Велико Търново

The historical capital of Bulgaria

Veliko Tarnovo is the historical and spiritual capital of Bulgaria — the old capital of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom (1185–1393) and one of the country's most significant cities. It is located on three hills — Tsarevets, Trapezitsa and Sveta Gora — along the picturesque meanders of the Yantra River, which gives it a unique silhouette, compared by travelers to Rome and Constantinople. The area has been inhabited since ancient times — the 5th millennium BC. In Roman times, the nearby city of Nicopolis ad Istrum (City of Victory on the Danube), founded by Emperor Trajan around 102, was an important administrative and cultural center, where the first Gothic translation of the Bible was probably printed by Bishop Wulfila (4th century). The remains of Nicopolis ad Istrum are among the best preserved Roman cities in the Balkans. On October 26, 1185 - the feast of St. Dimitar of Thessaloniki - the brothers Asen and Peter raise an uprising against Byzantium in the church "St. Dimitar" in Veliko Tarnovo and found the Second Bulgarian Kingdom. Over the next two centuries, Tarnovgrad became one of the largest and wealthiest cities in Southeastern Europe, with a population of 12,000–15,000 (huge for the Middle Ages). Under the rule of Tsar Kaloyan (1197–1207) and especially Tsar Ivan Asen II (1218–1241), the empire reached its zenith, expanding to three seas—the Black, White (Aegean) and Adriatic. The Tarnovo school of books, led by Patriarch Euthymius (14th century), carried out an orthographic and literary reform of great importance for the entire Slavic Orthodoxy. On July 17, 1393, the Tsarevets fortress fell after a three-month siege by the Ottoman forces of Sultan Bayezid I, an event that ended the Second Bulgarian Empire and marked the beginning of almost 500 years of Ottoman rule. The churches and palaces of Tarnovo were devastated, the patriarchate was closed. After the Liberation of 1878, Tarnovo again occupies a central place in Bulgarian history. Here, in the building of the Constituent Assembly (April 16, 1879), the Tarnovo Constitution was adopted - the first constitution of free Bulgaria, considered one of the most democratic in Europe at the time. The city was the capital of the Principality of Bulgaria from February 1878 to April 1879, when the capital was moved to Sofia. Today, the audio-visual spectacle "Sound and Light" (since 1985) on the Tsarevets fortress tells the story of medieval Bulgaria with the help of lasers, lights and music - one of the most impressive performances in the Balkans. St. St. Cyril and Methodius University of Veliko Tarnovo (1963) is the second largest in Bulgaria. The Samovo Bazaar, the lively artisan street, and the many museums make the city a magnet for tourists from all over the world.