My Bulgaria 332z5m

MY BULGARIA

Early history • The prehistoric civilization of Bulgaria includes the Neolithic Hamangia culture, Vinca culture, and the Bronze Age Ezero culture. The Thracians are the earliest well-known identifiable people to live in what is now the present Bulgaria. A number of eastern South Slavs, one of the main groups of Slavs that spread throughout Eastern Europe, Central Europe and the Balkans, became ancestors of the modern Bulgarians.

The foundation of Bulgaria

In 681, the First Bulgaria Empire was established as the result of a peace treaty with Byzantium. This name of the country- Bulgariahasn‘t changed since then. The Khan who founded on these lands our country is Khan Asparuh.

Pliska- The First Bulgarian Capital

The Bulgars brought new construction and battle techniques to Europe. Our first cities were made of large monolith stones unlike the Roman brick-build fortresses. With an area of 27 km² the capital Pliska was among the largest towns in Europe. The Inner town had a sewerage and floor heating long before cities such as Paris and London. After the adoption of Christianity in 864 Bulgaria became the cultural center of Slavic Europe.

alphabet

Its leading cultural position was further consolidated with the invention of the Cyrillic alphabet. According to some historians the schools of Preslav and Ohrid were the second universities in Europe after the University of Constantinople.

The Golden Age Simeon The Great moved the capital to Preslav

It was probably around the Preslav Literary School that the Cyrillic alphabet developed in middle of the 10th century.

The second Bulgarian Empire The Second Bulgarian Empire was a medieval Bulgarian state which existed to 1422. It reached the peak of its power under Kaloyan and Ivan Asen II before gradually declining to be conquered by the Ottomans in the late 14th-early 15th century. It was succeeded by the Kingdom of Bulgaria in 1878.

Up to 1256 the Second Bulgarian Empire was the dominant power in the Balkans. The Byzantines were defeated in several major battles and in 1205 the newly-established Latin Empire was crushed in the battle of Adrianople by Emperor Kaloyan.

The Four Gospels of Ivan Alexander was written in 1355Kept at The British Musuem

The Asemanian Gospel- the most beautiful Old Church Slavonic book. Manuscript abounds with ligatures. Kept in The Vatican Library

Culturally the Bulgarian Empire was among the most advanced states in contemporary Europe.

The Baldwin Tower

The old city is situated on three hills- Tsarevets, Trapezitsa and Sveta Gora- raising amidst the meanders of the Yantra. Tsarevets housed the palaces of the Bulgarian Emperors and the Patriarchate. In the Middle Ages it was among the main European centres of culture and gave its name to the Tarnovo Artistic School of architecture, painting and literature.

The Third Kingdom

After The RussianTurkish war, Bulgaria was liberated after five dark centuries of Ottoman invasion. On 17 April 1879, the first National Assembly convened in Veliko Turnovo to ratify the state's first constitution. Yet only North Bulgaria was independent and it took about 10 years to unite with South Bulgaria.

The Capital of the third kingdom became Sofia but only after g The Constitution in Veliko Turnovo

Sofia in 1934

Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city by population in the European Union. One of the oldest cities in Europe, the history can be traced back some 7000 years.

Bulgaria is world famous for ancient treasures The Vulchitrun treasury dates XVI- XII century BC

IVc.BC - found Near Rousse‘king Kotis’ can be read on both silver vessels

Thracian treasureV- IV c.BC It was found by accident on a building site

The Rogozen treasure Vc.BC

IVc. BCA burial of a Thracian princess The findings speak of a dynasty

The findings are dated IVc BC The plate on the left shows the sacred marriage of the king and the mother-goddess which are for the old Indo-European beliefs

The second plate depicts the supreme Thracian God- the horse as the symbol of the sun

An ancient mask of Thebes – a unique sample of sophisticated culture, traditions and crafts that raised Thracian civilisation

Archaeologists have unearthed a 5,000 year old dagger and more than 500 other gold items in central Bulgaria. The artifacts shed new light on ancient Thracian civilization.

There are 63 rivers in Bulgaria.The longest and deepest one to run through the country Maritsa (480 km), while the longest river that runs solely in Bulgaria is the Iskar (368 km).

Maritsa

Iskur-A notable exception is the Iskar that takes its source from Rila in the South-West and runs through Stara Planina forming a gorge to reach the Danube.

Struma River

Glazne River

The Danube spans on most Of our north border

The Ogosta- this river has 40 tributaries

Bulgaria is also popular with its lakes- some of them have wondrous shape and others have the magic colour-play in their clean unpolluted waters. THE SEVEN RILA LAKES PANORAMIC VIEW

The Fish

The Teardrop

MUSALENSKI LAKES IN RILA

Lakes in Pirin Mountain

TIPIZKI LAKES

MALOKAMENISHKI LAKES

Smoljan lakes

There are 41 mountains in Bulgaria. The highest are Rila and Pirin. Musala peak in Rila – 2925m- is the highest on The Balkan Peninsula and the highest peak between the Alps and the Caucasus.

Three of the main rivers of Bulgaria- the Iskar, Maritsa and Mesta -have their sources near Musala.

Pirin mountain

VITOSHA

RHODOPES

The Balkan- Old Mountain as we call it. The Balkan range runs 560 km from from the border on the East to The Black Sea on the west- actually it divides the country into North and South Part.

A view from Kom peak in The Balkan

Vitosha – a ski run

Nature phenomena BELOGRADCHISHKI ROCKS

Stone forest

Dobrovan’s mushrooms God’s Bridge

Wonder rocks on The Black Sea

Waterfalls are a favourite spot for an outing

Boyana waterfall

Varovitetz

The Blue Pond in Rhodopes

Srebarna lake is located in the Srebarna Nature Reserve in northeastern Bulgaria- on the river Danube. The reserve covers an area of 8000 decares.

It is the breeding ground of almost 100 species of birds, many of which are rare or endangered. The most interesting bird species are the Dalmatian pelican, great egret, night heron, purple heron, glossy ibis and white spoonbill.

The Black Sea- a magical friendship

NORTH COAST

NESSEBUR

SOZOPOL

MARSEILLE POOLS

Celebration of natural colours in 4 seasons

PRESERVED VILLAGES- ARCHITECTURE, CRAFTS,TRADITIONS

BULGARIAN ROSE With roughly 2 tonnes of annual production, Bulgaria is the world's second largest producer of rose oil after Turkey.Bulgaria's rose oil, with its strong aroma that sweetens perfume from brands such as Chanel and Dior, is considered by many in the cosmetics industry to be the best in the world

The heart of the rose valley is Kazanluk. Just as the sun breaks hundreds of villagers hustle through fields of rose bushes to pick fresh blooms still damp with morning dew.

Beautiful towns in Central North Bulgaria Veliko Turnovo- The Bulgarian capital in The Middle Ages

Lovech

GABROVO

ROUSSE

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