Editing Musala (section)

{{short description|Highest mountain in Bulgaria}}
{{Infobox mountain
| name = Musala
| other_name=Мусала
| photo = Musala_IMG_1447.jpg
| photo_caption = Musala seen from the south
| elevation_m = 2925.4
| prominence_m = 2473
| map = Bulgaria
| map_caption = Musala in Bulgaria
| label_position = right
| listing = [[List of countries by highest point|Country high point]]<br />[[Ultra prominent peak|Ultra]]
| location = [[Sofia Province|Sofia Region]], Bulgaria
| coordinates = {{coord|42|10|47|N|23|35|12|E|type:mountain_scale:100000|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| range = [[Rila]]
| topo =
| first_ascent =
| easiest_route = Gondola lift from [[Borovets]], then hike
}}

'''Musala''' ({{langx|bg|Мусала}} {{IPA|bg|mosɐˈɫa|}}); from [[Arabic language|Arabic]] through [[Ottoman Turkish language|Ottoman Turkish]]: from ''[[Musalla]]'', "near God" or "place for prayer" <ref>Известия на българското географско дружество, 1964 г. стр. 197.</ref><ref>Bŭlgarski ezik, Volume 19,Institut za bŭlgarski ezik (Bŭlgarska akademii͡a na naukite), 1969, str. 573.</ref> is the highest [[mountain|peak]] in the [[Rila|Rila Mountains]], as well as in [[Bulgaria]] and the entire [[Balkan Peninsula]], standing at {{convert|2925.42|m|ft}}.<ref>{{Cite web |title=ГEOграфия'21, брой 5, 2007 г. |url=http://www.prokarstterra.bas.bg/geo21/2007/5-07/pp21-22.html |access-date=2023-06-09 |website=www.prokarstterra.bas.bg}}</ref>

With a topographic prominence of {{convert|2473|m|ft}}, Musala is also the [[List of European ultra-prominent peaks|6th highest]] peak by [[topographic prominence]] in [[Continental Europe|mainland Europe]].<ref name="peaklist">{{cite web|url=http://www.peaklist.org/WWlists/ultras/EuroCoreP1500m.html|title=Europe Ultra-Prominences|work=Peaklist|access-date=26 February 2015}}</ref> It is also the [[Most isolated major summits of Europe|3rd most]] topographically isolated major peak in [[Continental Europe]].<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.peakbagger.com/list.aspx?lid=337| title = Most Isolated Peak of Europe Countries - Peakbagger.com}} </ref>

Musala is situated within the [[Rila National Park]], which is noted for its rich [[Flora (plants)|flora]], including species such as [[Macedonian Pine]] and [[Bulgarian Fir]] in the forests on its middle slopes, and [[Fauna (animals)|fauna]]; it is one of the easiest places in Europe to see the [[wallcreeper]]. All major mountain ranges of Bulgaria can be seen from the top; these include [[Vitosha]] to the northwest, [[Sredna Gora]] towards the northeast, the [[Balkan Mountains]] along most of the northern horizon behind Vitosha and Sredna Gora, the [[Rhodope Mountains]] to the southeast, [[Pirin]] to the south, [[Osogovo]] and [[Ruy Mountain]] to the west, and of course, the rest of [[Rila]].

A cosmic ray station was built on the peak in 1960 with cooperation from the Hungarian Academy of Science. The station conducted scientific experiments using a muon telescope. The station was destroyed by an electrical fire on October 29, 1983.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Kavlakov|first=S.|date=2009-11-16|title=Cosmic Ray investigations on peak Musala in Bulgaria: A memoir|journal=Advances in Space Research|series=Cosmic Rays From Past to Present|volume=44|issue=10|pages=1178–1182|doi=10.1016/j.asr.2008.10.040|bibcode=2009AdSpR..44.1178K}}</ref>

With an average annual temperature of -2.2&nbsp;°C, Musala is the coldest place in Bulgaria and the entire Balkan Peninsula.{{citation needed|date=July 2017 |reason =source needed for the claim that Musala is the coldest place in the Balkans.}} Temperatures stay below 0&nbsp;°C for about 8 months each year.<ref name= NOAA/> Due to this, about 45% of the annual precipitation on Musala is snow, and snow cover lasts for about 200 days (more than six months).{{citation needed|date=July 2017}} Three of the main rivers of Bulgaria, the [[Iskar (river)|Iskar]], [[Maritsa]] and [[Mesta River|Mesta]] have their sources near Musala.

The next highest peaks in the vicinity of Musala are [[Malka Musala|Malka (Little) Musala]] ({{convert|2902|m|ft}}) and [[Irechek (peak)|Irechek]] ({{convert|2852|m|ft}}).