Veliko Turnovo - the Capital of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom

The old Bulgarian capital of Veliko Turnovo, residen-
ce of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom (1187-1393),
the city in which 22 tsars in succession bore the
scepter of authority, was situated on three hills:
Tzarevetz, Trapezitza and Sveta Gora. Tzarevetz is a natural inac-
cessible fortress where the royal palace, patriarchal church and a

The Baldwin Tower
multitude of smaller cross-domed churches
once stood. The outer walls of the fortress
have been restored and all archaeological
finds inside are displayed intact and exhibi-
ted as they were discovered. Central among
them are the ruins of the royal palace with
the Baldwin Tower and the patriarch's
church. Many churches have been pre-
served as monuments of early medieval
architecture and painting.
 Monasteries
Treasures
Thracian tombs
World's oldest gold
The Madara horseman
Old Bulgarian Capitals
     Pliska
     Veliki Preslav
     Ohrid
  l Veliko Turnovo
Museum towns
Old fortresses
Tzarevetz hill Trapezitza hill rises on the opposite bank of the
Yantra River. Here were the boyars' homes and
some public buildings, churches above all. Seven-
teen of these have been unearthed. At the foot of
the two hills, outside the fortress walls, several
mediaeval churches from the Second Bulgarian
Kingdom have been preserved: St. Dimiter of Sa-
lonika, Holy Forty Martyrs, Sts. Peter and Paul.

Tzarevetz Hill
Between the 12th and the 14th century Sveta
Gora Hill was the centre of Bulgaria's religious
and cultural life. It is the Turnovo literary and
painting school that has given the world the
Manasses' Chronicle and King Ivan Alexan-
der's Four Gospels. It exerted a significant and
lasting influence throughout South-East Europe.

The fortress wall

 The fortress walls
Related topics:
Veliko Turnovo - a museum town
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