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Maritsa or Maritza ( ), also known as Evros ( ) and Meriç ( ), is a river that runs through the Balkans in Southeast Europe. With a length of , Statistical Yearbook 2017, National Statistical Institute (Bulgaria), p. 17 it is the longest river that runs solely in the interior of the Balkans, and one of the largest in Europe by discharge. It flows through Bulgaria in its upper and middle reaches, while its lower course forms much of the border between Greece and Turkey. Its drainage area is about , of which 66.2% is in Bulgaria, 27.5% in Turkey, and 6.3% in Greece. It is the main river of the historical region of Thrace, most of which lies in its drainage basin.
It has its origin in the Rila Mountains in Western Bulgaria, its source being the Marichini Lakes. The Maritsa flows east-southeast between the Balkan Mountains and Rhodope Mountains, past Plovdiv and Dimitrovgrad in Bulgaria to Edirne in Turkey. East of Svilengrad, Bulgaria, the river flows eastwards, forming the border between Bulgaria (on the north bank) and Greece (on the south bank), and then between Turkey and Greece. At Edirne, the river meets it two chief tributaries Tundzha and Arda, and flows through Turkish territory on both banks. It then turns towards the south and forms the border between Greece on the west bank and Turkey on the east bank all the way to the Aegean Sea, which it enters near Enez, forming a river delta. The upper Maritsa valley is a principal east–west route in Bulgaria. The unnavigable river is used for hydroelectric power generation and irrigation.
While the name Ἕβρος () was used in Ancient Greek, the name Μαρίτσα () had become standard before the ancient form Ἕβρος was restituted in Modern Greek as Έβρος (now: ).Schramm, Gottfried (1981): Eroberer und Eingesessene. Geographische Lehnnamen als Zeugen der Geschichte Südosteuropas im ersten Jahrtausend n. Chr. Stuttgart: Hiersemann, pp.290f. Referenced in Carsten Peust, How Old Are the River Names of Europe?, Linguistik Online, 2015 The name may derive from a mountain near the mouth of the river known in antiquity as Μηρισός or Μήριζος, Latinized as Merit(h)us.
After 1923, the river gained political significance as the modern border between Greece and Turkey. This was further bolstered by Greece joining the European Union in 1981 (and then the Schengen Area), marking the river as an external boundary of the EU.
Since the 1990s, the river, as a natural barrier on the border between Turkey and Greece, has become a major route for Immigration from a variety of countries attempting to enter the EU irregularly. Evros: The immigrants' gateway. PBS.org, May 16, 2011. Between 2000 and 2019, 398 bodies were found on the Greek side of the Maritsa/Evros river. Up until that time, drowning in the river was the leading cause of death among migrants trying to enter Greece.
In February 2020, Turkey unilaterally opened its borders to Greece to allow refugees and migrants seeking refuge to reach the European Union, leading to the 2020 Greek–Turkish border crisis. Turkish police bolster Greek border to stop migrants' return. 6 March 2020. Greece Defends Borders as Erdogan Opens the Gates: Live Updates. 1 March 2020. In May 2020, news emerged that Turkish forces occupied of Greek territory, Melissokomeio, as shown on maps of 1923, following a change in the flow of the river. These crises passed following the improvement in Greek-Turkish relations in 2023, however, illegal migration is still a major issue.
Recent large floods have taken place in 2006, 2007, 2014, with the largest flood taking place in 2021. Several causes have been proposed, including more rainfall due to climate change, deforestation in the Bulgarian part of the catchment area, increased land use in the flood plains and difficult communication between the three countries.
La Maritza is also a 1968 song written by Jean Renard and Pierre Delanoë and interpreted by Sylvie Vartan.
Hebrus Valles on Mars is named after this river.
The Bulgarian Maritsa motorway, which roughly follows the course of the river from Chirpan (where it branches out of the Trakia motorway) to the Turkish border at Kapitan Andreevo, is also named in honour of the river.
Shumi Maritsa, the national anthem of Bulgaria from 1886 to 1947, has its title refer to the river. The lyrics describe the river being bloody after fighting.
==Gallery==
History
In 1371, the river was the site of the Battle of Maritsa, also known as the battle of Chernomen, an Ottoman Empire victory over the rulers Vukašin Mrnjavčević and Jovan Uglješa, who died in the battle.
Tributaries
Starting from the river's source, significant tributaries of Maritsa include:
Floods
The lower course of the river Maritsa, where it forms the border between Greece and Turkey, is very vulnerable to flooding. For about 4 months every year, the low lands around the river are flooded. This causes significant economic damage (loss of agricultural production and damage to infrastructure), which is estimated at several hundreds million Euro. Environmental management of big riverine floods: the case of Evros River in Greece, Z. Nivolianitou, B. Synodinou
Trivia
Maritsa Peak on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica is named after Maritsa River.
of Maritsa River at Harmanli]]
Notes
(2025). 9789548104081, БАН, Труд, Сирма. ISBN 9789548104081
Further reading
Categories: Rivers Of Bulgaria, Rivers Of Turkey, International Rivers Of Europe, Bulgaria–greece Border, Greece–turkey Border, Landforms Of Edirne Province, Landforms Of Pazardzhik Province, Landforms Of Plovdiv Province, Landforms Of Haskovo Province, Landforms Of Sofia Province, Landforms Of Evros, Rivers Of Eastern Macedonia And Thrace, Border Rivers
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