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The history of Bulgaria mainly covers five periods: Prehistoric, Antiquity, Middle Ages, Ottoman rule and Modern history. The First Bulgarian State covered the period from 681 to 1018. The Second Bulgarian Kingdom was from 1185 to 1396, and the Third Bulgarian State began in 1878 with the liberation from Ottoman slavery after the end of the Russo-Turkish War of Liberation. Besides being one of the oldest European countries and the only one that hasn't changed its name:
- Bulgaria has never lost a flag in battle.
- The oldest gold treasure was found in the country.
- The ancient Bulgarian calendar was declared the most accurate in the world by UNESCO in 1976.
Be with us to learn more interesting facts and places related to the history of Bulgaria!
# 1 Park-Museum "Shipka"
Located on top of St. Nikola (1,326 m.a.s.l.) in Stara Planina, whatever can be said about the Shipka Freedom Monument will be little! One of the decisive battles for the liberation of Bulgaria took place here - the so-called Shipchen epic, a series of fierce and heaviest battles of the Bulgarian militia from August 9 to 13, 1877 against the Ottoman rule. Every year on March 3 (Bulgaria's national holiday), thousands of Bulgarians come and pay their respects to those who died for the liberation.
The construction of the monument began in 1922 and ended in 1930. The funds for its construction were collected from donations. It is a large dolomite tower in the shape of a truncated pyramid and about 31 meters high. It houses a museum telling about the history of events.
Interesting: The park-museum is part of the national park-museum "Shipka - Buzludzha" - a unique historical and architectural reserve. Take advantage of the opportunity to visit Buzludzha - the largest monument from the time of communism in Bulgaria, but with a unique and very interesting architecture.
# 2 The monument of Buzludzha
The monument is the largest monument related to the past time of communism in our country. It is part of the Shipka - Buzludzha National Park-Museum. It was erected in 1981 on Mount Hadji Dimitar (previous name of the peak is Buzludzha). It was there in 1868 that the squad of Hadji Dimitar (one of the most famous Bulgarian voivodes) fought with the Turkish troops. Both he and his companions died in the unequal battle. The architecture of the monument is extremely interesting. It is a domed building with a 70-meter double pylon. The unique mosaics in the monument, which are not accessible to visitors today due to restoration work, make a special impression. Over the past few years, the Buzludzha Project Foundation has been actively involved in the conservation and restoration of the monument. For this purpose, in addition to funding through projects, the foundation also organizes an annual festival as a place for culture, art and history. The funds collected from the event are for educational and tourist purposes in relation to the monument.
Interesting: From Buzludzha you can also go to Shipka Park-Museum along the asphalt road connecting the two sites. However, be aware that it is bumpy in places and you need to be careful.