Bulgaria's Historical Landmarks
Many of you may not know this but Bulgaria is one of the oldest countries in the world. It was founded way back in 681 AD but even before that its lands had been populated by various peoples who all left a huge number of valuable historical and cultural monuments for the future generations to explore and marvel at.
Throughout the centuries the country has undergone several changes and has had many ups and downs. In its early years it was ruled by tough, militaristic Bulgar khans who were feared by everyone in Europe. After that it was transformed into an active Christian and social centre. In the 10th century it was conquered by the Byzantines and thus the First Bulgarian State came to an end. One century later it was reestablished. The Second Bulgarian State was one of the most exciting and progressive countries in the world… right up until the end of the 14th century when the Ottomans came and… Bulgaria disappeared again, this time for 500 years.
But the brave nation didn’t surrender and kept the culture and traditions alive. In the end of the 19th century Bulgarians were free again. This was the outcome of the Russo-Turkish Liberation War of 1877-1878…and so on and so forth.
With this article we would like to show you around some of the most precious historical landmarks discovered on the territory of Bulgaria. It is divided in two sections: Antiquity and Middle Ages, according to the historical period the monuments originated in. If you wish to learn more about the Bulgarian National Revival Period (the third defining period in the history of the country), please, read our article dedicated to Bulgaria’s villages. For information about Perperikon, the Kazanlak Tomb, Nikopolis Ad Istrum, Villa Armira, Starosel and more click here. If you want to read about the medieval towns and fortresses like Tsarevets in Veliko Tarnovo just click here.
Photo by T.Halkova
