Melinda Hajdú-Smahó1, Tamás Hardi, Boglárka Horváthné Barsi, Ádám Páthy2, Nadezhda Ilieva, Desislava Varadzhakova, Dessislava Poleganova, Boris Kazakov, Marina Raykova, Aleksanda Ravnachka – COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF SMALL TOWNS IN BULGARIA AND HUNGARY – THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

DOI: 10.7546/PG.3-4.2024.01
Definitions of small towns vary across European Union countries. Typically, the criteria for defining them as such are related to population size, density, and functions. Current paper aims to elaborate a theoretical framework for comparative analysis of small towns in Bulgaria and Hungary by presenting a critical review of theoretical debate on the definition and the nature of small towns in the European context; a thorough examination of the theoretical debate related to the concept and distinct features of small towns in Hungary; and a comprehensive analysis of the scholarly discourse that underpins the notions and unique characteristics of small towns in Bulgaria.

Keywords: settlement network, comparative analysis, theoretical framework, Bulgaria, Hungary, small towns

Krassimir Asenov – METAPHYSICS OF THE CITY. URBANOGENESIS AND MYTHOLOGY (PART TWO)

DOI: 10.7546/PG.3-4.2024.02
Time has covered the ancient world with the veil of the ages, which holds the answers to questions like who we are, where we come from, and where we are heading. Human existence remains an inexplicable wonder or, as Mircea Eliade might say, a hierophany – a manifestation of the sacred. For when God creates – whether it be the Universe, the Earth, the sky, or humanity – it is a hierophany.5 Due to his inability to perceive creation in its wholeness and universality, man differentiates Existence, creating endless dichotomies, condemning himself to a life torn by polarities. Having forgotten that, for individuals with a religious experience, the entire natural world has the potential to reveal itself as “cosmic sacredness,” meaning any aspect of nature can manifest as a divine presence, essentially transforming the cosmos itself into a “hierophany” – a manifestation of the sacred, the Archaic man strive to live as fully as possible in the sacred or surrounded by consecrated, holy objects. This drive is completely intelligible for “primitive” people, as well as for all pre-modern societies. The sacred is synonymous with power and, ultimately, with reality itself. The sacred is infused with existence. Sacred power signifies reality, eternity, and action – all at the same time, and in many cases, it prevails over physical, coarse, and visible strength. To what extent are earthly cities connected to their heavenly patrons? How is urban space sanctified, and what is the organic link between cities, gods, and their earthly representatives? These are some of the questions addressed in this paper.

Keywords: metaphysics of the city, sacred urban spaces, gods, kings.

Krassimir Asenov – THE CITY AS AXIS MUNDI. THE VISIBLE AND THE INVISIBLE SACRED TOPOI OF THE CITY

DOI: 10.7546/PG.3-4.2024.03
When discussing ancient urbanogenesis, the primary focus is typically placed on the Mesopotamian archaeological layer known as Uruk A, which lies immediately above the Obed layer. However, when considering the metaphysical aspect of ancient urbanogenesis, the next archaeological layer represents one of the most enigmatic periods in human history. The Uruk B layer marks a period of complete transformation in all aspects of the existence of the ancient people who inhabited the Mesopotamian region during that time. From that period onward, humans acquired all the essential elements needed to establish urban civilizations on a global scale. With the significant rise of the rulers’ power (whether of divine origin or sanctioned by the gods) the priestly class played a key role in the centralization of both political and religious authority. During that period, ziggurats clearly embodied the point around which the universe revolves – the intersection where the ritual union of Earth and heaven is consummated (Campbell, 2023). This paper explores the city as the center of the world, saturated with hidden and invisible sacred spaces and topoi – a city stripped of its metaphysical core – its myths, legends, and sacred spaces – becomes nothing more than a meaningless physical construct, lacking the concept of collective memory and spiritual order. Such an environment resembles a hypermodern, utilitarian urban structure – a horizontal urban desert, devoid of the vertical dimensions that connect humans to the transcendent and the eternal.

Keywords: axis mundi, city, sacred topoi, nomads, spirit houses.

Kiril Nikolov – RADICAL ISLAM – ROOTS AND CONTEMPORARY THREATS TO EUROPE

DOI: 10.7546/PG.3-4.2024.04
Radical Islam is a phenomenon with deep historical roots which possesses a significant threat to the security of today’s Europe. This paper traces the genesis of radical Islamic movements such as Wahhabism (18th century) and Salafism (19th century), which advocate a return to “pure” Islam. The development of these movements is often linked to the emergence of modern radical Muslim organizations. Some of the reasons that led to the emergence of the above-mentioned movements have to do with the confusion in the interpretations of the sacred texts in Islam and also the understanding of the place of the term “Jihad” in the Islamic creed. The paper focuses on the spread of those ideologies through different historical periods, and their influence on the contemporary Islamist movements. According to many scholars, the “Muslim Brotherhood” organization emerged under the influence of Salafism and Wahhabism, even before the emergence of Al-Qaeda and The Islamic State (ISIS). The “Muslim Brotherhood” was founded in 1928 by Hassan al-Banna in the city of Ismailia, The Kingdom of Egypt. Until 1970 the organization emphasized various social measurements attracting increasing support. However, it was during that year, shortly after a change in the leadership, that two fractions began to emerge within the group: one of these fractions continued the mission of its founders, while the other was labelled “jihadist”. This led to the rise of the radical actions of “Muslim Brotherhood”. Al-Qaeda and ISIS, on the other hand, emerged in 1988 and 1999. Both of the organizations are linked to many terrorist attacks. It is essential to mention that Al-Qaeda’s field of action includes both Christian and Muslim countries, attacking existing Christian targets, or Muslims who are not on the same side as theirs. Another difference that can be found between ISIS and other groups and organizations with similar ideology is the follower’s segment – in the case of ISIS, that segment comes from all over the world, and not just from the Syrian Arab Republic, The Republic of Iraq, or another neighboring country (for example, European citizens from Belgium, Germany and Great Britain have joined ISIS over the years). Other significant organizations include Hezbollah, founded in 1982 in Lebanon as a political party, Hamas, established in 1987 in Palestine, and Boko Haram in Nigeria. Hezbollah and Hamas were created in response to Israeli policies employing various means to achieve their objectives. Boko Haram is often considered an ideological offshoot of the “Muslim Brotherhood” and operates in the Gulf of Guinea, although the exact year of its founding is debated. The study also examines the manifestations of radical Islam in Europe since 2015, analyzing major terrorist attacks and the spread of Islamism in the context of increasing immigration flows, as well as the socio-political implications of this. Methods of critical analysis, chronological and horological approaches have been used to trace not only the development of radical Islam but also its impact on the contemporary political and social order in Europe.

Keywords: Islam, Islamism, Salafism, Wahhabism, religious secularism, Al-Qaeda, Muslim Brotherhood, The Islamic State, Hezbollah and Hamas.

Milen Velikov, Ivanka Boteva – DEMOGRAPHIC AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF VIDIN DISTRICT BEFORE AND AFTER THE CONSTRUCTION OF DANUBE BRIDGE 2

DOI: DOI: 10.7546/PG.3-4.2024.05
The paper examines the socio-economic and demographic development of Vidin district before and after the construction of Danube Bridge 2 (2013), making a comparative analysis of various parameters and their dynamics during different periods. With the implementation of this strategic project, although quite delayed, there are general expectations for economic development of the district. The expectations are in terms of higher investor interest, significant improvement of the road infrastructure, opening of more enterprises, more jobs, and, accordingly, improvement of the demographic situation in the district, and achieving higher purchasing power of the population. The main objective of the paper is to compare these parameters before and after the launching of Danube Bridge 2, in order to confirm the conclusions whether, and to what extent, the presence of this long-awaited infrastructure event brought real value to Vidin district. The comparison and analysis of the considered demographic, economic and infrastructural parameters during the two periods shows that no significant progress has been recorded in the development of Vidin district after the construction of the bridge, and the negative demographic processes continue. The reasons for this state of affairs are summarized in several aspects, while solving the indicated problems can lead to positive results in the development of the area.

Keywords: Vidin, New Europe Bridge (Danube Bridge 2), Labor market, Demography, Regional development.

Yordan Yordanov, Stoyan Nedkov – GIS-BASED MODELS FOR SPATIAL ANALYSIS AND ASSESSM ENT OF THE HABITAT FUNCTION AT A LANDSCAPE LEVEL

DOI: 10.7546/PG.3-4.2024.06
Human-wildlife interactions in the form of a shared habitat are the basis of the leading paradigm in the European concept of biodiversity protection and conservation management. Landscape-ecological analyses and the assessment and mapping of ecosystem services provide important tools for studies of these interactions. The paper presents a review of existing GIS-based applications and models for studying the spatial aspects of human-wildlife interactions. The main objective of the study is to review existing GIS-based applications and models for studying the spatial aspects of human-wildlife interactions. It was achieved by executing four main tasks: 1) review of GIS-based applications and models for landscape-ecological analyzes and mapping of ecosystem services; 2) selection of appropriate applications and models to study the spatial aspects of human-wildlife interactions; 3) assessment of the suitability of the selected applications and models; 4) testing the best-fitting model in a pre-selected study area. The fourth task was implemented in a case study area of the “Central Balkan” Biosphere Park”.The methodology of the study is based on review and analyses of the available tools and models as well as suitability assessment of the selected models for the needs of the studies on the spatial aspects of the human-wildlife interactions.
The identified 101 models were systematized and their suitability for the study’s objectives was assessed. Most of are GIS-based and have the potential to be used in studies on the spatial aspects of human-wildlife interactions. The models are classified into seven groups on the base of collected information about their functionality and purpose. The largest and with the best developed tools for GIS analysis is the group of landscape-ecological models. Next is the group of models for ecosystem service assessment. The results of the suitability assessment show the two models (InVEST and FRAGSTAT) as the most suitable for the stated purposes. Another 15 models are assessed with relatively high suitability. Testing of InVEST’s habitat quality assessment module shows good results for the Central Balkan Biosphere Park area which is an appropriate basis for further works.

Keywords: GIS, ecosystem services, landscape ecology models, habitat quality.

Dimitar Parlichev, Georgi Parlichev – MODULAR AND FLOATING MARINE
ECOLOGICAL COMPLEX

DOI: 10.7546/PG.3-4.2024.07
The article provides a brief description of novel structures designed to combat global warming – marine ecological complexes, presented in three variants: stationary, modular and floating ecological complexes. This paper presents the modular and floating ecological complex. Each complex is comprised of one or more artificial reefs, mussel farms and artificial islands. A concise overview of their characteristics and capabilities is given, emphasizing their most prominent advantages in comparison to analogous modern marine facilities. Their potential to be used an a large scale by all maritime nations to transform the seas and oceans from previously untapped resource into the most cost-effective, efficient and lucrative means of overcoming global warming and its adverse consequences is emphasized. It is recommended that the complexes be created, tested and deployed without delay in order to recover the Bulgarian coast and shelf from the bio-geo-ecological catastrophe. Bulgaria will thus demonstrate to the rest of the world how to swiftly, effectively and profitably overcome a major natural disaster of our century. Through these complexes, the marine bio-geo-ecological problems of the Bulgarian Black Sea area will be addressed initially for using them for faster and highquality implementation of the projects on the problems of the respective sections, areas and regions. The patents of the complexes were created in the NGO “EKOS” (Expert Club on the Environment).

Keywords: global warming, artificial reef, mussel farm, artificial island, modular ecological complex, floating ecological complex – catamarans and trimarans.