Arda River (Maritsa)

The Arda (, , , Árdas) is a long river in Bulgaria and Greece. It is a tributary of the Maritsa (, Evros). Its source lies in the Bulgarian Rhodope Mountains near the village Arda, part of the municipality of Smolyan. It flows eastward past Rudozem, Kardzhali and Ivaylovgrad and enters Greece in the northern part of the Evros regional unit. It flows into the Maritsa on the border of Greece and Turkey, between the Greek village Kastanies and the Turkish city Edirne. In the Bulgarian section there are three hydroelectric and irrigation dams, Kardzhali Dam, Studen Kladenets and Ivaylovgrad Dam. The Bulgarian section is long, making the Arda the longest river in the Rhodopes. The medieval Dyavolski most arch bridge crosses the river from Ardino.