Legend of Princess Mara

A great danger threatened the kingdom of Tarnovo because of the Turkish invasion from south. Ivan Shishman, the tsar of the Bulgarians was faced with a difficult dilemma. Time was what he needed to draw away the enemy’s forces. However, sultan Murad had heard about Ivan Shishman’s beautiful sister and wanted to take her to wife. The tsar felt heavy at heart but knew that he had to sacr...

Legend of the Forty Holy Martyrs' Church

Once upon a time, there was a beautiful church at the foot of Tsarevets Hill. It was build by the command of Ivan Assen II, after the victorious battle near Klokotnitsa. The church was named after the holy forty martyrs. In that way, the tsar wanted to thank God, to cover himself and his country with glory. In the church, there were beautiful mural paintings and expensive icons with silver and gol...

Legend of the renewed Bulgarian kingdom, St. Demetrius' Church

Once upon a time at the foot of the Balkan Mountains in the central fields of Moesia, there lived two bold and brave boyars, the brothers Peter and Assen. Peter was a wise and peace-loving man and he often turned to God in his prayers. He built a beautiful church on the rightbank of the Yantra River. Assen, the younger brother, was strong-minded and energetic, he gathered young men and taught them...

The first settlers from the land of Arbanassi

It all happened when a great king, a gifted commander and a wise man ruled from Tarnovo. His name was Ivan Asen II. His deeds made him famous all over the Balkans; he was honoured and respected both in Rome and Constantinople. The Latin lords sought his friendship - they begged him to take Baudouin, their infant emperor under his patronage and to become related to the royal family through marriage...

Arbanasi after the Tarnovo's kingdom fell to the Turks

The time of glory for the kingdom was over when, coming from south, the Turks overrode the Bulgarian land, leaving blood, anguish and disgrace behind. The Turkish troops laid siege to the capital of Tarnovo but the fortress stood impregnable and its defenders were prepared to fight for it to the last man. However, a non-Bulgarian turned traitor and opened the fortress gates. The sultan picked out ...

Roman gold in the surroundings of Arbanassi

 Romans had lived in this lovely land before the Bulgarians and on the site of today’s Arbanassi there was a settlement inhabited by Roman soldiers. They guarded the ancient road that passed through Kamenets and went down to Tarnovo, thus linking the lands on both sides of the Balkan Mountains. The soldiers guarded something else, too – somewhere in the mountains there was the Rom...

Arbanassi privileges

Life was good in these parts, but the thick forests of the Arbanassi hills hid many dangers. Highwaymen intercepted the merchant caravans, did injury, robbed and killed. They did harm to Bulgarians and Turks alike, so the sultan ordered that the brave men of Arbanassi serve him as guards – they were commissioned to protect trading routed with arms so that people and merchandise could travel ...

Legend of the Shishman's tree

Before leaving the fortress and going into a battle against the Turks, the tsar walked round the lands he reigned over for the last time. He was eaten up with the thought of the inevitable end and the great ordeals ahead of the Bulgarian people. He grieved for the perishing kingdom. With his head bent, Ivan Shishman stopped in front of the secret passage where his faithful people waited for him....

Tranovgrad (Tarnovgrad)

Once upon a time wide woods spread in lowlands and high mountains among the old Danube and Aegea. That time the richness wasn’t manifesting through high and beauty houses, neither by cornfield….The richness were manifested by numerous herds of oxen, horses, sheep, goats, swine, etc. Then was living one very healthy tsar with his big family. He was very healthy because the owned count...

The Legend of Sunken Bell

         Once upon a time, there was a beautiful high bell tower, situated on the highest place of Tsarevets Hill. The royal town as well as the whole region resounded with the ringing of a heavy copper bell. A renowned bell founder during the rule of Ivan Assen II made it. The tsar himself had ordered it and its voice was sweet. The bell was ringing early i...

Legend Of Tsar Ivan Shishman's Last Battle And His Death

The Bulgarian tsar raised numerous troops and set off for his last battle with the Turks. The big battle took place not far from the town of Samokov. The Turks suffered heavy losses but there were more killed among the Shishman’s warriors than the Turks. On the battlefield, there were so many bones that people called it Kostenets (,,kost” in Bulgarian means ,, bone”) and the rive...

Legend of Tsar Boris The Ruler Who Christianised Bulgaria And Enlarged It Greatly

Khan Boris {or Bars} ascended the throne in 852, he was Presiyan’s son. Boris I was not an outstanding military commander. He often suffered defeat but the state’s borders remained unchanged. Boris I was a skillful diplomat. But his greatest act of diplomacy was a domestic one. Boris was surrounded by Christians, Christians everywhere! To the west of him, the Pope, to the east - the By...

Christmas Eve and Christmas

Christmas is one of the greatest Christian feasts. With Christmas comes the Saver who promised to restore the broken relationship between the God and the man because of the fall of Adam and Eve. The Christ – God’s son is brought into the world like a normal child in a normal family. The woman who was selected for His mother Maria and her husband Josef had to return in their native tow...

Legend of Khan Tervel

Tervel is first mentioned in the Byzantine sources in 704, when he was approached by the deposed and exiled Byzantine emperor Justinian II. In 705 with a big army of proto-Bulgarians and Slavs, khan Tervel headed for Constantinople and settled down in front of the so called Harsian door, which leaded to the way to Odrin.  Three days long Justinian II negotiated with the habitants of the capi...

Legend of Khan Asparuh

Asparuh is the third son of khan Kubrat. The name of Asparuh is mentioned for the first time in occasion of the events around the death of khan Kubrat (around 660) and the disintegration of ,, Old Great Bulgaria’. The Byzantine historian wrote the words of advice which the old khan directed toward his sons: ,,They don’t have to separate each other under any circumstances and live toget...

Legend Of The Last Bulgarian Patriarch

The second Bulgarian kingdom was destroyed, the fortified walls were leveled down, the churches profaned, and the relics scattered away. The royal palaces were in ruins. People were grief-stricken. Wails were heard everywhere. Those were alive envied the dead. The one and only support for the people in those difficult days was the patriarch. Euthymius calmed the people, encouraged and blessed the...

Cross from two centuries ago protects the residents from the town of Pavlikeni against evil

Hadji Petko Barenski has brought it from Jerusalem in 1805 Two hundred years ago a Bulgarian from the village of Bara (near Pavlikni) went abroad to visit the Holy Land. His name was Petko Barevski and he was a rich man. He came across many risks and difficulties during his journey to Jerusalem in 1805, but it also turned out a big advanture for him. He reached there, paid his respect to the Ho...

Easter traditions in Bulgaria

The bright red colored egg is the symbol of Easter for the Orthodox Christians all over the world. Nowadays other colors are used as well. The eggs are colored on Holy Thursday after the Divine Liturgy. The Easter breads are a worldwide Orthodox tradition as well. They are big and small and decorated. The bread is called "kolache" or "kozunak". One of these Easter breads is spe...