Everything about Turnovo totally explained
Veliko Tarnovo (also transliterated as
Veliko Turnovo) is a city in north central
Bulgaria and the administrative centre of
Veliko Tarnovo Province. It is located on the
Yantra River and is famous as the historical capital of the
Second Bulgarian Empire, attracting many tourists with its unique architecture.
History
Prehistory and Antiquity
Veliko Tarnovo is one of the oldest settlements in Bulgaria, having a history of more than 5 millennia, as the first traces of human presence dating from the
3rd millennium BC are on
Trapezitsa Hill.
Middle Ages
Veliko Tarnovo grew quickly to become the strongest Bulgarian fortification of the
Middle Ages between the 12th and 14th century and the most important political, economic, cultural and religious centre of the empire. In the 14th century as the
Byzantine Empire weakened Tarnovo claimed to be the
Third Rome based on its preeminent cultural influence in the
Balkans and the
Slavic Orthodox world.
Ottoman rule
The city flourished and grew for 200 years. Тhe political upsurge and spiritual development were discontinued in 1393 on
17 July, when after vigorous resistance to a 3-month siege Veliko Tarnovo had been seized and the whole Bulgarian Kingdom had been destroyed by the invader-
The Ottoman Empire. The Medieval Bulgaria, towns and villages, monasteries and churches, were burn to ashes.
Veliko Tarnovo, known in the Middle Ages as Tarnovgrad (Търновград), was the location of two uprisings against
Ottoman rule, in 1598 (the
First Tarnovo Uprising) and 1686 (the
Second Tarnovo Uprising), both of which failed to liberate Bulgaria.
Tarnovgrad, along with the rest of present-day Bulgaria, remained under Ottoman rule until the 19th century, when national identity and culture reasserted themselves as a strengthening resistance movement. The idea of the establishment of an
independent Bulgarian church and nation motivated the 1875 and 1876 uprisings in town. On
23 April 1876, the
April Uprising marked the beginning of the end of the Ottoman occupation. It was soon followed by the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878).
Liberated Bulgaria
On
7 July 1877,
Russian general
Joseph Vladimirovich Gourko liberated Veliko Tarnovo, ending the 480-year-rule of the Ottoman Empire. In 1878, the
Treaty of Berlin created a Principality of Bulgaria between the
Danube and the
Stara Planina range, with its seat at the old Bulgarian capital of Veliko Tarnovo.
On
17 April 1879, the first National Assembly convened in Veliko Turnovo to ratify the state's first constitution, known as the
Tarnovo Constitution, the key result of which resulted in the transfer of Parliament from Tarnovgrad to
Sofia, which today remains the Bulgarian capital.
In deference to the city's past,
Tsar Ferdinand Saxe-Coburg Gotha chose the
St Forty Martyrs Church in Veliko Tarnovo as the place to declare the complete independence of Bulgaria on
October 5,
1908.
In 1965, the city, then officially known as
Tarnovo, was renamed to
Veliko Tarnovo (Great Tarnovo) to commemorate its rich history and importance.
Places of interest
One of Bulgaria's primary tourist destinations, Veliko Tarnovo boasts many historical monuments and landmarks, such as the ruins of the castle
Tsarevets on the hill of the same name, which housed the royal and patriarchal palace, and
Trapezitsa, the second fortress of the inner city on the right bank of Yantra. Other attractions are the
St Demetrius of Thessaloniki Church,
St Forty Martyrs Church, the numerous
Bulgarian National Revival buildings with their typical architecture, the museum of The Bulgarian Revival and the Constituent Assembly, located at
the old “Konak” (Turkish municipal building), build by the unsurpassed master Nikola Fichev,
[the archeological museum which keeps numerous founds and remains of the ancient history of these lands,
“Samovodska Charshia”- the old trade street which sheltered skilful craftsmen through the Revival Period and even today many of the houses and the workshops are fully restored,
the “House with the monkey” and
“Mother Bulgaria” monument- both on the main street, you can’t miss to see them,
“Gurko” street- a unique illustration of Bulgarian Revival architectural style where you can visit
“Sarafkina house”, the church of
“St. Constantine and Elena” and enjoy the gorgeous view of the Yantra River and
the Asens’ Monument,
the Stambolov’s Bridge which is the way to the Asens’ Monument and
the City Art Gallery.
Higher education
Photos
Notable people
Born in Veliko Tarnovo
Patriarch Evtimiy (c. 1325–c. 1403), cleric
Gregory Tsamblak (c. 1365–1420), cleric, Metropolitan of Kiev
Petko Slaveykov (1827–1895), writer and politician
Stefan Stambolov (1854–1895), politician, Prime Minister of Bulgaria
Vasil Zlatarski (1866–1935), historian
Vesela Lecheva (born 1964), sportswoman and politician
Mariya Ilieva (born 1977), singer
Kaloyan Stefanov Mahlyanov (born 1983), professional sumo wrestler (Kotooshu Katsunori)
Died in Veliko Tarnovo
Saint Sava (c. 1175–c. 1236), first Archbishop of Serbia
Bacho Kiro (1835–1876), revolutionary, teacher and writer
Dobri Voynikov (1833–1878), cultural figure
Kolyu Ficheto (1800–1881), architect
Living in Veliko Tarnovo
Trifon Ivanov (born 1965), former international football player.
Twin cities
Veliko Tarnovo is twinned with the following cities:(External Link
)
Further Information
Get more info on 'Turnovo'.
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