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Cape Kaliakra

Kaliakra is a cape in the Southern Dobruja region of the northern Bulgarian Black Sea Coast, which ends with a long and narrow headland 12 kilometres east of Kavarna, 60 kilometres northeast of Varna and 65 kilometres southwest of Mangalia.

The coast is steep with vertical cliffs reaching 70 metres down to the sea.

Kaliakra is a nature reserve, where dolphins and cormorants can be observed.

It sits on the Via Pontica, a major bird migration route from Africa into Eastern and Northern Europe.

Many rare and migrant birds can be seen here in spring and autumn and, like much of this coastline, is home to several rare breeding birds.

The rest of the reserve also has unusual breeding birds; saker falcon, lesser grey shrike and a host of others.

It also features the remnants of the fortified walls, water-main, baths and residence of Despot Dobrotitsa in the short-lived Despotate of Dobruja's medieval capital.

The name "Kaliakra" is of Byzantine Greek origin. It is a combination of "καλός" ("beautiful") and "άκρα" ("headland" or "edge" or "extremity") and is traditionally translated as "Beautiful Headland".

Kaliakra was the site of the naval Battle of Cape Kaliakra on 11 August 1791, part of the Russo-Turkish War (1787–1792).

The first modern lighthouse on Kaliakra was built in 1866 by the Compagnie des Phares de l’Empire Ottoman; the present one, a 10-metre cylindrical stone masonry tower with lantern and gallery, was erected in 1901, with focal plane height of 68 metres and a white flash.

Probably the most popular legend about the place is one about 40 Bulgarian girls, who preferred to tie their hair together and jump into the Black Sea rather than face the prospect of being captured by the Ottomans.
An obelisk dedicated to this legend is placed at the entrance to the cape, called The Gate of the 40 Maidens.

Another legend tells the story of Saint Nicholas, the patron of seamen, who was running away from the Ottomans when God made the earth under him longer and longer so he could escape, and the cape was formed this way.
The saint was eventually captured and a chapel was built in 1993, symbolizing his grave. A dervish monastery is also said to have existed on the same place during Ottoman rule, which is thought to have preserved the relics of Muslim Bektashi saint Sarı Saltık.

A third legend is about Lysimachus, a successor of Alexander the Great, who seized the royal treasure and escaped to Kaliakra, dying in a major storm along with his whole fleet.


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