Yakoruda

Yakoruda (Якоруда ) is a Bulgarian town located in the southwestern part of the country. A part of the Blagoevgrad Province, it is the seat of Yakuroda Municipality which is the north-easternmost in the province. The town lies in the Rhodope Mountains, along the Mesta River, 26 km west of the town of Velingrad. Yakoruda was proclaimed a town on 9 September 1964, having previously been officially classified as a village.

A plurality of the residents are Muslim Bulgarians (Pomaks), the rest being for the most part Eastern Orthodox.

Notable natives are Survivor BG season one runner-up Ahmed Shuganov, Minister of Labour and Social Policy Emiliya Maslarova, and Dr. Anna Petrova-Mayor, Professor of Physics at California State University Chico.

Honour
Yakoruda Glacier on Greenwich Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica is named after Yakoruda.