Tsarevets
is a mediaeval stronghold located on a hill with the same
name in the town of Veliko Tarnovo in northern Bulgaria.
It served as the Second Bulgarian Empire's primary fortress
and strongest bulwark from 1185 to 1393, housing the royal
and the patriarchal palaces, and is a popular tourist attraction.
The
earliest evidence of human presence on the hill dates from
the 2nd millennium BC. It was settled in the 4th century
and a Byzantine fortress was constructed near the end of
the 5th century, on the grounds of which the construction
of the Bulgarian stronghold was begun in 12th century. After
the Vlach-Bulgarian Rebellion and the establishment of the
Second Bulgarian Empire with its capital in Veliko Tarnovo,
the fortress became the most important one in Bulgaria,
often compared with Rome and Constantinople in magnificence.
In 1393, the stronghold was besieged by Ottoman forces for
three months before finally being conquered and burnt down
on 17th July, which marked the fall of the Bulgarian Empire.
The
restoration of the complex began in 1930, when the first
of the three gates of the main entrance to the fortress
was reconstructed.
The
whole stronghold is girdled by thick walls (reaching up
to 3,6 m) and was served by three gates. The main gate was
at the hill's westernmost part, on a narrow rock massif,
and featured a draw-bridge. The second gate is 18 m away
from the first one and the third one, which existed until
1889, is 45 m further.
The
palace is located on the hill's central and plain part,
which was a closed complex encircled by a fortified wall,
2 towers and 2 entrances, a main one from the north and
one from the south. It featured a throne room, a palace
church and a royal residential part and encompassed 4872
m2.
On
the top of the hill is the patriarchate, a complex with
an area of about 3000 m?, whose church, built on the grounds
of an Early Christian one, was reconstructed in 1981 and
painted in 1985. The frescoes inside depict the glorious
and tragic moments of the Second Bulgarian Empire.
Baldwin's
Tower, a modern reconstruction of a medieval tower modelled
after the tower in Cherven and built in 1930, is located
in the southeastern part of the fortress. It is located
at the place of the original medieval tower where Latin
Emperor Baldwin I of Constantinople found his death as a
prisoner of Kaloyan of Bulgaria.
During
the Middle Ages, residential buildings, craftsman's workshops
and numerous churches and monasteries were situated on the
slopes of the Tsarevets hill. Archaeologists have discovered
400 residential buildings, differentiated in quarters, over
22 churches and 4 monasteries.
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Koprivshtitza
is a historic town in the Sofia Province of Bulgaria, lying
on the Topolnitsa River among the Sredna Gora mountains. It
was a centre of the April Uprising in 1876 and is now known
for its authentic vernacular architecture and for its folk
music festivals.
Koprivshtitza
is one of the characteristic Bulgarian towns, still preserving
the atmosphere of the Bulgarian National Revival period. The
town is huddled in the mountain folds 111 km east of Sofia.
The town is said to be a unique combination of a rich history
and fascinating present. No other Bulgarian “museum town”
boasts such a large number of houses and monuments — 383 in
all, most of which have been restored to their original appearance.
A collection of ethnographical treasures, old weapons, National
Revival works of art, fine fretwork, household weaves and
embroidery, national costumes and typical Bulgarian jewelry
has also been preserved. It was here that the first shot of
the April Uprising against the Ottoman occupation was fired
in 1876.
It
is said that every house in Koprivshtitza is a work of art.
The Oslekov, Kableshkov and Lyutov houses are fine examples
of this, having exquisite painted facades and sunny verandas,
with carved ceilings and stylish European furnishings. There
are many museums in the town, including ones dedicated to
Todor Kableshkov, Georgi Benkovski and Dimcho Debelyanov,
all of whom lived in Koprivshtitza.
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