Ivan Alexander Иван Александър
Tsar of Bulgaria
Portrait of the tsar from the Tetraevangelia of Ivan Alexander
Reign	1331–February 17, 1371
Died	February 17, 1371
Predecessor	Ivan Stefan
Successor	Ivan Šišman of Bulgaria Ivan Sracimir of Bulgaria
Consort	Theodora of Wallachia Sarah (Theodora)
Issue	see below
Royal House	Šišman
Father	Sracimir of Krǎn
Mother	Petrica

Ivan Alexander (Bulgarian: Иван Александър, transliterated Ivan Aleksandǎr;^[1] IPA: /i.ˈvan a.lɛk.ˈsan.dɤr/), also known as John Alexander,^[2] ruled as Emperor (Tsar) of Bulgaria from 1331 to 1371,^[3] during the Second Bulgarian Empire. The date of his birth is unknown. He died on February 17, 1371. The long reign of Ivan Alexander is considered a transitional period in Bulgarian medieval history. Ivan Alexander began his rule by dealing with internal problems and external threats from Bulgaria's neighbours, the Byzantine Empire and Serbia, as well as leading his empire into a period of economic recovery and cultural and religious renaissance.^[4] Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... A miniature from the Tetraevangelia depicting the tsar and the royal family The Tetraevangelia of Ivan Alexander or the Four Gospels of Ivan Alexander (Bulgarian: Четвероевангелие на (цар) Иван Александър, transliterated as Chetveroevangelie na (tsar) Ivan Aleksandar) is a 14th-century manuscript of the Four Gospels in Middle Bulgarian prepared and illustrated during the rule... Events September 8 - Stefan Dusan declares himself king of Serbia Start of the reign of Emperor Kogon of Japan, first of the Northern Ashikaga Pretenders Births Coluccio Salutati, Florentine political leader (died 1406) Deaths January 14 - Odoric, Italian explorer October 27 - Abulfeda, Arab historian and geographer (born 1273) Categories: 1331... February 17 is the 48th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events End of the reign of Emperor Go-Kogon of Japan, fourth of the Northern Ashikaga Pretenders Start of the reign of Emperor Go-Enyu of Japan, fifth and last of the Northern Ashikaga Pretenders Charterhouse Carthusian Monastery founded in Aldersgate, London. ... February 17 is the 48th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events End of the reign of Emperor Go-Kogon of Japan, fourth of the Northern Ashikaga Pretenders Start of the reign of Emperor Go-Enyu of Japan, fifth and last of the Northern Ashikaga Pretenders Charterhouse Carthusian Monastery founded in Aldersgate, London. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Tsar Ivan Shishman of Bulgarian was the son of Tsar Ivan Alexander and his second wife Theodora. ... Ivan Sratsimir or Ivan Stratsimir (Bulgarian: ) was emperor (tsar) of Bulgaria in Vidin from 1356 to 1397. ... Theodora (Teodora in Romanian) of Wallachia was the daughter of Basarab I of Wallachia (1310–1352) and Margit Dobokai. ... Sarah, Theodora or Sarah-Theodora was the second wife of Tsar Ivan Alexander of Bulgaria. ... Shishman may refer to: Ivan Shishman of Bulgaria Shishman Street Category: ... Not to be confused with the NATO phonetic alphabet, which has also informally been called the “International Phonetic Alphabet”. For information on how to read IPA transcriptions of English words, see IPA chart for English. ... // Rulers of Bulgaria Note on titles According to a controversial 17th century Volga Bulgar source, early Bulgar leaders bore the title of baltavar, which might mean ruler of Avars, although this is likely a folk etymology. ... Tsar (Bulgarian, Serbian and Macedonian цар, Russian  , Croatian car, in scientific transliteration respectively car and car ), occasionally spelled Czar or Tzar and sometimes Csar or Zar in English, is a Slavonic term designating certain monarchs. ... The Second Bulgarian Empire was a medieval Bulgarian state which existed between 1185 and 1396 (or 1422). ... February 17 is the 48th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events End of the reign of Emperor Go-Kogon of Japan, fourth of the Northern Ashikaga Pretenders Start of the reign of Emperor Go-Enyu of Japan, fifth and last of the Northern Ashikaga Pretenders Charterhouse Carthusian Monastery founded in Aldersgate, London. ... Byzantine Empire at its greatest extent c. ... Serbia was formerly a principality (1817-1882), kingdom (1882-1918) and part of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia (1918-1945, until 1929 the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes). ...

However, the emperor was later unable to cope with the mounting incursions of Ottoman forces, Hungarian invasions from the northwest and the Black Death.^[3] In an ill-fated attempt to combat these problems, he divided the country between his two sons,^[5][6] thus forcing it to face the imminent Ottoman conquest weakened and divided.^[3][6] Motto: دولت ابد مدت Devlet-i Ebed-müddet (The Eternal State) Anthem: Ottoman imperial anthem Borders in 1680, see: list of territories Capital Söğüt (1299-1326) Bursa (1326-1365) Edirne (1365-1453) Constantinople (Istanbul) (1453-1922) Language(s) Ottoman Turkish Government Monarchy Sultans  - 1281–1326 Osman I  - 1918–1922 Mehmed VI... Illustration of the Black Death from the Toggenburg Bible (1411) The Dead Man, or Black Plague, was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history. ...

Early rule

Ivan Alexander was the son of the despotēs Sracimir of Krǎn by Petrica, a sister of Michael Asen III of Bulgaria.^[7] Therefore, Ivan Alexander was a nephew of Michael Asen III.^[4][5] Paternally, Ivan Alexander descended from the Asen dynasty.^[4][5] By 1330 Ivan Alexander was himself a despotēs and governed the city of Loveč. Together with his father and his father-in-law Basarab of Wallachia, Ivan Alexander fought in the Battle of Velbǎžd against the Serbs at modern-day Kjustendil in 1330, in which Bulgaria suffered defeat. The defeat, combined with the worsening relations with the Byzantine Empire, precipitated an internal crisis, which was exacerbated by an invasion of the Byzantines. A coup d'état drove Ivan Stefan out of the capital Tǎrnovo in 1331, and the conspirators placed Ivan Alexander on the throne.^[8] Despotes (Greek DespotÄ“s, feminine Despoina, Bulgarian and Serbian Despot, feminine Despotica, sometimes Anglicized Despot), is a Byzantine court title, also granted in the Latin Empire, Bulgaria, Serbia, and the Empire of Trebizond. ... Michael Asen III (Bulgarian: Михаил Асен III, Mihail Asen III, commonly called Michael Shishman (Михаил Шишман, Mihail Å iÅ¡man) or Michael III Shishman), ruled as emperor (tsar) of Bulgaria from 1323 to 1330. ... The Asen dynasty ruled the Second Bulgarian Empire between 1187 and 1280. ... View over Lovech The Covered Bridge Lovech (Bulgarian: Ловеч) is a town in north-central Bulgaria with a population of about 50,000. ... Posada Battle Basarab I was an early ruler of the principality of Wallachia, known as ÃŽntemeietorul (The Founder) (c. ... Map of Romania with Wallachia in yellow. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Kyustendil Coat of arms Kyustendil (Bulgarian: , historically , Velbazhd, Turkish: ) is a town in the very west of Bulgaria, and the capital of Kyustendil Province, with a population of 47,196 (2005 calculation). ... A coup détat (pronounced ), or simply coup, is the sudden overthrow of a government through unconstitutional means by a part of the state establishment — mostly replacing just the high-level figures. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Veliko Tarnovo (Bulgarian: Велико Търново; also transliterated as Veliko Turnovo) is a city in central northern Bulgaria and the administrative centre of Veliko Tarnovo Province. ...

Contemporary mural portrait of Ivan Alexander from the Rock-hewn Churches of Ivanovo

The new ruler set about consolidating his position by regaining territories recently lost to the Byzantine Empire. In 1331 Ivan Alexander campaigned around Adrianople and reconquered northeastern Thrace.^[4][5] Meanwhile, Stefan Uroš IV Dušan deposed his father Stefan Uroš III Dečanski and became Serbian king in 1331. This helped normalize the previously tense relations between the two countries. Ivan Alexander and Stefan Uroš IV Dušan concluded an alliance, which was cemented by the marriage of the Serbian king to Helena of Bulgaria, a sister of Ivan Alexander, on Easter 1332.^[4][5][9] Image File history File links Ival-ivanovo-mural. ... Image File history File links Ival-ivanovo-mural. ... The Rock-hewn Churches of Ivanovo are a group of churches, chapels and monasteries hewn from solid rock, located near the village of Ivanovo in Bulgaria. ... Selimiye Mosque, built by Sinan in 1575 Edirne (Greek: Αδριανούπολη, Bulgarian: Одрин) is a city in Thrace, the westernmost part of Turkey, close to the borders with Greece and Bulgaria. ... Thraciae veteris typvs. ... DuÅ¡an Silni Stefan UroÅ¡ IV DuÅ¡an Silni (the Mighty) (Serbian: Стефан Урош IV Душан Силни, in English also Stephen Dushan) (c. ... Stefan UroÅ¡ III Dečanski Stefan UroÅ¡ III Dečanski (Serbian: Стефан Урош III Дечански), (c. ... Coat of Arms of Serbia This is a list of Serbian monarchs. ... Helena of Bulgaria was the daughter of Sratsimir of Kran and Petritsa. ... Easter, the Feast of the Resurrection, the Sunday of the Resurrection, or Resurrection Day, is the most important religious feast of the Christian liturgical year, observed between late March and late April (early April to early May in Eastern Christianity). ...

At about the same time, Belaur, a brother of Michael Asen III, rebelled in Vidin, probably in support of his deposed nephew Ivan Stefan's claim to the throne. The advance of the Byzantine Emperor Andronikos III Palaiologos against Bulgaria in the summer of 1332 protracted military operations against the rebels. The Byzantines overran Bulgarian-controlled northeastern Thrace, but Ivan Alexander rushed southward with a small army and swiftly caught up with Andronikos III at Rusokastro.^[9] Vidin (Bulgarian: Видин; Romanian: Vidin, Diiu) is a town on the southern bank of the Danube in northwestern Bulgaria. ... Andronikos III Palaiologos or Andronicus III Palaeologus (Greek: Ανδρόνικος Γ Παλαιολόγος) (March 25, 1297 - June 15, 1341) reigned as Byzantine emperor 1328–1341, after being rival emperor since 1321. ...

After giving the impression that he wished to negotiate, Ivan Alexander, reinforced by Mongol cavalry, overwhelmed the smaller but better organized Byzantine army in the Battle of Rusokastro.^[5] The contested cities surrendered to Ivan Alexander, while Andronikos III sought refuge within the walls of Rusokastro. The war ended with Ivan Alexander meeting Andronikos and agreeing a peace based on the status quo. To seal the alliance, he betrothed his eldest son, Michael Asen IV, to Andronikos's daughter Maria (Eirene), the marriage eventually taking place in 1339.^[5][12] The Bulgarian emperor was now free to turn his attentions to Belaur, but it was not until 1336 or 1337 that the rebellion in the northwest was put down.^[13] The name Mongols (Mongolian: Mongol) specifies one or several ethnic groups. ... Combatants Bulgarian Empire Byzantine Empire Commanders Ivan Alexander Andronikos III Palaiologos Strength 11,000 3,000 Casualties Light Heavy Categories: | | ... Status Quo are an English rock band whose music is characterised by a strong boogie line. ...

In about 1332 Ivan Alexander had crowned his eldest son Michael Asen IV co-emperor, perhaps to safeguard possession of the throne by his own family. He followed up this traditional association with the coronation of his younger sons Ivan Sracimir and Ivan Asen IV in 1337. Ivan Alexander may have intended the creation of two younger co-emperors to establish immediate control over important cities and regions, as Ivan Sracimir was eventually based in Vidin, and Ivan Asen IV perhaps in Preslav. Nevertheless, this was a marked departure from Byzantine practice, in which younger sons of the sovereign were made despotēs, whether they were charged with a territorial administration or not.^[14] Ivan Sratsimir or Ivan Stratsimir (Bulgarian: ) was emperor (tsar) of Bulgaria in Vidin from 1356 to 1397. ... Preslav ( Bulgarian: Преслав) was capital of the First Bulgarian Empire from 893 to 972. ...

Relations with the Byzantine Empire

See also: Byzantine-Bulgarian Wars

In the early 1340s relations with the Byzantine Empire temporarily deteriorated. Ivan Alexander demanded the extradition of his cousin Šišman, one of the sons of Michael Asen III, threatening the Byzantine government with war. Ivan Alexander's show of force backfired, as the Byzantines managed to see through his intentions and sent against him the fleet of their ally, the Turkish emir of Smyrna Umur Beg. Landing in the Danube Delta, the Turks of Umur Beg pillaged the countryside and attacked nearby Bulgarian cities. Forced to restrain his demands, Ivan Alexander invaded the Byzantine Empire again at the end of 1341, claiming that he was summoned by the people of Adrianople.^[15] However, Ivan Alexander's troops were defeated twice by Turkish allies of the Byzantines near the city.^[16] The Byzantine Empire in 1265 (William R. Shepherd, Historical Atlas, 1911). ... Agora of Smyrna Smyrna (Greek: Σμύρνη) is an ancient city (today Ä°zmir in Turkey) that was founded at a very early period at a central and strategic point on the Aegean coast of Anatolia. ... Danube Delta - Landsat satellite photo (2000) The Danube Delta (Delta Dunării in Romanian), split between Tulcea County of Romania and Odessa Oblast of Ukraine, is the largest and best preserved of European deltas, with an area of 3446 km², after the Volga Delta. ...

The Bulgarian lands during the reign of Ivan Alexander^[17]

In 1341–1347 the Byzantine Empire was plunged into a protracted civil war between the regency for Emperor John V Palaiologos and his intended guardian John VI Kantakouzenos. The neighbours of the Byzantines took advantage of the civil war, and while Stefan Uroš IV Dušan of Serbia sided with John VI Kantakouzenos, Ivan Alexander backed John V Palaiologos and his regency.^[5] Although the two Balkan rulers picked opposite sides in the Byzantine civil war, they maintained their alliance with each other. As the price for Ivan Alexander's support, the regency for John V Palaiologos ceded him the city of Philippopolis (Plovdiv) and nine important fortresses in the Rhodope Mountains in 1344.^[3][18] This peaceful turnover constituted the last major success of Ivan Alexander's foreign policy. Image File history File links Bulgaria_Ivan_Alexander_(1331-1371). ... Image File history File links Bulgaria_Ivan_Alexander_(1331-1371). ... John V Palaiologos or Palaeologus (Greek: , IōannÄ“s V Palaiologos), (1332 – February 16, 1391) was the son of Emperor Andronikos III Palaiologos and Anna of Savoy. ... John VI Kantakouzenos or Cantacuzene (Greek: Ιωάννης ΣΤ΄ Καντακουζηνός, IōannÄ“s VI KantakouzÄ“nos) (c. ... Plovdiv (Bulgarian: ) is the third-largest city in Bulgaria, after Sofia and Varna, with a population of 341,873([1]). It is the administrative centre of Plovdiv Province in southern Bulgaria, as well as the largest and most important city of the historical region of Thrace, famous for its ancient... Landscape of the Rhodopes near the village of Hvoyna View from the Belintash Rock towards the village of Vrata The Rhodopes (Bulgarian: Родопи, Rodopi, usually used with a definite article: Родопите, Rodopite, sometimes also called Родопа, Rodopa or Родопа планина, Rodopa planina; Greek: Ροδόπη, Rodopi, red aspect) are a mountain range in Southeastern Europe, with over...

Rise of Serbia and the Ottoman threat

See also: Serbian Empire and Rise of the Ottoman Empire

During the same period, the Serbian king took advantage of the Byzantine civil war to take possession of what is now Macedonia, and of most of Albania and northern Greece. In 1345 he began to call himself "Emperor of Serbs and Greeks", and in 1346 he was crowned as such by the newly created Patriarch of Serbia.^[5] These actions, which the Byzantines received with indignation, appear to have been supported by Bulgaria, as the Patriarch of Bulgaria Simeon had participated in both the creation of a Serbian patriarchate and the imperial coronation of Stefan Uroš IV Dušan.^[19] Serbia was formerly a principality (1817-1882), kingdom (1882-1918) and part of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia (1918-1945, until 1929 the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes). ... In the late 13th century the Seljuq empire had collapsed and Anatolia was divided into many small states. ... This is a list of Patriarchs of Serbia, the person known officially as Patriarch of all Serbia, Archbishop of Pec, Metropolitan of Belgrade and Karlovci. ... The Patriarch of All Bulgaria is the Patriarch of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. ... Flag of the Serbian Orthodox Church The Serbian Orthodox Church (SOC) (Serbian: Српска Православна Црква / Srpska Pravoslavna Crkva; СПЦ / SPC) or the Church of Serbia is one of the autocephalous Orthodox Christian churches, ranking sixth after Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, and Russia. ...

By the second half of the 1340s, little remained of Ivan Alexander's initial successes. John VI Kantakouzenos' Turkish allies pillaged parts of Bulgarian Thrace in 1346, 1347, 1349, 1352 and 1354, to which were added the ravages of the Black Death.^[20] The Bulgarians' attempts to repel the invaders met with repeated failure, and Ivan Alexander's third son and co-emperor, Ivan Asen IV, was killed in battle against the Turks in 1349, as was his older brother Michael Asen IV in 1355 or a little earlier.^[21]

By 1351 the Byzantine civil war was over, and John VI Kantakouzenos had realized the threat posed by the Ottomans to the Balkan Peninsula. He appealed to the rulers of Serbia and Bulgaria for a united effort against the Turks and asked Ivan Alexander for money to construct warships,^[5][22] but his appeals fell on deaf ears as his neighbours distrusted his intentions.^[23] A new attempt for cooperation between Bulgaria and the Byzantine Empire followed in 1355,^[24] after John VI Kantakouzenos had been forced to abdicate and John V Palaiologos had been established as supreme emperor. To cement the treaty, Ivan Alexander's daughter Keraca Marija^[25] was married off to the future Byzantine Emperor Andronikos IV Palaiologos,^[3] but the alliance failed to produce concrete results.^[26] This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Keratsa of Bulgaria was the daughter of Tsar Ivan Alexander of Bulgaria and his second wife Theodora. ... Andronikos IV Palaiologos or Andronicus IV Palaeologus (Greek: Ανδρόνικος Δ Παλαιολόγος) (April 2, 1348–June 28, 1385), was Byzantine emperor from 1376 to 1379. ...

Further stability problems and external conflicts

Coin depicting Ivan Alexander with one of his sons, co-emperor Michael Asen IV (right)

At home Ivan Alexander compromised the internal stability of his realm by divorcing his first wife Theodora of Wallachia (in about 1349) and marrying a converted Jew, also named Theodora.^[5] The new marriage produced new sons, whom Ivan Alexander proceeded to crown co-emperors, Ivan Šišman in about 1356 and Ivan Asen V by 1359. Ivan Alexander's last surviving son from his first marriage, the co-emperor Ivan Sracimir, became effectively independent around 1356;^[5] and Ivan Alexander's control over other powerful vassals, such as the rulers of Wallachia and Dobruja, who pursued their own foreign policies, was hardly stronger.^[27] Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Theodora (Teodora in Romanian) of Wallachia was the daughter of Basarab I of Wallachia (1310–1352) and Margit Dobokai. ... Sarah, Theodora or Sarah-Theodora was the second wife of Tsar Ivan Alexander of Bulgaria. ... Map of Romania with Wallachia in yellow. ... Map of Romania with Northern Dobruja highlighted in orange and Bulgaria with Southern Dobruja highlighted in yellow. ...

From the middle of the 14th century, Bulgaria fell prey to the aspirations of the Angevin king Louis I of Hungary, who annexed Moldavia in 1352 and established a vassal principality there, before conquering Vidin in 1365,^[5][22] and taking Ivan Sratsimir and his family into captivity.^[5][27] Angevin (IPA: ) is the name applied to the residents of Anjou, a former province of the Kingdom of France, as well as to the residents of Angers. ... Louis the Great. ... Moldavia (Moldova in Romanian) was a Romanian principality, originally created in the Middle Ages, now divided between Romania, Moldovan Republic and Ukraine. ...

In the meantime Bulgarians and Byzantines had clashed again in 1364. In 1366, when Emperor John V Palaiologos was returning from his trip to the west, the Bulgarians refused to let him pass through Bulgaria. This stance backfired, as another Byzantine ally, Count Amadeus VI of Savoy, captured several Bulgarian maritime cities in retaliation, including Ankhialos (Pomorie) and Mesembria (Nesebǎr), though he failed to take Varna. Outmanoeuvred, Ivan Alexander was forced to make peace.^[28] Amadeus VI (January 4, 1334 - March 1, 1383), surnamed the Green Count was Count of Savoy from 1343 to 1383. ... Coin of Roman Emperor Caracalla minted in Anchialos (Pomorie) Pomorie (Bulgarian: ; formerly known as Anchialos in Greek, Anchialus in Latin, Tuthom in Bulgar and Анхиало, Anhialo, a Bulgarianized Greek form) is a town in southeastern Bulgaria, located on a narrow rocky peninsula in Burgas Bay on the southern Bulgarian Black Sea... Nesebar (Bulgarian: Несебър, Nesebăr, though other transliterations are also used), previously known as Mesembria (Greek: Μεσημβρια, Mesimvria) and before that as Menebria, is an ancient city on the Black Sea coast of Bulgaria, located in Nesebar municipality, Burgas Province. ... Varna (Bulgarian: ) is the largest city on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast, third-largest in Bulgaria after Sofia and Plovdiv, and 92nd-largest in the European Union, with a population of 357,752([1]). Varna, commonly referred to as the marine capital (or the summer capital) of Bulgaria, is a...

The captured cities were turned over to the Byzantine Empire, while Emperor John V Palaiologos paid the sum of 180,000 florins to Ivan Alexander.^[5] The Bulgarian emperor used this sum and territorial concessions to induce his at least de jure vassals Dobrotica of Dobruja^[29] and Vladislav I of Wallachia^[30][31] to reconquer Vidin from the Hungarians.^[32] The war was successful, and Ivan Sracimir was reinstalled in Vidin in 1369, although the Hungarian king forced him to to acknowledge his overlordship.^[33] The back of an Italian florin coin The front of an Italian florin coin The florin was struck from 1252 to 1523 with no significant change in its design or metal content standard. ... Look up De jure in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Dobrotitsa (Bulgarian: , IPA: ; Romanian: ; Τομπροτίτζας in contemporaneous Byzantine documents;[1] Dobrodicie in contemporaneous Genoese documents[2]) was a Bulgarian noble, ruler of the de facto independent Principality of Karvuna and the Kaliakra fortress from 1354 to 1379–1386. ... Vladislav I, also known as Vlaicu-Vodă, was a ruler of the principality of Wallachia, (1364 - circa 1377). ...

The relatively successful resolution of the crisis in the northwest did nothing to help recover the losses in the southeast. To make matters worse, in 1369 (the date is disputed), the Ottoman Turks under Murad I conquered Adrianople and made it the effective capital of their expanding state. At the same time, they also captured the Bulgarian cities of Philippopolis and Boruj (Stara Zagora).^[34] As Bulgaria and the Serbian princes in Macedonia prepared for united action against the Turks, Ivan Alexander died on February 17, 1371.^[35] He was succeeded by his sons Ivan Sracimir in Vidin^[22] and Ivan Šišman in Tǎrnovo,^[22] while the rulers of Dobruja and Wallachia achieved further independence. Sultan Murad I (มู้หลัดที่หนึ่ง) Murad I (nick-named Hüdavendigâr, the God-liked one) (1319 (or 1326) – 1389) was the ruler of the Ottoman Empire from 1359 to 1389. ... Stara Zagora (Cyrillic: Стара Загора) is a large city and an important economic centre of southern Bulgaria. ... February 17 is the 48th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events End of the reign of Emperor Go-Kogon of Japan, fourth of the Northern Ashikaga Pretenders Start of the reign of Emperor Go-Enyu of Japan, fifth and last of the Northern Ashikaga Pretenders Charterhouse Carthusian Monastery founded in Aldersgate, London. ...

Culture and religion

Contemporary donor's fresco of Ivan Alexander from the Bachkovo Monastery ossuary

During Ivan Alexander's rule, the Second Bulgarian Empire entered a period of cultural renaissance, which is sometimes referred to as the "Second Golden Age of Bulgarian culture",^[36][37] the original one being the rule of Simeon the Great.^[38] A large number of Bulgarian monasteries and churches were constructed or renovated on the order of Ivan Alexander.^[3][39] Mural portraits of him as a donor can be seen in the Bachkovo Monastery's ossuary and in the Rock-hewn Churches of Ivanovo.^[40] Donor's deeds of Ivan Alexander prove that the monasteries of the Holy Mother of God Eleoussa and St Nicholas in Nesebǎr were reconstructed during that period,^[5][40] as was the St Nicholas monastery near Pernik, according to a Hilandar monastery deed.^[40][41] In addition, the tsar also initiated the construction of the Dragalevci and Kilifarevo monasteries.^[5] Image File history File links Ioal_backovo. ... Image File history File links Ioal_backovo. ... Bachkovo Monastery in Bulgaria is one of the largest and oldest Orthodox Christian monasteries in Eastern Europe. ... An ossuary is a chest, building, well, or site made to serve as the final resting place of human skeletal remains. ... Simeon (also Symeon)[1] I the Great (Bulgarian: , transliterated Simeon I Veliki;[2] IPA: ) ruled over Bulgaria from 893 to 927,[3] during the First Bulgarian Empire. ... Bachkovo Monastery in Bulgaria is one of the largest and oldest Orthodox Christian monasteries in Eastern Europe. ... The Rock-hewn Churches of Ivanovo are a group of churches, chapels and monasteries hewn from solid rock, located near the village of Ivanovo in Bulgaria. ... Pernik is situated 19 miles southwest of Sofia Pernik is a city in Bulgaria, on the Struma River, with a population of 92,627 (2005 census). ... Hilandar (Greek Chilandar) is an Eastern Orthodox monastery on Mount Athos in Greece, traditionally occupied and maintained by the Serbian Orthodox Church. ... Dragalevtsi Monastery Dragalevtsi (Bulgarian: ) is a quarter of Sofia, part of Vitosha municipality and situated in the southwestern part of the city, at the foot of the mountain of Vitosha. ... Kilifarevo (Bulgarian: ) is a small town in central northern Bulgaria, administratively part of Veliko Tarnovo municipality, Veliko Tarnovo Province. ...

Literary activity also flourished during the reign of Ivan Alexander. Several important literary works were created in the period, such as the Middle Bulgarian translation of the Manasses Chronicle (1344–1345), currently preserved in the Vatican Secret Archives in Rome,^[5][42] the richly illustrated Tetraevangelia of Ivan Alexander (1355–1356), now exhibited in the British Library,^[43] the Tomić Psalter (1360), today in Moscow,^[5] and the Sofia Psalter (1337).^[44] The History of the Bulgarian language can be divided into four major periods: prehistoric period (from the time of the settlement of the Bulgarian Slavs on the Balkans until the late 9th century); Old Bulgarian (from the late 9th until the 11th century); Middle Bulgarian (from the 12th century to... Constantine Manasses (c. ... The Vatican Secret Archives (Latin: Archivum Secretum Apostolicum Vaticanum; Italian: Archivio Segreto Vaticano), located in Vatican City, is the central repository for all of the acts promulgated by the Holy See. ... Nickname: The Eternal City Motto: SPQR: Senatus PopulusQue Romanus Location of the city of Rome (yellow) within the Province of Rome (red) and region of Lazio (grey) Coordinates: Region Lazio Province Province of Rome Founded 21 April 753 BC  - Mayor Walter Veltroni Area    - City 1285 km²  (580 sq mi)  - Urban... A miniature from the Tetraevangelia depicting the tsar and the royal family The Tetraevangelia of Ivan Alexander or the Four Gospels of Ivan Alexander (Bulgarian: Четвероевангелие на (цар) Иван Александър, transliterated as Chetveroevangelie na (tsar) Ivan Aleksandar) is a 14th-century manuscript of the Four Gospels in Middle Bulgarian prepared and illustrated during the rule... British Library Ossulston St entrance, with distinctive red logo. ... The Tomić Psalter (1360) The Tomić Psalter (Bulgarian: , Tomichov psaltir) is a 14th-century Bulgarian illuminated psalter. ... Location Position of Moscow in Europe Government Country District Subdivision Russia Central Federal District Federal City Mayor Yuriy Luzhkov Geographical characteristics Area  - City 1,081 km² Population  - City (2007)    - Density 10,469,000   9684. ... The Sofia Psalter (1337) The Sofia Psalter (Bulgarian: , Sofiyski pesnivets), also known as Ivan Alexanders Psalter or the Kuklen Psalter, is a 14th-century Bulgarian illuminated psalter. ...

Ivan Alexander's rule was also marked by efforts to strengthen the position of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church by pursuing heretics and Jews.^[45] He organized two anti-heretical church councils, in 1350 and 1359–1360,^[46] that condemned various sects^[5][45] such as the Bogomils and the Adamites.^[5][47] The Bulgarian Orthodox Church (Bulgarian: , Bylgarska pravoslavna cyrkva) is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox Church with some 6. ... Heresy, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, is a theological or religious opinion or doctrine maintained in opposition, or held to be contrary, to the Catholic or Orthodox doctrine of the Christian Church, or, by extension, to that of any church, creed, or religious system, considered as orthodox. ... Bogomilism is the Gnostic dualistic sect, the synthesis of Armenian Paulicianism and the local Slavonic Church reform movement in Bulgaria and Bosnia-Herzegovina between 950 and 1396. ... Adamites being persecuted Adamites, or Adamians, were adherents of an early Christian sect (considered heresy by the Roman Catholic church) that flourished in North Africa in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th century. ...

The spiritual practice of hesychasm, a form of incantatory prayer, deeply influenced certain areas of the Eastern Orthodox world of the 14th century. A notable Bulgarian representative of the movement during Ivan Alexander's reign was Theodosius of Tǎrnovo.^[48] Hesychasm (Greek ησυχασμός, from ησυχία, stillness, rest, quiet) is an eremitic tradition of prayer in Eastern Orthodox Christianity practised (Gk: ησυχάζω: keep stillness) by the Hesychast (Gr. ... The Eastern Orthodox Church is a Christian body that views itself: as the historical continuation of the original Christian community established by Jesus Christ and the Twelve Apostles. ... The Holy Venerable Theodosius of Tarnovo (Bulgarian: , Teodosiy Tarnovski) (died 1363) was a high-ranking 14th-century Bulgarian cleric and the person credited with establishing hesychasm in the Second Bulgarian Empire. ...

During this time, the Bulgarian Empire had trade relations with the Mediterranean maritime powers Venice, Genoa and Ragusa.^[49] In 1353, Ivan Alexander issued a charter allowing Venetian merchants to buy and sell goods throughout Bulgaria after Doge Andrea Dandolo assured him they would observe the prior treaties between the two countries.^[50] Composite satellite image of the Mediterranean Sea. ... Map of the Venetian Republic, circa 1000 CE. The republic is in dark red, borders in light red. ... The Republic of Genoa, in full the Most Serene Republic of Genoa (known as the Ligurian Republic from 1798 to 1805) was an independent state in Liguria on the northwestern Italian coast from ca. ... Borders of the Republic of Ragusa, 1426-1808 Capital Ragusa Language(s) Latin, Italian since 1492 Religion Roman Catholic Government Republic Duke  - 1808 Auguste Marmont Historical era Renaissance  - Treaty of Zara June 27, 1358  - Invasion by France January 31, 1808  - Annexed October 14, 1808 Area  - 1808? 1,500 km2 579... Grand Procession of the Doge, 16th century For some thousand years, the chief magistrate and leader of the Most Serene Republic of Venice was styled the Doge, a rare but not unique Italian title derived from the Latin Dux, as the major Italian parallel Duce and the English Duke. ... Andrea Dandolos coat of arms Andrea Dandolo (1306 – September 7, 1354), was elected the 54th doge (duke) of Venice in 1343, replacing Bartolomeo Gradenigo who died in late 1342. ...

In modern times, the rule of Ivan Alexander inspired Bulgarian national writer Ivan Vazov to write the novelette Ivan-Aleksandǎr^[51] and the drama Kǎm propast (Towards an Abyss),^[51] in both of which the tsar is the main character. This article is in need of attention. ... A novelette (or novelet) is a piece of short prose fiction. ... This does not cite its references or sources. ...

A piece of a garment signed by Ivan Alexander and interwoven with gold was discovered in a noble's grave near Pirot in the 1970s; today it is preserved in the National Museum of Serbia in Belgrade. It is the first find of its kind, demonstrating a medieval tradition attested in writing according to which Orthodox rulers would present their most eminent dignitaries with a piece of a garment they had worn.^[52] Pirot (Пирот) is a city located in Serbia and Montenegro at 43. ... National Museum in Belgrade, Serbia The National Museum (Serbian: Народни музеј) in Belgrade, Serbia was founded in 1844. ... Belgrade (Serbian: Београд or Beograd  ) is the capital and the largest city of Serbia. ...

Family

By his first wife Theodora of Wallachia (nun Teofana), a daughter of Basarab of Wallachia, Ivan Alexander had several children, including Ivan Sracimir, who ruled as emperor of Bulgaria in Vidin 1356–1397, associated emperors Michael Asen IV (co-ruled c. 1332–1354/5) and Ivan Asen IV (co-ruled 1337–1349), and a daughter called Thamar (Kera Tamara), who was married first to the despotēs Constantine (Konstantin), and then to Sultan Murad I^[53] of the Ottoman Empire.^[7] Sultan Murad I (มู้หลัดที่หนึ่ง) Murad I (nick-named Hüdavendigâr, the God-liked one) (1319 (or 1326) – 1389) was the ruler of the Ottoman Empire from 1359 to 1389. ...

By his second wife Sarah-Theodora, Ivan Alexander had several other children, which included Keraca Marija, who married the Byzantine Emperor Andronikos IV Palaiologos, Ivan Šišman, who succeeded as emperor of Bulgaria in Tǎrnovo 1371–1396, Ivan Asen V, associated as emperor of Bulgaria by 1359–1388?, as well as two daughters named Desislava and Vasilisa.^[7]

Theodora (Teodora in Romanian) of Wallachia was the daughter of Basarab I of Wallachia (1310–1352) and Margit Dobokai. ... Sarah, Theodora or Sarah-Theodora was the second wife of Tsar Ivan Alexander of Bulgaria. ... Tsar Ivan Shishman of Bulgarian was the son of Tsar Ivan Alexander and his second wife Theodora. ... Ivan Sratsimir or Ivan Stratsimir (Bulgarian: ) was emperor (tsar) of Bulgaria in Vidin from 1356 to 1397. ... Keratsa of Bulgaria was the daughter of Tsar Ivan Alexander of Bulgaria and his second wife Theodora. ...

Notes

The foundation of the U.N. The United Nations (UN) is an international organization whose stated aims are to facilitate co-operation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress and human rights issues. ... This page meets Wikipedias criteria for speedy deletion. ... The Cyrillic alphabet (pronounced , also called azbuka, from the old name of the first two letters) is an alphabet used for several East and South Slavic languages—Belarusian, Bosnian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Russian, Rusyn, Serbian, and Ukrainian—and many other languages of the former Soviet Union, Asia and Eastern Europe. ... Romanization of Bulgarian is the transliteration of text in the Bulgarian language from the Cyrillic alphabet into the Latin alphabet. ... The Encyclopædia Britannica is an encyclopedia published by Encyclopædia Britannica Inc. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... January 19 is the 19th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... City flag City coat of arms Motto: Fluctuat nec mergitur (Latin: Tossed by the waves, she does not sink) Paris Eiffel tower as seen from the esplanade du Trocadéro. ... Fayard (complete name Librairie Arthème Fayard) is a French Paris-based publishing house established in 1857. ... The Sofia Psalter (1337) The Sofia Psalter (Bulgarian: , Sofiyski pesnivets), also known as Ivan Alexanders Psalter or the Kuklen Psalter, is a 14th-century Bulgarian illuminated psalter. ... The History of the Bulgarian language can be divi