Stara Zagora has a very rich history. It can be traced by the frequency the city was renamed whenever a new period occurred or a new leader ruled.
The city of Stara Zagora or the “city of linden (lime) trees” is believed to be one of the oldest places in present-day Bulgaria, with no less than eight thousand years of existence. The Thracians founded this city between the sixth and the fifth centuries BCE, calling it the city of Beroe, which literally means “iron”. It was so named because the city has been a mining area since ancient times.Keep reading
The town was given a new name during the Roman Empire to honor Emperor Marcus Ulpius Traianus and was called Ulpia Augusta Traiana, “the most flamboyant city of the Traians”.
During the Byzantium period, it was renamed Irinopolis for a short period of time when the Byzantine Empress Irina visited the town.
The city was a member of the First Bulgarian State in 812 AD using the name Vereya. Meanwhile, it was called Boruy during the Second Bulgarian State. The symbol of Stara Zagora, a lioness with a cub, came from this period when a number of the most amazing medieval stone plastic arts were discovered.
The Turks captured the medieval city in 1364 and renamed it “the Old fortress Zagora” or Eski (Hissar) Zagra. It was transformed into an important center of trade and crafts when the Bulgarian Revival came. The Bulgarian name Zheleznik replaced the Turkish name when the 1850s ended.
The city’s current name, Stara Zagora came out for the first time in 1875 on papers from the Church Council of Tsarigrad. In 1878, following the Liberation of Bulgaria before the Unification of Bulgaria, it became a member of the Autonomous Eastern Rumelia.
Stara Zagora (Стара Загора in Bulgarian Alphabet) is in the central area of Southern Bulgaria with a size of 1,019.37 square kilometers. It is in the crossing area of European Pan European Transport Corridors 4, 8, and 9. It is one of the largest cities in the country.
Its total population is about 178,000 and an estimate of 155,000 of the people reside in Stara Zagora city. The first people to inhabit Stara Zagora were farmers. They were in the area at around the conclusion of the seventh millennium BC.
Stara Zagora city is the focal point for the major Bulgarian railroads and is only 220 kilometers from Bulgaria’s capital, Sofia. In 2006, the airport development program was declared. The runway provides right of entry to civil tourism and commercial aircraft. Currently, the airport has a capacity of approximately 60 aircrafts.
The plain is 150-180 meters above sea level, and the Moruley peak, the highest point, is 895 meters above the sea. It has one town with fifty villages. It stretches from the base of the Sarnena Sredna Gora Mountain to the greater Thracian Lowland. The city’s climate is temperate continental with an average annual temperature of +13°C. Rain falls usually in summer and spring.
There are three short and shallow rivers crossing the town namely, the Sazliyka, the Bedechka, and the Banska Reka. The plants on Sarnena Sredna Gora Mountain are composed mainly of hornbeam, oak, beech, and a number of coniferous trees.
Over twenty wild animals inhabit this area. There are red deers, wild boars, hares, jackals, wild cats, foxes, and wolves. Some imperial eagles can be seen hovering over Stara Zagora since their nests are near the city.
Stara Zagora is one of the economic centers of Bulgaria because fertile lands abound in the area. Industries consist of metals, chemicals, electronics, manufacturing, power generation, food processing, textiles, and wine brewing.
The city of lime trees is also known for being the city of straight streets, poets, and painters. It is also the native land of the writers Georgi Bakalov, Dimitar Podvarzachov, Kiril Hristov, Veselin Hanchev, Nikolai Liliev, the famed opera singer Hristina Morfova, the painters Vasil Kostakiev, Anton and Georgi Mitovi, Mario Zekov, Dimitar Gudjenov, and Atanas Mihov.
In the city, there are museums, galleries, parks, orthodox churches, and an astronomical observatory. The museums and galleries like the Regional Historical Museum and the Art Gallery feature historical art, places, and artifacts that highlight the richness of its culture. In its history, the city had been restored to life several times, has continued to exist, has survived many changes, and still strives to flourish. It has always been a center for economic, cultural, and political development.
Parks like the Ayazmoto Park (Metropolitan Metodi Kussev Park) and the Stara Zagora Zoo feature various flora and fauna right in the heart of the city. Majority of the people embrace the Eastern Orthodox bishopric religion, hence, the five main Orthodox churches: the Holy Trinity Church, The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church, St. Martyr Dimitar Church, St. Nikolay the Thaumaturge Church, and St. Theodore Tyron Chapel. Lastly, the Yuri Gagarin Astronomical Observatory, one of the firsts in the country, offers educational lectures, introduction to sky maps, observation of the sky, and multimedia presentations.
Stara Zagora has venues for various kinds of entertainment. It has cinema opera theatres like the Geo Milev Drama Theatre, where the first play in Stara Zagora, “Malakova”, was staged in 1870. The city also boasts of the State Puppet Theatre, the Septemvri Open-Air Cinema, and the Arena Cinema.
There are also several restaurants and cafes located in the city. Young people can visit the popular discos and bars, entertain themselves in the bowling halls, play bingo games, or go to the casinos. Its wide range of cuisine offers the traditional Bulgarian “mehana” and gourmet cuisine. Chefs take advantage of the abundance of local fruits and vegetables in preparing their dishes. Their locally produced wines can complement any meal.
As one of Bulgaria’s most modern contemporary towns, Stara Zagora is an important industrial, educational , and cultural center with well-established private and secondary schools, specialised language schools, technical schools, and cultural and research institutes. In this city, the Thracian University and the internationally distinguished Trakia University can be found.
While Stara Zagora is one of the freshest and most modern cities in Bulgaria with big prospects for tourism, sports, spa treatments, and other modern amenities, you can also experience a taste of history by visiting the Roman Baths, The Antique Forum, the Roman Amphitheater, and the Thracian Tomb, to name a few.