Dospat

Dospat (Bulgarian: Доспат) is a town in the very south of Bulgaria, part of Smolyan Province, situated in the Rhodope Mountains, close to Dospat Dam. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous Dospat Municipality. As of December 2010, the town had a population of 2,425^[2] who are mainly Bulgarian Muslims.

Dospat Доспат
Coat of arms
Dospat Location of Dospat
Coordinates: 41°39′N 24°10′E
Country	Bulgaria
Provinces (Oblast)	Smolyan
Government [1]
• Mayor	Elin Radev (CEDB)
Area
• City	69.196 km2 (26.717 sq mi)
Elevation	1,358 m (4,455 ft)
Population  (2010-12-15)[2]
• City	2,425
• Urban	9,116
Time zone	UTC+2 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+3 (EEST)
Postal Code	4830
Area code	03045, +359-3045
Car plates	CM

The town was probably founded by Despot Alexius Slav in the 12th or 13th century, from whose title (despot) its name is very likely derived. Dospat Dam is the highest dam in Bulgaria by altitude and, with its 22 km² of water area, the second largest in capacity. It is fed by the River Dospat.

The town was pillaged and mostly destroyed by members of the Supreme Macedonian-Adrianople Committee, a Bulgarian paramilitary group. Of the 200 homes, only 7 were left standing.^[3]

Honour

Dospat Peak on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica is named after Dospat.