Veliko Tarnovo

Shumen’s Team visited Veliko Tarnovo, City of the Tsars. Here the Yantra River surrounds a sheer tree-lined gorge atop of which sits the ancient capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire (1185 – 1396). 

After several invasions from different nations (Thracians, Romans, Byzantines, Slavs…) in 1393, the in those days named Tarnovgrad fell again, this time to the Turks, and the fortress was destroyed. The town remain fairly stagnant until Bulgarian culture and nationalism gradually reasserted itself during the mid- 19^th century. In 1877 the Russian General Gruko liberated Tarnovgrad from the Turks. Because of its importance during the II Bulgarian Empire, Veliko Tarnovo (as it was renamed) was chosen as the place to write the Bulgarian Constitution in 1879, and to officially proclaim the independent State of Bulgaria in 1908. The town is proud of its history, and educational, religious and linguistic heritage.

In the video you can see a faithful representation of how General Gruko reconquered Tarnovgrad from the ottomans (there was a little mistake with the name, so when you hear ‘Simeon the Good Great[1]’, imagine it’s Gruko). ;)

And here there is an example of an ecofriendly construction reusing materials, in this case an old tombstone. With this technique we obtain a solid result, as well as appealing to the eye! 

[1] Simeon I the Great moved to move the capital of the state from Pliska to Veliki Preslav