The city of Hisarya is rich in mineral springs, thanks to which tribes settled in this territory even before Christ. The total number of springs is 22, of which 16 are natural and 6 are deep boreholes. Attracted by the healing properties of the warm waters, the Thracians were the first to settle, followed by the “Besi” tribe, and after the first fire of the city, the Roman ruler Diocletian rebuilt it according to the Roman rules for town planning. The city was called Diocletianopol and became the third largest city in Thrace, after Philipopol / Plovdiv / and Beroe / Stara Zagora /.
During the Turkish slavery, the city was inhabited mainly by Turks, who called it Hissar / means “fortress” /, and later with a small change, it was already called “Hisarya” / means “fortress” /, because of the fortress wall, which rose to 13 m. and whose purpose was to protect the city.
To this day, in Hisaria, you can see the remains of the Roman civilizations that lived on these lands and the mineral springs, thanks to which they treated their pains. We will tell you more about 5 of the most famous mineral springs in the city:
- Lily of the valley mineral spring
This spring is located in the center of the city and more precisely in the Lily of the Valley park. The water here is slightly mineralized and has a high content of various chemical elements, some of which are manganese, zinc, copper, etc. “metal vitamins”. The temperature of the water is 42 degrees and it is known as the most delicious Hissar water. It is used for oral treatment of gastrointestinal diseases.
The name of the spring and the park in which it is located comes from a legend dating back to Turkish times.
At a time when Hasan Bey was governor of the city, he took all the maidens to make them part of his harem. The most beautiful girl managed to protect herself from his gaze for a long time, but finally she too was taken to all the other concubines. She was brave and uncompromising, which is why the bey decided to punish her. He invited all his friends as guests and ordered her to serve naked to everyone present. The girl proudly appeared with a tray full of sweets and raised high above her head. Just when her master thought she had finally accepted her fate, the maiden brought the heavy tray down on his head and killed him.
Condemned to death, the girl bravely entered the fire and without saying a word, two tears rolled down her face. At the place where they fell, a spring of hot water appeared, as pure as a lily of the valley, which swallowed the girl’s body. From that day on, the spring was called “Lily’s Tear” and the legend about it was told from generation to generation.
- Colonnada mineral spring
It is one of the symbols of the modern city not only because of its central location, but also because of its beautiful architecture. This spring is fed by its neighboring mineral spring “Momina Salza”, which means that the water flowing from it has the same characteristics.
The colonnade was built before 1960 as an exact replica of a Roman colonnade and depicts the eight deities of health.
- “Stublata” mineral spring
It has the lowest water temperature of 31 degrees, which is used to wash the eyes and treat impaired vision. It is located a few meters away from the Lily of the Valley spring.
- The fountain of youth
This is the most recently built spring, the water of which is believed to have the property of slowing down the aging process at the cellular level. It is located near the “Momina Banya” mineral spring and the “Ivan Vazov” community center.
- “Momina Banya” mineral spring
It is located in one of the largest and most beautiful parks, near the “Ivan Vazov” community center.
The running water from this spring has the highest radon content and has a temperature of 47 degrees. This makes it the most suitable for the treatment of urological and locomotor diseases.
At this spring, the first chemical analysis of mineral water was done in Bulgaria, which marked the beginning of balneotherapy in our country, and the government of Eastern Rumelia issued the first of its kind “Regulations for the operation of Hissar baths”.
From whichever mineral spring you decide to drink, you will contribute to the health of your body and enjoy sweet and warm water. As you walk past all the mentioned springs, don’t forget to check out the majestic fortress wall, the Southern Gate “Camels” and all the other vestiges of the glorious past.