Karlovo
Encyclopedia
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...
located in a fertile valley along the river Stryama
Stryama
The Stryama is a river in southern Bulgaria, an important left tributary of the Maritsa. The river is 110.1 km long and has a drainage basin of 2,853 km²....
at the southern foot of the Balkan Mountains
Balkan Mountains
The Balkan mountain range is a mountain range in the eastern part of the Balkan Peninsula. The Balkan range runs 560 km from the Vrashka Chuka Peak on the border between Bulgaria and eastern Serbia eastward through central Bulgaria to Cape Emine on the Black Sea...
. It is administratively part of Plovdiv Province
Plovdiv Province
Plovdiv Province is a province in central southern Bulgaria. It comprises 18 municipalities on a territory of 5,972.9 km² with a total population, as of December 2009, of 701,684 inhabitants...
and has a population of about 28,321 , the mayor being Nayden Naydenov..
Karlovo is famous for the worldwide-known rose oil
Rose oil
Rose oil, meaning either rose otto or rose absolute, is the essential oil extracted from the petals of various types of rose...
, which is grown there and used in producing perfume. In addition to this, Karlovo is the birthplace of Vasil Levski
Vasil Levski
Vasil Levski, born Vasil Ivanov Kunchev, , is a Bulgarian revolutionary and a national hero of Bulgaria. Dubbed the Apostle of Freedom, Levski ideologised and strategised a revolutionary movement to liberate Bulgaria from Ottoman rule...
, the most distinguished Bulgarian to start preparing the national liberation from the 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...
rule in the late 19th century. There is a museum and large monument dedicated to him. Karlovo is also a popular location for tourism in the region.
During the 2000s, Bulgarian archaeologists made discoveries in Central Bulgaria which were summarized as "The Valley of the Thracian
Thracians
The ancient Thracians were a group of Indo-European tribes inhabiting areas including Thrace in Southeastern Europe. They spoke the Thracian language – a scarcely attested branch of the Indo-European language family...
Kings". On 19 August 2005, some archaeologists announced they had found the first Thracian capital, which was situated near Karlovo in Bulgaria. A lot of polished ceramic artifacts (pieces of roof-tiles and Greek-like vases) were discovered revealing the fortune of the city. The Bulgarian Ministry of Culture declared its support to the excavations.
History
Karlovo is a successor of the medieval fortress of Kopsis, a feudal possession of Smilets of BulgariaSmilets of Bulgaria
Smilets reigned as emperor of Bulgaria from 1292 to 1298. The date of his birth is unknown.Although Smilec is credited with being descended "from the noblest family of the Bulgarians", his antecedents are completely unknown...
in the 13th-14th century and the likely capital of his brother despotēs
Despotes
Despot , was a senior Byzantine court title that was bestowed on the sons or sons-in-law of reigning emperors, and initially denoted the heir-apparent...
Voysil's short-lived realm. The modern town originated in 1483 at the place of the village of Sushitsa (still today Sushitsa is one of Karlovo's districts), but grew in importance in the 19th century as a centre of Bulgarian culture and revolutionary activity.From 1953 until 1962, the city was called Levskigrad
Geography
Karlovo lies at 42°38′N 24°48′E, 386 m above sea level. It is located in the Valley of RosesRose Valley, Bulgaria
The Rose Valley is a region in Bulgaria located just south of the Balkan Mountains and the eastern part of the lower Sredna Gora chain to the south...
, famous for the big-scale production of roses. When arriving in the city, one is immediately struck by the austere beauty of the Stara Planina mountain, which virtually hangs above the city. The highest peak of this famous mountain range — Botev
Botev
-Places:* Botevgrad* Botev Peak, the highest peak of the Balkan mountains* Botev Point-Sports:* FC Botev Vratsa, Bulgarian soccer club* PFC Botev Plovdiv, a soccer club from Plovdiv* Botev Krivodol, Bulgarian soccer club...
, 2376m — is actually pretty close to Karlovo.
The city is located 140 km east from the Bulgarian capital — Sofia
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
, and 60 km north from Plovdiv
Plovdiv
Plovdiv is the second-largest city in Bulgaria after Sofia with a population of 338,153 inhabitants according to Census 2011. Plovdiv's history spans some 6,000 years, with traces of a Neolithic settlement dating to roughly 4000 BC; it is one of the oldest cities in Europe...
, the second biggest Bulgarian city and the capital of the Plovdiv Province
Plovdiv Province
Plovdiv Province is a province in central southern Bulgaria. It comprises 18 municipalities on a territory of 5,972.9 km² with a total population, as of December 2009, of 701,684 inhabitants...
Climate
The climate of the region is temperate continental, with mild and warm summers, refreshed by the wind coming down the Balkan Mountain, and snowy winters. The average January temperature is 0.1 °C (with an absolute minimum of -25.8 °C). The average July temperature is 22.9 °C (with an absolute maximum of 39.6 °C).Average total annual rainfall is 694 mm (27 in), being highest in the summer 221 mm (9 in), and lowest in the winter 169 mm (7 in).
Infrastructure and transport
Karlovo is located on the main road E 78, one of the two roads which connect the capital SofiaSofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
to the southern part of the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
.
The city is an important point on the railway between Sofia and the commercially important Black Sea port of Burgas. There are frequent trains to the second biggest railway station in the country — Plovdiv.
The total road length on the territory of Karlovo municipality is 301,4 km. Karlovo is only 50 km away from the most important road in Bulgaria - Trakiya motorway
Trakiya motorway
The Trakia motorway or Thrace motorway, designated A1, is a motorway currently in construction in Bulgaria. It is planned to connect the capital of Sofia with Burgas on the Black Sea through Plovdiv and with Kalotina on the Serbian border. The motorway is named after the historical region of...
, which is actually the main road between Sofia and Istanbul. The international road to Bucharest is also just 50 km away.
Municipality
Karlovo is the seat of Karlovo municipality (part of Plovdiv Province). The population of the Karlovo municipality is approximately 73,000 people. It includes the following 27 towns and villages (towns in bold):
|
Prolom Prolom or Prolom Banja is a spa in the municipality of Kuršumlija in southern Serbia. Prolom lies below the slopes of the wooded mountains of Radan and Sokolovica, at the altitude between 550 and 670 meters. It has several springs, of temperatures between 26 and 31,5 °C... Slatina, Plovdiv Province Slatina is a village located in the Plovdiv Province, South Central Bulgaria and is part of the Karlovo Municipality.The village is situated on the northern foothills of the Sredna Gora facing the Karlovo valley and the Balkan mountains. The river Stryama flows in the vicinity of Slatina... Voynyagovo Voynyagovo is a village in central southern Bulgaria, part of Karlovo municipality, Plovdiv Province. As of 2008, it has a population of 1,260; it lies in Sredna Gora mountains, above sea level.... |
Notable natives
- Botyo Petkov (1815–1869), teacher and father of Hristo BotevHristo BotevHristo Botev , born Hristo Botyov Petkov , was a Bulgarian poet and national revolutionary. Botev is widely considered by Bulgarians to be a symbolic historical figure and national hero.-Early years:...
- Evlogi GeorgievEvlogi GeorgievEvlogi Georgiev was a major Bulgarian merchant, banker and benefactor. The main building of the Sofia University was built with a large financial donation by him and his brother Hristo Georgiev.-Biography:...
(1819–1897), merchant, banker and entrepreneur - Ivan BogorovIvan BogorovIvan Bogorov was a noted Bulgarian encyclopedist from the time of the National Revival. Educated in medicine, he also worked in the spheres of industry, economy, transport, geography, journalism and linguistics....
(c. 1820–1892), encyclopedist - Vasil LevskiVasil LevskiVasil Levski, born Vasil Ivanov Kunchev, , is a Bulgarian revolutionary and a national hero of Bulgaria. Dubbed the Apostle of Freedom, Levski ideologised and strategised a revolutionary movement to liberate Bulgaria from Ottoman rule...
(1837–1873), revolutionary and national hero of Bulgaria - Hristo ProdanovHristo ProdanovHristo Prodanov was a Bulgarian mountaineer. He was the first Bulgarian to climb Mount Everest but died on the descent....
(1943–1984), first Bulgarian to climb Mount EverestMount EverestMount Everest is the world's highest mountain, with a peak at above sea level. It is located in the Mahalangur section of the Himalayas. The international boundary runs across the precise summit point...
Notable events
- The Day of the Rose in the first days of June
- Anniversary of Vasil Levski's death
Honour
Karlovo PeakKarlovo Peak
Karlovo Peak is a 300 m peak in Delchev Ridge, Tangra Mountains on eastern Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica...
on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands
South Shetland Islands
The South Shetland Islands are a group of Antarctic islands, lying about north of the Antarctic Peninsula, with a total area of . By the Antarctic Treaty of 1959, the Islands' sovereignty is neither recognized nor disputed by the signatories and they are free for use by any signatory for...
, Antarctica is named after Karlovo.
Town twinning
BryanskBryansk
Bryansk is a city and the administrative center of Bryansk Oblast, Russia, located southwest of Moscow. Population: -History:The first written mention of Bryansk was in 1146, in the Hypatian Codex, as Debryansk...
, Bryansk Oblast
Bryansk Oblast
Bryansk Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . Its administrative center is the city of Bryansk. Population: 1,278,087 .-History:...
, Russia