The town was developed very early due to its position on the trade roads during the Ottoman times. It is the region in the Balkans with the highest population of Turkish ethnicity. The entire population of Kardzhali was made up almost by Turks until 1950. Later, Bulgarians and Roma people settled, as some Turks moved away. Currently, the population of Kardzhali municipality consists of 62% Turks, 31% Bulgarians and 3% Roma, among others. The regional government today is to a great extent in the hands of Turkish ethnicity. The province is represented in the National Assembly of Bulgaria by five deputies, all of Turkish origin.

There are many open-air restaurants, offering variety of drinks and cocktails in summer time on the dam. It is a popular place among fans of water sports and of fishing.

Source: wikipedia.org