the Sea of Marmara certainly deserves special attention from travelers. Today, under the name Rumelia, it is Thrace that constitutes the region of European Turkey.
In ancient times, ancient Thrace was located on the territory of the European part of the Sea of Marmara region, and Phrygia and Bithynia were located in Anatolia (on the Asian coast). These countries were closely associated with ancient Greece, but over time, at the beginning of the new era, they became part of the Roman Empire, and after Byzantium. By the middle of the 15th century they were completely conquered by the Ottomans.
Pages of history:
The catastrophe that befell the world of late Hellas as a result of the invasion of the Dorians did not bypass the lands of Thrace. The chariots of the Dorian conquerors crossed the Balkans from north to south, causing destruction and confusion everywhere. The chaos brought about by the invasion of the Dorians (XIII-XI centuries BC), and the subsequent pressure of the Cimmerians (X-VIII centuries BC), and later the Scythians (VIII-III centuries BC) . BC) largely provoked the advance of the Thracians partly into Asia Minor, and partly to the northeast of the Lower Danube, into the region of Western Podolia (Ukraine), where the Thracians dissolved among the bearers of the Belogrudov and Chernolesk cultures, representing the sedentary eastern wing of the Slavic community of Europe .
According to one of the many legends, the ancient inhabitants of Thrace originate from Thiras, the son of Japheth. In former times, Thrace was famous for the variety and wealth of metals, beautiful horses and skillful horsemen. However, the unique geographical location turned the region into a kind of crossroads, where the paths of various peoples converged, migrating between continents, often at odds with each other. Traces of ancient civilizations that influenced the historical development of Europe and Asia are found everywhere here.
Today, the region of Thrace and the Sea of Marmara, which includes 11 provinces, is one of the most attractive centers of culture, art and tourism. The center of the entire region, the city where the idea of mutual influence of cultures found its fullest expression, was, of course, the beautiful metropolis of Istanbul, spread out on both banks of the Bosphorus.
The Marmara Sea region is famous for its thermal springs, which have unique healing properties, as their water is rich in sulfur and iron. Near the Gulf of Izmit is the resort of Yalova, whose hot springs were known back in the days of the Roman Empire. The thermal springs of Bursa became popular under Emperor Justinian, by whose order the first public bath buildings were erected above them.
It is interesting that the population of Eastern Thrace, as well as Thrace in general, in the Middle Ages was predominantly Greco-Slavic, and from the end of the 7th century the Slavs numerically predominated, making up a significant proportion of the population of the cities, especially Odrina (Edirne).
After the Crusaders captured Constantinople in 1204, the Slavs became the main ethnic group in the region. After the Turkish invasions of the 14th-15th centuries, a powerful Turkic element was added to them.
Currently, the population of Eastern Thrace is represented almost exclusively by Turks, although there is a significant, but already Islamized, Roma community. The climate in the Marmara Sea region can generally be called moderately warm. In summer, it is warmer here than on the Black Sea coast, but cooler than on the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts.
Eastern Thrace and the coast of the Sea of Marmara is a flat region characterized by hot summers and mild and rainy winters. The Marmara region is a land of beautiful parks and gardens. The hills and mountains that rise above the flat coastline are covered with forests. The most common types of trees are cypress, almond, olive, chestnut, magnolia, and laurel.
The mountain slopes are covered with vineyards. This area is famous for its unique varieties of peaches and figs. Travelers are accompanied by pictures of amazing beauty throughout the region, both in the architectural construction of cities and towns, and in the culture of local residents.
The centuries-old history of the Marmara Sea region, which is a natural contact zone between the West and the East, has left a huge number of interesting traces in its memory, each of which is worthy of being labeled “must see” or “can’t be missed.” Such symbols of the era in the Marmara Sea region are three cities that at different times were the capitals of the Ottoman Empire - Istanbul, Bursa and Edirne, as well as one of the most famous places on earth - Troy.
