|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
 |
| |
|
|
|
ABOUT
Pazardjik
AREA |
|
The town of Pazardzhik (79 476 inhabitants, 205 metres above sea level) is
located in the fertile Gornotrakiiska (Upper Thracian) Lowland, along the two
banks of the Maritsa River.
It is situated at the distance of 114 km (along the new Thracia Motorway fewer
km in number) south-east of Sofia, at the distance of 36 km west of Plovdiv,
20 km north of Peshtera and 43 km south of Panagyurishte. It is located within
a rich agricultural region. A regional administrative centre.
It was founded 5 centuries ago as a market settlement, which gradually turned
into an important economic and administrative centre. The road Istanbul -
Sofia - Western Europe on which the town was a road station contributed to it
as well as the fact that it turned into a port - warehouse on the Maritsa
River for cereals, rice, wine, timber from the Rhodopes and iron from Samokov,
which were transported by rafts for Istanbul (through Enos).
A lot of Bulgarians settled down in Pazardzhik who changed its ethnic
appearance, too. A lot of European and Turkish travellers spoke
enthusiastically about it. The town flourished during the 19th century and
competed with Plovdiv and Sofia. In 1865 the town had 33 mahali (quarters),
3420 houses, 1200 shops and approximately 25 000 inhabitants. The Holy Virgin
Church was built in 1837, a unique monument of Bulgarian architecture,
wood-carving and icon-painting. Other churches were also built for the
individual Bulgarian quarters. There were 5 boys’ schools with 400 students
and 2 girls’ schools with 100 students in them in the middle of the 19th
century. The famous clock tower preserved up to date was erected as early as
in the 18th century, too. Chitalishte (reading room or community centre)
Videlina was founded in 1862. A lot of people’s enlighteners related their
names with Pazardzhik - Bishop Dionisii Agatonikiiski who founded the first
Bulgarian school in 1823 with his own funds, N. Popkonstantinov, Yu. Nenov,
Hadzhi Tatyana - the first woman teacher in the town. The foundations of
theatrical activities and of Prosveta Women’s Society (Enlightenment) were
laid in 1870. Levski founded the first revolutionary committee here chaired by
G. Konsulov, but the detentions before trial on the part of the Turks
frustrated the outburst of the Uprising. On 2 January 1878 the Army of General
Gourko liberated Pazardzhik. |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
