Omurtag (town)
Encyclopedia
Omurtag is a town at the eastern foot of Stara Planina in northeastern Bulgaria
, part of Targovishte Province
, situated at 525 m above sea level. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous Omurtag Municipality
. As of February 2011, the town has a population of 7,369 inhabitants.
A notable native is Aleksandar Aleksandrov
, one of the two Bulgarian cosmonauts
.
. Part of Justinian I
's defensive system in the 6th century, the region gained importance as part of the First Bulgarian Empire
due to the proximity to the capitals Pliska
and Preslav
and the passes of Stara Planina.
The first written evidence of the modern town date from the 17th century, when it was mentioned as the kaza centre Osman Pazarı in Ottoman
tax registers. The settlement was a centre of craftsmanship and trade. Osman Pazarı was liberated from Ottoman rule on 27 January 1878 by Russia
n troops under Johann Casimir Ehrnrooth during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78. Most of the Turkish inhabitants of the town left to be replaced by Bulgarians from around Tran
and Kyustendil
. Omurtag acquired its present name in 1934, named after Bulgarian khan
Omurtag.
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
, part of Targovishte Province
Targovishte Province
Targovishte Province is a province in northeastern Bulgaria, named after its main city - Targovishte. As of December 2009, it has a population of 129,675 inhabitants.-Municipalities:...
, situated at 525 m above sea level. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous Omurtag Municipality
Omurtag Municipality
Omurtag Municipality is a municipality in Targovishte Province, Northeastern Bulgaria, located in the so called Fore-Balkan area north of the Stara planina mountain. It is named after its administrative centre - the town of Omurtag....
. As of February 2011, the town has a population of 7,369 inhabitants.
A notable native is Aleksandar Aleksandrov
Aleksandr Panayotov Aleksandrov
Aleksandr Panayotov Aleksandrov is a retired Bulgarian cosmonaut. He is the second Bulgarian to have flown to space behind Georgi Ivanov.-Biography:...
, one of the two Bulgarian cosmonauts
Timeline of astronauts by nationality
Since the first human spaceflight by the Soviet Union, citizens of 38 countries have flown in space. For each nationality, the launch date of the first mission is listed. The list is based on the nationality of the person at the time of the spaceflight. Only 3 of the 38 "first flyers" have been women...
.
History
The area around the modern town has been inhabited since the NeolithicNeolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
. Part of Justinian I
Justinian I
Justinian I ; , ; 483– 13 or 14 November 565), commonly known as Justinian the Great, was Byzantine Emperor from 527 to 565. During his reign, Justinian sought to revive the Empire's greatness and reconquer the lost western half of the classical Roman Empire.One of the most important figures of...
's defensive system in the 6th century, the region gained importance as part of the First Bulgarian Empire
First Bulgarian Empire
The First Bulgarian Empire was a medieval Bulgarian state founded in the north-eastern Balkans in c. 680 by the Bulgars, uniting with seven South Slavic tribes...
due to the proximity to the capitals Pliska
Pliska
Pliska is the name of both the first capital of Danubian Bulgaria and a small town which was renamed after the historical Pliska after its site was determined and excavations began....
and Preslav
Preslav
Preslav was the capital of the First Bulgarian Empire from 893 to 972 and one of the most important cities of medieval Southeastern Europe. The ruins of the city are situated in modern northeastern Bulgaria, some 20 kilometres southwest of the regional capital of Shumen, and are currently a...
and the passes of Stara Planina.
The first written evidence of the modern town date from the 17th century, when it was mentioned as the kaza centre Osman Pazarı in Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
tax registers. The settlement was a centre of craftsmanship and trade. Osman Pazarı was liberated from Ottoman rule on 27 January 1878 by Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n troops under Johann Casimir Ehrnrooth during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78. Most of the Turkish inhabitants of the town left to be replaced by Bulgarians from around Tran
Tran, Bulgaria
Tran |thorn]]") is a small town in Pernik Province, western Bulgaria. It is 27 kilometres away from the town of Breznik and 15 km from the border with Serbia....
and Kyustendil
Kyustendil
Kyustendil is a town in the far west of Bulgaria, the capital of Kyustendil Province, with a population of 44 416 . Kyustendil is situated in the southern part of the Kyustendil Valley, 90 km southwest of Sofia...
. Omurtag acquired its present name in 1934, named after Bulgarian khan
Khan (title)
Khan is an originally Altaic and subsequently Central Asian title for a sovereign or military ruler, widely used by medieval nomadic Turko-Mongol tribes living to the north of China. 'Khan' is also seen as a title in the Xianbei confederation for their chief between 283 and 289...
Omurtag.