NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Second Bulgarian Empire

The Second Bulgarian Empire (Bulgarian: Второ българско царство, Vtorо Balgarskо Tsartsvo) was a medieval Bulgarian state which existed between 1185 and 1396 (or 1422).^[1] A successor of the First Bulgarian Empire, 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 Principality and later Kingdom of Bulgaria in 1878. Image File history File links Bulgaria_Ivan_Alexander_(1331-1371). ... Ivan Alexander (Bulgarian: , transliterated Ivan AleksandÇŽr;[1] IPA: ), also known as John Alexander,[2] ruled as Emperor (Tsar) of Bulgaria from 1331 to 1371,[3] during the Second Bulgarian Empire. ... Throughout the world there are many cities that were once national capitals but no longer have that status because the country ceased to exist, the capital was moved, or the capital city was renamed. ... Pliska (Bulgarian. ... Preslav ( Bulgarian: Преслав) was capital of the First Bulgarian Empire from 893 to 972. ... Skopje is the capital and largest city in the Republic of Macedonia, with more than a quarter of the population of the country, as well as the political, cultural, economical and academic centre of the country. ... City motto : Coordinates Municipality : Ohrid municipality Elevation 695 m Population 55 749 Time zone - Standard - Summer (DST) CET (UTC+1) CEST (UTC+2) Founded Area code +389 46 Postal code 6000 Car plates OH Official Website www. ... Veliko Tarnovo (Cyrillic: Ð’ÐµÐ»Ð¸ÐºÐ¾ Ð¢ÑŠÑ€Ð½Ð¾Ð²Ð¾, Great Tarnovo, also Veliko Turnovo) is a city of approximately 65,000 people in North-central Bulgaria, 240km north-east of Sofia. ... Old Church Slavonic (pol. ... Topics in Christianity Movements Â· Denominations Ecumenism Â· Preaching Â· Prayer Music Â· Liturgy Â· Calendar Symbols Â· Art Â· Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul Â· Church Fathers Constantine Â· Athanasius Â· Augustine Anselm Â· Aquinas Â· Palamas Â· Luther Calvin Â· Wesley Arius Â· Marcion of Sinope Coptic Orthodox Pope Â· Roman Catholic Pope Archbishop of Canterbury Â· Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box: Faith... For the documentary series, see Monarchy (TV series). ... Tsar (Bulgarian, Serbian and Macedonian Ñ†Ð°Ñ€, Russian , 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. ... Asparuh or Isperih (Bulgarian: ÐÑÐ¿Ð°Ñ€ÑƒÑ…, Asparuh or Ð˜ÑÐ¿ÐµÑ€Ð¸Ñ…, Isperih) was ruler of the Bulgarians in the second half of the 7th century and is credited with the establishment of the First Bulgarian Empire in 680/681. ... Constantine II (in Bulgarian, Konstantin II), ruled as emperor (tsar) of Bulgaria in Vidin 1397-1422. ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... Asparuh or Isperih (Bulgarian: ÐÑÐ¿Ð°Ñ€ÑƒÑ…, Asparuh or Ð˜ÑÐ¿ÐµÑ€Ð¸Ñ…, Isperih) was ruler of the Bulgarians in the second half of the 7th century and is credited with the establishment of the First Bulgarian Empire in 680/681. ... // Events August 9 - The Bulgars win the war with the Byzantine Empire; the latter signs a peace treaty, which is considered as the birth-date of Bulgaria Wilfrid of York is expelled from Northumbria by Ecgfrith and retires into Sussex Births Deaths January 10 - Pope Agatho Ebroin, Mayor of the... The Christianization of Bulgaria is the process of converting 9th-century medieval Bulgaria to Christianity. ... Events Khan Boris I of Bulgaria is baptized an Orthodox Christian. ... â€œByzantineâ€ redirects here. ... // Team# 1018 Pike High School Robotics Team Team #1018 FIRST Logo Check Out Our FIRST WIKI Page Events Bulgaria becomes part of the Byzantine Empire. ... Events April 25 - Genpei War - Naval battle of Dan-no-ura leads to Minamoto victory in Japan Templars settle in London and begin the building of New Temple Church End of the Heian Period and beginning of the Kamakura period in Japan. ... This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by area. ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times. ... Imperial Emblem Bulgarian Empire at its greatest extent c. ... Kaloyan Asen, Kalojan, Johannizza, John, The Romankiller (c. ... Portrait of Ivan Asen II from the Zograf Monastery on Mount Athos, 1817 Ivan Asen II (Bulgarian: Ð˜Ð²Ð°Ð½ ÐÑÐµÐ½ II, and also Ð™Ð¾Ð°Ð½ ÐÑÐµÐ½ II, Ioan Asen II, in English sometimes John Asen II), emperor (tsar) of Bulgaria from 1218 to 1241. ... The Treaty of San Stefano of March 3, 1878 provided for an independent Bulgarian state, which spanned over the geographical regions of Moesia, Thrace and Macedonia. ...

Background

The Byzantines ruled Bulgaria from 1018, when they conquered the First Bulgarian Empire, to 1185, although initially it was not fully integrated into the Byzantine Empire, for example preserving the existing tax levels and the power of the low-ranking nobility. The independent Bulgarian Orthodox Church was subordinated to the authority of the Ecumenical Patriarch in Constantinople, and the Bulgarian aristocracy and tsar's relatives were given various Byzantine titles and transferred to the Asian parts of the Empire. There were rebellions against Byzantine rule in 1040-41, the 1070s and the 1080s, but these failed. Imperial Emblem Bulgarian Empire at its greatest extent c. ... â€œByzantineâ€ redirects here. ... The Bulgarian Orthodox Church (Bulgarian: , Bylgarska pravoslavna cyrkva) is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox Church with some 6. ... The Patriarch of Constantinople is the Ecumenical Patriarch, the first among equals in the Eastern Orthodox Communion. ... This article is about the city before the Fall of Constantinople (1453). ... Tsar (Bulgarian, Serbian and Macedonian Ñ†Ð°Ñ€, Russian , 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. ...

Liberation

By the late 12th century the Byzantines were in decline after a series of wars with the Hungarians and the Serbs. In 1185 Peter and Asen (described in contemporary accounts as Vlachs) led a revolt against Byzantine rule and Peter declared himself Tsar Peter II (also known as Theodore Peter), firmly claiming to inherit the authority of the First Bulgarian Empire. After little more than a year of warfare the Byzantines were forced to acknowledge Bulgaria's independence, though fighting continued. The peoples who took part in the rebellion and formed part of the new state certainly included Slavic-speaking Bulgarians and, alongside them, Cumans, Vlachs and Greeks: Peter styled himself "Tsar of the Bulgars, Greeks and Vlachs". Image File history File links Tsarevets-gruev-2. ... Image File history File links Tsarevets-gruev-2. ... Veliko Tarnovo (Cyrillic: Ð’ÐµÐ»Ð¸ÐºÐ¾ Ð¢ÑŠÑ€Ð½Ð¾Ð²Ð¾, Great Tarnovo, also Veliko Turnovo) is a city of approximately 65,000 people in North-central Bulgaria, 240km north-east of Sofia. ... The Asen dynasty ruled the Second Bulgarian Empire between 1187 and 1280. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The Vlach-Bulgarian Rebellion was a revolt of the Vlachs and Bulgarians living in the Byzantine Empire, caused by a tax increase. ... --Duk 06:03, 18 May 2005 (UTC) Categories: Possible copyright violations ... Imperial Emblem Bulgarian Empire at its greatest extent c. ...

European power

Resurrected Bulgaria occupied the territory between the Black Sea, the Danube and Stara Planina, including a part of eastern Macedonia and the valley of the Morava. It also exercised control over Wallachia and Moldova. Frescoes from the Boyana Church: Desislava This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Frescoes from the Boyana Church: Desislava This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... For other uses, see Black Sea (disambiguation). ... This article is about the Danube River. ... Stara Planina, Rhodope, Rila and Pirin Mountains The Stara Planina (Old Mountain) or Balkan mountain range is an extension of the Carpathian mountain range, separated from it by the Danube River. ... Morava may refer to: Moravia, eastern part of the territory of the Czech Republic; Morava River (Central Europe), a river in the Czech Republic, Austria and Slovakia; Great Moravia, early-medieval Empire in Central Europe; Great Morava (Velika Morava), a river in central Serbia; South Morava (JuÅ¾na Morava), a... Map of Romania with Wallachia in yellow. ...

Kaloyan

Tsar Kaloyan (1197–1207) entered a union with the Papacy, thereby securing the recognition of his title of "Rex" although he desired to be recognized as "Emperor" or "Tsar". He waged wars on the Byzantine Empire and (after 1204) on the Knights of the Fourth Crusade, conquering large parts of Thrace, the Rhodopes, as well as the whole of Macedonia. He decisively defeated the Latins in the Battle of Adrianople (1205) and thus crushed their power in the very first year of its creation and prevented their influence on the larger parts of the Balkans. The power of the Hungarians, and to some extent the Serbs, prevented significant expansion to the west and northwest. Kaloyan Asen, Kalojan, Johannizza, John, The Romankiller (c. ... The Pope is the Catholic Bishop and patriarch of Rome, and head of the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Catholic Churches. ... Look up rex in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... An emperor is a (male) monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. ... Tsar (Bulgarian, Serbian and Macedonian Ñ†Ð°Ñ€, Russian , 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. ... â€œByzantineâ€ redirects here. ... The Entry of the Crusaders into Constantinople (EugÃ¨ne Delacroix, 1840). ... Thracian Tomb of Kazanlak Thrace (Bulgarian: , Greek: , Attic Greek: ThrÄÃkÄ“ or ThrÄ“ÃkÄ“, Latin: , Turkish: ) is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe. ... The Rhodopes (also spelled Rodopi) are a mountain range, with over 83% of its area in southern Bulgaria and the remainder in Greece. ... This Battle of Adrianople occurred on April 14, 1205 between Bulgarians under Tsar Kaloyan of Bulgaria, and Crusaders under Baldwin I. It was won by the Bulgarians after a skillful ambush. ...

Ivan Asen II

After the death of Kaloyan during the reign of his cousin Boril (1207–1218), the country lost significant territories to Hungary, the Latin Empire and the Despotate of Epirus. Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... The history of Bulgaria as a separate country began in the 7th century with the arrival of the Bulgars and the foundation of the First Bulgarian Empire together with the local seven Slavic tribes, a union recognized by Byzantium in 681. ... Old Great Bulgaria or Great Bulgaria (Î— Ï€Î±Î»Î±Î¹Î¬ Î¼ÎµÎ³Î¬Î»Î· Î’Î¿Ï…Î»Î³Î±ÏÎ¯Î± in Byzantine chronicles; alternative name: Onoguria/Onoghuria) was a Bulgar state, founded by Kubrat, which briefly existed in the 7th century north of the Caucasus mountains in the steppe between the rivers Dnieper and Lower Volga[1]. // Main article: Kubrat Kubrat (also Kurt or... Imperial Emblem Bulgarian Empire at its greatest extent c. ... After falling almost entirely under Ottoman rule in the end of the 14th century, the Bulgarian state ceased to exist as an independent entity and remained part of the Ottoman Empire for nearly five centuries until 1878. ... Bulgarian nationalism emerged in the early 19th century under the influence of western ideas such as liberalism and nationalism, which trickled into the country after the French revolution, mostly via Greece. ... The Treaty of San Stefano of March 3, 1878 provided for a self-governing Bulgarian state, which comprised the geographical regions of Moesia, Thrace and Macedonia. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Boril was the son of a sister of Tsar Kaloyan. ... The Despotate of Epirus was one of the medieval Greek successor states of the Byzantine Empire, founded in the aftermath of the Fourth Crusade in 1204. ...

Under Ivan Asen II (1218–1241), Bulgaria once again became a regional power, liberating the lost lands and occupying Odrin and Albania. After the major success at Klokotnitsa in 1230 the Epirus Despotate became a vassal tributary to Bulgaria. In an inscription from Turnovo in 1230 he entitled himself "In Christ the Lord faithful Tsar and autocrat of the Bulgarians, son of the old Asen". The Bulgarian Orthodox Patriarchate was restored in 1235 with approval of all eastern Patriarchates, thus putting an end to the union with the Papacy. Ivan Asen II had a reputation as a wise and humane ruler, and opened relations with the Catholic west, especially Venice and Genoa, to reduce the influence of the Byzantines over his country. The country enjoyed flourishing economy, trade relations were diversified and around 1235 Bulgaria had an organised Navy. Portrait of Ivan Asen II from the Zograf Monastery on Mount Athos, 1817 Ivan Asen II (Bulgarian: Ð˜Ð²Ð°Ð½ ÐÑÐµÐ½ II, and also Ð™Ð¾Ð°Ð½ ÐÑÐµÐ½ II, Ioan Asen II, in English sometimes John Asen II), emperor (tsar) of Bulgaria from 1218 to 1241. ... Selimiye Mosque, built by Sinan in 1575 Edirne is a city in Thrace, the westernmost part of Turkey, close to the borders with Greece and Bulgaria. ... Combatants Bulgarian Empire Despotate of Epirus Commanders Ivan Asen II Theodore Komnenos Doukas Strength 25,000 85,000 Casualties Light Almost the whole army was killed or captured The Battle of Klokotnitsa (Bulgarian: , Bitka pri Klokotnitsa) occurred on 9 March 1230 near the village of Klokotnitsa (today in Haskovo Province... A patriarchate is the office or jurisdiction of a patriarch. ... The Pope is the Catholic Bishop and patriarch of Rome, and head of the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Catholic Churches. ... For other uses, see Venice (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Genoa (disambiguation). ...

Decline

Under Ivan Asen II's successors, Bulgaria once again declined. The Mongols raided the Balkans in the early 13th century, devastating Bulgaria in 1242, and Bulgaria was forced to pay tribute to the Khans of the Golden Horde. After 1246 the Empire Nicaea annexed Macedonia, Rhodope mountains and part of Thrace. The Hungarian kingdom occupied the province of Belgrade. Gradually Bulgaria lost control and traditional significant political influence over Wallachia, where the power of the regional nobles was strengthened and subsequently were established local principalities. By the reign of Michael II Asen 1246–1256, Bulgaria was reduced to a small state on the south bank of the lower Danube. Under Constantine I Tikh the country lost Macedonia and the crisis drove to peasant war, raised by the swineherd Ivailo, who managed to sit on the Bulgarian throne from 1277 to 1280. Ivailo achieved great military success against the external enemies: defeated the Byzantines in two major battles and temporarily drove away the Tatars from the northeastern parts of the Empire. However, he failed to cope with the aristocracy and was later killed. The Tatar hegemony continued to 1300, when their khan Toktu ceded Bessarabia the new Bulgarian Emperor Theodore Svetoslav and stopped taking tribute. This had positive economic effect. During the reign of Theodore Svetoslav Bulgaria regained much of its former strength and prestige. After a successful war against Byzantium he signed peace with continued to his death in 1322. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1920x2560, 3746 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Constantine Tikh of Bulgaria Second Bulgarian Empire Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1920x2560, 3746 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Constantine Tikh of Bulgaria Second Bulgarian Empire Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (460x659, 27 KB) Summary Tetraevangelia of Ivan Alexander (1355-1356). ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (460x659, 27 KB) Summary Tetraevangelia of Ivan Alexander (1355-1356). ... The name Mongols (Mongolian: Mongol) specifies one or several ethnic groups. ... The four successor Khanates of the Mongol Empire: Empire of the Great Khan (Yuan Dynasty), Golden Horde, Il-Khanate and Chagatai Khanate The Golden Horde (Mongolian: Altan Ordyn Uls; Turkish: ; Tatar: ; Russian: ) was a Mongol[1][2][3][4] â€” later Turkicized[3] â€” khanate established in parts of present-day Russia... The Empire of Nicaea was the largest of the states founded by refugees from the Byzantine Empire after Constantinople was conquered during the Fourth Crusade. ... Landscape of the Rhodopes near the village of Hvoyna View from the Belintash Rock towards the village of Vrata The Rhodopes (Bulgarian: , Rodopi, usually used with a definite article: Ð Ð¾Ð´Ð¾Ð¿Ð¸Ñ‚Ðµ, Rodopite, sometimes also called Ð Ð¾Ð´Ð¾Ð¿Ð°, Rodopa or Ð Ð¾Ð´Ð¾Ð¿Ð° Ð¿Ð»Ð°Ð½Ð¸Ð½Ð°, Rodopa planina; Greek: , Rodopi, red aspect) are a mountain range in Southeastern Europe, with over... Thracian Tomb of Kazanlak Thrace (Bulgarian: , Greek: , Attic Greek: ThrÄÃkÄ“ or ThrÄ“ÃkÄ“, Latin: , Turkish: ) is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe. ... The Kingdom of Hungary is the name of a multiethnic kingdom that existed in Central Europe from 1000 to 1918. ... For other uses, see Belgrade (disambiguation). ... Map of Romania with Wallachia in yellow. ... Michael II Asen of Bulgaria was the son of Tsar Ivan Asen II and his third wife Irina of Epir. ... This article is about the Danube River. ... Tsar Constantine Tikh of Bulgaria (ruled 1257-1277) took the throne of Bulgaria after the assasination of Michael II Asen of Bulgaria in 1256. ... Ivailo was a Bulgarian tsar from 1277 to 1280. ... Byzantine Empire is the term conventionally used to describe the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages, centered around its capital in Constantinople. ... This article is about the people. ... 1927 map of Bessarabia from Charles Upson Clarks book Bessarabia (Basarabia in Romanian, Ð‘ÐµÑÐ°Ñ€Ð°Ð±Ñ–Ñ in Ukrainian, Ð‘ÐµÑÑÐ°Ñ€Ð°Ð±Ð¸Ñ in Russian, Ð‘ÐµÑÐ°Ñ€Ð°Ð±Ð¸Ñ in Bulgarian, Besarabya in Turkish) is a historical term for the geographic entity in Eastern Europe bounded by the Dniester River on the East and the Prut River on the West. ... Tsar Theodore Svetoslav, also Teodor Svetoslav, was monarch of Bulgaria from 1300 to 1322. ...

Ivan Alexander and fall of Bulgaria

The withdrawal of the Mongols from Europe in the early 14th century stabilized the situation in the Balkans and Bulgaria reassumed something like its modern borders. But Bulgaria was threatened by the rising powers of Hungary to the north and Serbia to the west. In 1330 the Bulgarians under Michael III were heavily defeated by the Serbs at Velbuzhd, and some parts of the Empire came under Serbian sway. Under Ivan IV (Ivan Alexander) 1331–1372 Serbian threat was ended and the Byzantines were defeated at Rusokastro. The territorial expansion included the Rhodope mountains and several important towns on the Black Sea coast. This was a period known as Second Golden Age because of the thriving culture. Eventually after his death Bulgaria was left divided into rival states; one of the two largest ones was based at Veliko Turnovo and the other at Vidin, ruled by Ivan's two sons. 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. ... Ossuary in Hallstatt (see the article for details). ... Michael Asen III (Bulgarian: ÐœÐ¸Ñ…Ð°Ð¸Ð» ÐÑÐµÐ½ III, Mihail Asen III, commonly called Michael Shishman (ÐœÐ¸Ñ…Ð°Ð¸Ð» Ð¨Ð¸ÑˆÐ¼Ð°Ð½, Mihail Å iÅ¡man) or Michael III Shishman), ruled as emperor (tsar) of Bulgaria from 1323 to 1330. ... Combatants Bulgarian Empire Kingdom of Serbia Commanders Michael III of Bulgaria Stefan Decanski Strength c. ... Ivan Alexander (Bulgarian: , transliterated Ivan AleksandÇŽr;[1] IPA: ), also known as John Alexander,[2] ruled as Emperor (Tsar) of Bulgaria from 1331 to 1371,[3] during the Second Bulgarian Empire. ... Combatants Bulgarian Empire Byzantine Empire Commanders Ivan Alexander Andronikos III Palaiologos Strength 11,000 3,000 Casualties Light Heavy Categories: | | ... In Greek mythology, Queen Rhodope of Thrace was the wife of Haemus. ... For other uses, see Black Sea (disambiguation). ... Veliko Turnovo(Cyrillic: Велико Търново, Great Turnovo) is a city of approximately 65,000 people in North-central Bulgaria, 240km north-east of Sofia. ... Vidin (Bulgarian: Ð’Ð¸Ð´Ð¸Ð½; Romanian: Vidin, Diiu) is a town on the southern bank of the Danube in northwestern Bulgaria. ...

The two brothers and despot Dobrotitsa from the Principality of Carvuna did not make an attempt to unite and they were even engaged in a military conflict for Sofia. Weakened Bulgaria was thus no match for a new threat from the south, the Ottoman Turks, who crossed into Europe in 1354. In 1362 they captured Philippopolis (Plovdiv), and in 1382 they took Sofia. The Ottomans then turned their attention to the Serbs, whom they routed at Kosovo Pole in 1389. In 1393 the Ottomans occupied Turnovo after a three-month siege. It is thought that the south gate was opened from inside and so the Ottomans managed to enter the fortress. In the next year the Ottomans captured the Carvuna Principality and Nikopol — the last town of the Turnovo Tsardom — fell in 1395. Next year the Kingdom of Vidin was also occupied, bringing the Second Bulgarian Empire and Bulgarian independence to an end. Dobrotitsa (Bulgarian: , IPA: ; Romanian: ; Î¤Î¿Î¼Ï€ÏÎ¿Ï„Î¯Ï„Î¶Î±Ï‚ 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 1379â€“1386. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... â€œOttomanâ€ redirects here. ... Ancient Theater, Plovdiv International Fair, Plovdiv Plovdiv is a city in Bulgaria and the capital of the Plovdiv Oblast (district). ... Plovdiv (Bulgarian: ) is the second-largest city in Bulgaria after Sofia, 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 Upper (or Northern) Thrace, famous for its... This page is about the Battle of Kosovo of 1389; for other battles, see Battle of Kosovo (disambiguation) The Battle of Kosovo Polje was fought on St. ... Categories: Bulgaria geography stubs | Regions of Bulgaria ... Combatants Bulgarian Empire Ottoman Empire Commanders Patriarch Evtimiy Unknown Strength Unknown Unknown but significantly larger Casualties Heavy Heavy The siege of Tarnovo occurred in the spring of 1393 and resulted in a decisive Ottoman victory. ... Nikopol (Нікополь) is a town of Ukraine, in the government of Ekaterinoslav, on the right bank of the Dnieper, 70 miles S.S.W. of the town of Ekaterinoslav. ... Vidin (Bulgarian: Ð’Ð¸Ð´Ð¸Ð½; Romanian: Vidin, Diiu) is a town on the southern bank of the Danube in northwestern Bulgaria. ...

Administration

The supreme power in the country belonged to the Emperor. His official title was: "In Christ God faithful Emperor and Autocrat of all Bulgarians" which often included "Greeks"^[2]. The most significant meaning was that he was Emperor of the whole Bulgarian people, even to those beyond the borders of the Empire. The legislative and executive powers were concentrated in his hands. If the heir of the ruler was under age, the regency was headed by the mother-Empress.

The Bolyar Counsel, called also Sinklit included the Great Bolyars and the Patriarch. Their task was to discuss important questions about the external and internal policy such as declaration of war, formation of alliance or signing peace. The last word always belonged to the Emperor. Sometimes Counsels with extended members were assembled, where the nobility, the clergy and "the other people" usually gathered to discuss condemnation of heresies^[3]: 1211, 1350, 1360. The only right the ordinary people had was to approve the decisions made by the nobility.

The main administrative unit in 13-14th centuries was hora (хорá) which replaced the komitat from the First Bulgarian Empire. Its governor was called Duke (Kefaliya) and was usually appointed by the Emperor; the hora was further divided into katepanikons (borrowed by Byzantium) which were ruled by Katepans, who were directly subordinated to the Dukes^[4]. Imperial Emblem Bulgarian Empire at its greatest extent c. ...

Economy

The Medieval Bulgarian economy did not differ much from the other Eastern European states and relied mainly on agriculture, mining, traditional crafts and trade. Image File history File links Ival-ivanovo-mural. ... Image File history File links Ival-ivanovo-mural. ... The Rock-hewn Churches of Ivanovo (Bulgarian: , Ivanovski skalni tsarkvi) are a group of monolithic churches, chapels and monasteries hewn out of solid rock and completely different from other monastery complexes in Bulgaria, located near the village of Ivanovo, 20 km south of Rousse, on the high rocky banks of... Eastern Europe is, by convention, a region defined geographically as that part of Europe covering the eastern part of the continent. ...

Agriculture

The main agricultural regions of the country were the Danubian plain and Thrace. The most widespread grains were wheat, barley and millet. From the 13th century the importance of vegetables, orchards and grapes grew.^[5] The main wine-producing areas were the Black Sea coast, along the Struma, southern Macedonia. Livestock breeding was well developed. There were many sheep, pigs and cattle^[6]. The pastures were divided into two groups: winter pastures (valleys) and summer pastures (mountains). In the 14th century apiculture and sericulture became profitable branches.^[7] Thracian Tomb of Kazanlak Thrace (Bulgarian: , Greek: , Attic Greek: ThrÄÃkÄ“ or ThrÄ“ÃkÄ“, Latin: , Turkish: ) is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe. ... Species T. aestivum T. boeoticum T. dicoccoides T. dicoccon T. durum T. monococcum T. spelta T. sphaerococcum T. timopheevii References: ITIS 42236 2002-09-22 Wheat Wheat For the indie rock group, see Wheat (band). ... Binomial name L. Barley (Hordeum vulgare) is an annual cereal grain, which serves as a major animal feed crop, with smaller amounts used for malting and in health food. ... Pearl millet in the field The millets are a group of small-seeded species of cereal crops, widely grown around the world for food and fodder. ... For other uses, see Black Sea (disambiguation). ... The Struma (Bulgarian: Струма, Greek: Strimonis, Turkish: Karasu (meaning black water in Turkish)) is a river in Bulgaria and Greece. ... Species See text. ... For other uses, see Pig (disambiguation). ... For general information about the genus, including other species of cattle, see Bos. ...

The dense forests were also divided into two types: woods for cutting (бранища) and fenced forests (забели) in which cutting was banned. ^[8]

Metallurgy and crafts

The 12th-14th centuries gave a strong impetus to metallurgy and mining. Bulgarian smiths produced hammers, pliers, axes, saws, looms; different arms and armours. In the 13th century Saxon miners, who made ore extracting more efficient and introduced new mining methods, arrived in western Bulgaria. They inhabited mainly the regions of Chiprovtsi and Kyustendil. There used to be gold mines in the Eastern Rhodopes. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 600 pixelsFull resolution (1280 Ã— 960 pixel, file size: 404 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Glozhene Monastery, Bulgaria. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 600 pixelsFull resolution (1280 Ã— 960 pixel, file size: 404 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Glozhene Monastery, Bulgaria. ... Location Time zone CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2) Administration Country NUTS Region DED Capital Dresden Minister-President Georg Milbradt (CDU) Governing parties CDU / SPD Votes in Bundesrat 4 (from 69) Basic statistics Area 18,416 kmÂ² (7,110 sq mi) Population 4,252,000 (11/2006)[1] - Density 231 /km... Chiprovtsi (Ð§Ð¸Ð¿Ñ€Ð¾Ð²Ñ†Ð¸) is a town in Montana Province of northwestern Bulgaria, about 30 km from Montana, on the shores of the river Ogosta at the foot of western Stara Planina. ... 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). ... GOLD refers to one of the following: GOLD (IEEE) is an IEEE program designed to garner more student members at the university level (Graduates of the Last Decade). ... In Greek mythology, Queen Rhodope of Thrace was the wife of Haemus. ...

About 50 different types of handicraft were known in Medieval Bulgaria, the most important being leathermaking, shoemaking, carpentry, weaving; production of food and drinks (bread, butter, cheese, wine). Vast quantity of catapults, battering-rams and other siege equipment were made, and the army had skilled siege engineers.^[9] The main centres were the capital Tarnovo, Cherven^[10], Sofia (copper)^[11]. Cherven may refer to: Cherven (Ð§ÐµÑ€Ð²ÐµÐ½), an important medieval fortress of the Second Bulgarian Empire ÄŒervieÅ„ (Ð§ÑÑ€Ð²ÐµÐ½ÑŒ), a city in Belarus sometimes transliterated as Cherven Category: ...

Culture

In the 13th and 14th centuries Bulgaria became a thriving cultural centre. The flowering of the Turnovo school of art was related to the construction of palaces and churches, to literary activity in the royal court and the monasteries, and to the development of handicrafts. Remarkable achievements of this school have been preserved down to this day: the murals of the Boyars' houses in Trapezitsa and Saint Forty Martyrs Church in Veliko Tarnovo, the Boyana Church (1259) and the Rock-hewn Churches of Ivanovo. Book illuminations also developed, examples include the Manasses Chronicle, the Tetraevangelia of Ivan Alexander and the Tomich Psalter. Many relics of Orthodox martyrs and saints were kept in the numerous churches in the capital Turnovo, which earned the capital the byname "second Constantinople". Frescoes from the Boyana Church: Angel This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Frescoes from the Boyana Church: Angel This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... The St Forty Martyrs Church (Ñ†ÑŠÑ€ÐºÐ²Ð° Ð¡Ð². Ð§ÐµÑ‚Ð¸Ñ€Ð¸Ð´ÐµÑÐµÑ‚ Ð¼ÑŠÑ‡ÐµÐ½Ð¸Ñ†Ð¸, tsarkva Sv. ... Veliko Tarnovo (Bulgarian: Ð’ÐµÐ»Ð¸ÐºÐ¾ Ð¢ÑŠÑ€Ð½Ð¾Ð²Ð¾; also transliterated as Veliko Turnovo) is a city in central northern Bulgaria and the administrative centre of Veliko Tarnovo Province. ... Frescoes from the Boyana Church: Desislava The church of Boyana is a medieval Bulgarian church situated on the outskirts of Sofia. ... The Rock-hewn Churches of Ivanovo (Bulgarian: , Ivanovski skalni tsarkvi) are a group of monolithic churches, chapels and monasteries hewn out of solid rock and completely different from other monastery complexes in Bulgaria, located near the village of Ivanovo, 20 km south of Rousse, on the high rocky banks of... 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: Ð§ÐµÑ‚Ð²ÐµÑ€Ð¾ÐµÐ²Ð°Ð½Ð³ÐµÐ»Ð¸Ðµ Ð½Ð° (Ñ†Ð°Ñ€) Ð˜Ð²Ð°Ð½ ÐÐ»ÐµÐºÑÐ°Ð½Ð´ÑŠÑ€, 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... Separate articles treat Eastern Orthodox Christianity and Orthodox Judaism. ...

Most of the architectural monuments from that period include churches, monasteries and fortresses. The Bulgarians usually built small churches with short doors to show humbleness and homage to God. They were often richly decorated with blind niches, various geometrical patterns from bricks, stone cubes, ceramics; while from the inside they were painted with marvellous frescoes which from the 13th century began to draw away from the canon and became realistic.

In the 14th century many new monasteries were built under the patronage of Ivan Alexander on the northern slopes of Stara Planina, especially in a area near the capital Tarnovo which became known as "Sveta Gora" (Holy Forest) - a name also used to refer to Mount Athos. The numerous monasteries across the Empire were the very centre of the cultural, educational and spiritual life of the Bulgarian society. Ather the mid 14th centuries, many monasteries began to build fortifications under the thread of Turk invasions, such as the famous Tower of Hrelyu in the Rila monastery. ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 1418 KB) Eglise du Christ Pantocrator - Nessebar septembre 2004 Auteur : GÃ©rard Janot - Licence GFDL File links The following pages link to this file: Nesebar ... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 1418 KB) Eglise du Christ Pantocrator - Nessebar septembre 2004 Auteur : GÃ©rard Janot - Licence GFDL File links The following pages link to this file: Nesebar ... Nessebar (Несебър), previously known as Mesembria and before that as Menebria, is an ancient city on the Black Sea coast of Bulgaria, located in Obshtina Nessebar, Burgas Oblast. ... Stara Planina, Rhodope, Rila and Pirin Mountains The Stara Planina (Old Mountain) or Balkan mountain range is an extension of the Carpathian mountain range, separated from it by the Danube River. ... Capital Karyes Official languages Koine Greek, Church Slavonic, Modern Greek, Russian, Serbian, Georgian, Bulgarian, Romanian (both liturgical and civil use), Modern Greek (civil use) Government - Head of State2 Dora Bakoyannis - Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I Area - Total 390 kmÂ² 150 sq mi Population - estimate 2,250 Demonyms: Athonite, Hagiorite (English); Î‘Î¸Ï‰Î½Î¯Ï„Î·Ï‚, Î‘Î³Î¹Î¿ÏÎ¯Ï„Î·Ï‚ (Greek). ... Rila Monastery with the medieval tower The Rila Monastery (Bulgarian: Ð Ð¸Ð»ÑÐºÐ¸ Ð¼Ð°Ð½Ð°ÑÑ‚Ð¸Ñ€, Rilski manastir) is the largest and most famous Eastern Orthodox monastery in Bulgaria. ...

There used to be a perfectly organised defensive network of fortresses which consisted of several lines along the Danube, the Balkan mountains, the Rhodope, the coast. The main fortress was Turnovo. Other major castles included Vidin, Silistra, Cherven, Lovech, Sofia, Plovdiv, Lyutitsa, Ustra and many others. This article is about the Danube River. ... Stara Planina, Rhodope, Rila and Pirin Mountains View from Ray Resthouse towards the Central Balkan Mountains. ... In Greek mythology, Queen Rhodope of Thrace was the wife of Haemus. ... Vidin (Bulgarian: Ð’Ð¸Ð´Ð¸Ð½; Romanian: Vidin, Diiu) is a town on the southern bank of the Danube in northwestern Bulgaria. ... Silistra (Bulgarian: , historically Bulgarian Ð”Ñ€ÑŠÑÑ‚ÑŠÑ€ (Drastar, ) and Romanian DÃ¢rstor) is a port city of northeastern Bulgaria, lying on the southern side of the lower Danube at the countrys border with Romania. ... Cherven may refer to: Cherven (Ð§ÐµÑ€Ð²ÐµÐ½), an important medieval fortress of the Second Bulgarian Empire ÄŒervieÅ„ (Ð§ÑÑ€Ð²ÐµÐ½ÑŒ), a city in Belarus sometimes transliterated as Cherven Category: ... View over Lovech The Covered Bridge Lovech (Bulgarian: Ð›Ð¾Ð²ÐµÑ‡) is a town in north-central Bulgaria with a population of about 50,000. ... This article is about the capital of Bulgaria. ... Plovdiv (Bulgarian: ) is the second-largest city in Bulgaria after Sofia, 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 Upper (or Northern) Thrace, famous for its... Lyutitsa (Bulgarian: ) is one of the largest and best preserved castles in the easternmost part of the Eastern Rhodopes, located several kilometres from Ivaylovgrad, in southernmost Bulgaria. ...

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