Kazanlak
Encyclopedia
Kazanlak, formerly Kazanlık is a Bulgaria
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...
n town in Stara Zagora Province
Stara Zagora Province
Stara Zagora is a province of south central Bulgaria. It is named after its administrative and industrial centre—the city of Stara Zagora—the sixth-biggest town in the country...
, located in the middle of the plain of the same name, at the foot of the Balkan mountain range
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...
, at the eastern end of the Rose Valley
Rose 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...
. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous Kazanlak Municipality.
The town is among the 15 biggest industrial centres in Bulgaria, with a population of 49,506 people as of December 2009.
It is the center of 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...
extraction in Bulgaria and the oil-producing rose
Rosa damascena
Rosa × damascena, more commonly known as the Damask rose , the Damascus rose, or sometimes as the Rose of Castile, is a rose hybrid, derived from Rosa gallica and Rosa moschata...
of Kazanlak is one of the most widely recognizable national symbols.
History
Common Era
Common Era ,abbreviated as CE, is an alternative designation for the calendar era originally introduced by Dionysius Exiguus in the 6th century, traditionally identified with Anno Domini .Dates before the year 1 CE are indicated by the usage of BCE, short for Before the Common Era Common Era...
). During the 4th-3rd centuries BOT the lands on the upper Tundzha river were within the dominion of the Thracian ruler Seuthes III
Seuthes III
Seuthes III was a king of the Odrysian kingdom of Thrace from ca. 331 BC to ca. 300 BC, at first tributary to Alexander the Great of Macedon....
and took an important place in the historical development of Thrace
Thrace
Thrace is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe. As a geographical concept, Thrace designates a region bounded by the Balkan Mountains on the north, Rhodope Mountains and the Aegean Sea on the south, and by the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara on the east...
during the Hellenistic era. The Thracian city of Seuthopolis
Seuthopolis
Seuthopolis was an ancient hellenistic-type city founded by the Thracian king Seuthes III, and the capital of the Odrysian kingdom. The city was founded sometime from 325 BC to 315 BC...
was uncovered near Kazanlak and thoroughly studied at the time of the construction of the Koprinka Reservoir
Koprinka Reservoir
Koprinka is a reservoir and dam in the Rose Valley, central Bulgaria.Its construction began after 1944 and was finished in 1956. It was built on the Tundzha river at 7 km to the west of the city of Kazanlak near the village of Koprinka. It is situated at 300 m to the south of the main sub-Balkan...
. In the 4th century BOT, near the ancient Thracian capital of Seuthopolis and close to the city, a magnificent Thracian tomb
Thracian Tomb of Kazanlak
The Thracian Tomb of Kazanlak is a vaulted brickwork "beehive" tomb near the town of Kazanlak in central Bulgaria.The tomb is part of a large Thracian necropolis. It comprises a narrow corridor and a round burial chamber, both decorated with murals representing a Thracian couple at a ritual...
was built. Consisting of a vaulted brickwork "beehive" (tholos
Tholos
Τholos is the name given to several Ancient Greek structures and buildings:**The Tholos at Athens was the building which housed the Prytaneion, or seat of government, in ancient Athens...
) tomb, it contains, among other things, painted murals representing a Thracian couple at a ritual funeral feast. The tomb was declared a UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
in 1979.
In the Middle Ages the valley became an administrative center of the Krun region where the Bulgarian boyar
Boyar
A boyar, or bolyar , was a member of the highest rank of the feudal Moscovian, Kievan Rus'ian, Bulgarian, Wallachian, and Moldavian aristocracies, second only to the ruling princes , from the 10th century through the 17th century....
Aldimir
Aldimir
Aldimir or EltimirWhile Aldimir is mentioned in Medieval Greek sources solely as Ἐλτιμηρῆς, Eltimiris, his original name Aldimir has been established thanks to the discovery of his son Ivan Dragushin's epitaph. was a Bulgarian noble of the 13th–14th century...
(Eltimir) ruled. After 1370 Kazanlak was under 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...
dominion.
Shipka Pass
Shipka Pass is a scenic mountain pass through the Balkan Mountains in Bulgaria. It marks the border between Stara Zagora province and Gabrovo province. The pass connects Gabrovo and Kazanlak. The pass is part of the Bulgarka Nature Park.The pass is 13 km by road north of the small town of...
and later developed as a city of craftsmen. More than 50 handcrafts developed such as tanning
Tanning
Tanning is the making of leather from the skins of animals which does not easily decompose. Traditionally, tanning used tannin, an acidic chemical compound from which the tanning process draws its name . Coloring may occur during tanning...
, coppersmith
Coppersmith
A coppersmith, also known as a redsmith, is a person who makes artifacts from copper. The term redsmith comes from the colour of copper....
ing, goldsmith
Goldsmith
A goldsmith is a metalworker who specializes in working with gold and other precious metals. Since ancient times the techniques of a goldsmith have evolved very little in order to produce items of jewelry of quality standards. In modern times actual goldsmiths are rare...
ing, frieze
Frieze (textile)
In the history of textiles, frieze is a Middle English term for a coarse woollen, plain weave cloth with a nap on one side. The nap was raised by scrubbing it to raise curls of fibre, and was not shorn after being raised, leaving an uneven surface. Panni frisi, "Frisian cloths", appear in medieval...
weaving, shoemaking
Shoemaking
Shoemaking is the process of making footwear. Originally, shoes were made one at a time by hand. Traditional handicraft shoemaking has now been largely superseded in volume of shoes produced by industrial mass production of footwear, but not necessarily in quality, attention to detail, or...
, cooperage
Cooper (profession)
Traditionally, a cooper is someone who makes wooden staved vessels of a conical form, of greater length than breadth, bound together with hoops and possessing flat ends or heads...
and, of course, rose cultivation. The oil-producing rose, imported from India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
via Persia, Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
and Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, found all the necessary conditions to thrive — proper temperature, high moisture and light, sandy, cinnamon-forest soils. Kazanlak rose oil has won gold medals at expositions in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Philadelphia, Antwerp, Laet, and Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
. After Bulgarian independence the handcrafts declined due to the loss of the markets in the huge Ottoman Empire. The textile, aerospace and military industries were developed.
Climate
The Bulgarian climate is temperate, with average temperatures from 0 °C (32 °F) to 1.5 °C (34.7 °F) in January, and 21 °C (69.8 °F) in July. The average altitude is 350 m (1,148.3 ft).Spring temperatures rise comparatively early and are usually above 5 °C (41 °F) (in the first half of March) and above 10 °C (50 °F) (in the first half of April) but sometimes there are also some cold spring periods.
The summer temperatures are moderate and the average summer rainfall is rather high, especially at the beginning of summer. During the second half of the summer and the beginning of the autumn, there are continuous drops in rainfall. Until the middle of November, the average autumn temperature is above 5 °C (41 °F), and above 10 °C (50 °F) until the end of October.
The winter is mild, with comparatively low snowfall, short-lasting snow-cover and low minimum temperatures. The highest rainfall is in June, and the lowest in February and March. The general wind direction is from northeast.
Relief
The town of Kazanlak and the surrounding region is situated in the western part of the Kazanlak Valley. There are various soil types, mostly maroon soils (about 50%) which are very suitable for growing oleaginous cultures and herbs.The Kazanlak Valley was formed during the Quaternary Period with the rise of the Balkan and Sredna Gora Mountains and the submergence of the Fore-Balkan fields. The fault character of the Valley is evidenced by the hot mineral springs near the village of Ovoshtnik, Yagoda and the town of Pavel Banya.
Morphologically, the Kazanlak Valley is divided into three areas. The western area is the broadest one and has a lot of hills due to the numerous alluvials, formed by the rivers flowing through the Balkan Mountains. Although the average altitude is 350 m (1,148.3 ft), here it reaches up to 500 m (1,640.4 ft). The central area is narrower and lower, and the relief of the eastern area is much more complex.
Soils and mineral resources
Soil cover is closely related to the relief, climate, flora of the region and the economical activity of the man. The varied Bulgarian natural environment has produced about 20 soil types and subtypes.This region is characterised mainly by cinnamon-forest soil. The spreading of the accumulative river materials along the Tundzha river and the Eninska river has formed alluvial soil types and subtypes. The draining and the deeply intended geological base together with the drought-resistant and thermophilic forest vegetation (oak, field elm, hornbeam) are the reason for the spreading of the forest soils.
The arable lands related to this soil type are inclined and that leads to the degradable effect of the plane, linear and ravine erosion. The alluvial soils are high-productive — they are represented by arable lands of I, II and III category. They cover two thirds of the searched territory and this is an obstruction to the town growth.
The lands are planted mainly with roses and perennial plants. Low-productive and degraded lands are located only north-east of Kazanlak. Part of them are covered with meadows and pastures.This region is not rich in mineral resources of industrial importance but there are several non-metalliferous minerals of local importance. There is a clay deposit for brick manufacturing in Manastirska Niva locality two km west of Kazanlak. A greisen-pit for broken stone, paving stones, and kerbs is located 7 km (4.3 mi) east of the town in Kara Dere locality.
Sand, gravel, and felt are extracted from the pits near the villages of Ovoshtnik and Cherganovo.
There are granite pits near the villages of Kanchevo and Bouzovgrad. The granite is used for kerbs, paving stones, and others.
Water resources
At Koprinka dam it is 9.5 cubic metres (2,089.7 imp gal) per second on average or about 300000000 cubic metres (65,990,774,489.7 imp gal) per year; at the village of Knezha it is 31.14 cubic metres (6,849.8 imp gal) per second or 1200000000 cubic metres (263,963,097,958.9 imp gal) per year. But this water quantity is not equally distributed during the whole year. The maximum is in spring (April and May) due to the intensive snow melting and high rainfalls in spring. The underground waters of the considerable in range and flow rate alluvial cones play an important role in the drain regulation during summer season when the rainfall is minimum. Southwest of the village of Koprinka the river valley is deeply cut in the slope of Sredna Gora mountain and this narrowness was used for the Koprinka dam construction which permits the irrigation of the land round Kazanlak and Stara Zagora. Many tributaries feed the Tundzha river; those rising in the Balkan mountains are numerous and deeper.
The rivers Tazha, Leshnitsa, Eninska and Maglizhka and their deeply cut in the Balkan slopes valleys are of remarkable beauty. The Kran river rises in the village of Kran
Kran, Bulgaria
Kran is a town in central Bulgaria. It is located just south of the Balkan Mountains and is administratively part of Kazanlak Municipality, Stara Zagora Province. Kran was an important castle of the Second Bulgarian Empire in the 13th–14th century...
and collecting several spring flows through the western part of the town and gradually disappears in the terrace materials of the Tundzha river.
The Eninska river rises in the Balkan, collects the waters of many springs, flows through the eastern part of Kazanlak and empties into the Tundzha river south of the town. Both tributaries have deeply cut valleys in their upper courses. In the lower courses the terrain is not so inclined and the river beds are wider. The average annual water quantity of the Eninska river at the village of Enina is 0.75 cubic metres (165 imp gal) per second. The maximum water flow is in April and May, at 1.7 cubic metres (373.9 imp gal) and 1.49 cubic metres (327.8 imp gal) per second, respectively. The minimum is in September at 0.2 cubic metres (7.1 cu ft) per second. These tributaries (especially the Eninska river) are characterised by plenty of alluvial formations.
Many gullies run down the slopes of Tulbeto hill (located in the north-eastern part of the town) when heavy rain falls or snow melts and carry to the Eninska river heavy alluvial formations. Two or three km north of Kazanlak the rivers Eninska and Kranska are connected by a drain carrying off the water directed towards the town. South of the town there is another drain system carrying the disappearing in the alluvial cone waters from the rivers Eninska and Kranska towards the Tundzha river.
Population
During the first decade after the liberation of BulgariaLiberation of Bulgaria
In Bulgarian historiography, the term Liberation of Bulgaria is used to denote the events of the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78 that led to the re-establishment of Bulgarian state with the Treaty of San Stefano of March 3, 1878, after the complete conquest of the Second Bulgarian Empire, which...
, in the 1880s the population of Kazanlak numbered about 9,000. Since then it started growing decade by decade, mostly because of the migrants from the rural areas and the surrounding smaller towns, reaching its peak in 1985 exceeding 60,000. After this time, the population has started decreasing rapidly in consequence of the poor economic situation in the Bulgarian provinces during the 1990s that leaded to a new migration in the direction of the country capital Sofia and abroad.
Culture
Kazanlak has a long, solid tradition in the area of culture and enlightenment. At the every beginning of the Revival, the populace of Kazanlak was already opening school and cultural reading centers — including the Pedagogical school of Kazanlak, which prepared teachers for the entire country. For many well-known Bulgarian artists and performers, this was the place where their physical and creative lives began. The cultural centre of Kazanlak is the Iskra chitalishteChitalishte
A chitalishte is a typical Bulgarian public institution and building which fulfils several functions at once, such as a community centre, library and a theatre. It is also used as an educational institution, where people of all ages can enroll in foreign language, dance, music and other courses....
, founded in 1860. It contains a library, theatre, cinema, and museum. It was host to the first Bulgarian opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
, Siromahkinya.
- Iskra Library — one of the oldest libraries in Bulgaria, founded in 1860, now holds over 500 volumes.
- Rosarium Park with many spots for recreation.
- The House — museums of famous Bulgarian artists Dechko Uzunov and Nenko Balkanski.
- The Thracian tombs. The remains discovered from the ancient Thracian culture — objects, jewelry, and vessels of gold, silver, bronze and clay — have long since become part of the world historical legacy.
Iskra Town History Museum
The Iskra Town History Museum is one of the first provincial town museums in Bulgaria. It was founded on June 29, 1901, by Peter Topuzov — a bright man of enterprise from Kazanlak and by decision of the leaders of Iskra Studious Club. More than 50 000 exhibits revealing the history of Kazanlak area from ancient times until nowadays have been kept at Iskra museum. The finds from Thracian town of Seuthopolis are displayed in three separate halls. Temporary exhibitions with valuable articles from this museum and loan-collections are arranged during the active tourist season.Koulata Ethnographic Complex
The charming cobbled Mirska Street is located in the oldest part of the city – Koulata District, which is near the world-famous Thracian Tomb of Kazanlak. This is where traditional architecture from the period of the Bulgarian National Revival (18th – 19th centurty) can be found. The traditional buildings there constitute Koulata Ethnographic Complex, restored and open to visitors since 1976. They “take us back” to the unique, diverse material culture of Bulgarians from the Kazanlak region of the past. Before stepping through the big gate, one can hear the clanking of the coppersmiths’ hammers in the distance. Their “song” tells the storey of the typical local coppersmiths’ craft. Just opposite are the violin-makers, and right next door is the goldsmith’s. The country house nestles among bushes and trees. It is one-storied, asymmetrical, and in architectural terms has the characteristic of the Balkan velley houses from the end of the 18th and the beginning of the 19th century. The life-style of the late 19th and early 20th century inhabitants of the region is shown in the restored houses from the time of the Bulgarian Renaissance. The artefacts displayed here are kept at Ethnography department. Kazanlak was a famous craftsmen town in the near past. Today you are given the opportunity to feel the atmosphere of the past, to feast your eyes on the Bulgarian Renaissance architecture, to watch activities done by hand as it was long, long ago and to try some of the rose industry products — rose jam, liqueur, and of course gyulovitsa (rose brandy).Buzludzha National Park
Buzludzha National Park rises east of the Shipka pass. It is a very important part of Bulgarian history — here, on July 30, 1868, Hadzhi DimitarHadzhi Dimitar
Dimitar Nikolov Asenov , better known as Hadzhi Dimitar , was one of the most prominent Bulgarian voivods and revolutionaries working for the Liberation of Bulgaria from Ottoman rule.-Early life:...
fell in battle. He was at the head of a small group of rebels fighting the numerous Turkish enemy. In 1961 a monument was built here to commemorate this act of heroism. The impressive marble figure of Hadji Dimiter is outlined against the green background of the pine-trees. Near it, under the venerable beeches, a stone bas relief commemorates another event in Bulgarian history — founding of the Bulgarian Socialist Party on August 2, 1891, after a clandestine congress. Buzludzha with its numerous chalets, rest homes and hotels offers excellent opportunities for the lovers of winter sports and tourism.
The Buzovgrad megalith
The Buzovdrad megalithic formation is located in the foot of the Sredna GoraSredna Gora
Sredna Gora is a mountain range in central Bulgaria, situated south of and parallel to Balkan mountain range and extending from the river Iskar to the west and the elbow of Tundzha north of Yambol to the east. Sredna Gora is 285 km long, reaching 50 km at its greatest width...
mountains near the village of Buzovgrad, 5 km south of Kazanlak. The site was described as a thracian sanctuary by the renowned thracologist Alexander Fol
Alexander Fol
Alexander Fol was a Bulgarian historian and Thracologist. In 1957, he studied history at the University of St. Kliment Ohridski in Sofia and earned a PhD in 1966. He worked as a university lecturer from 1972 and became a professor in 1975...
. According to his estimations the Buzovgrad megalith was used as a rock sanctuary around 1800 - 1600 BOT. According to thracian religious beliefs, sunrise is a symbol of birth and creation, and sunset reflects death and the world of the dead. In that context, people believed that the sanctuary represented “a door leading to another world”. It is thought to have been used for religious rituals and for the funerals of Thracian aristocrats and priests.
Alexander Fol himself described the sight as the Solar gate or the Gate of the Mother Goddess
Mother goddess
Mother goddess is a term used to refer to a goddess who represents motherhood, fertility, creation or embodies the bounty of the Earth. When equated with the Earth or the natural world such goddesses are sometimes referred to as Mother Earth or as the Earth Mother.Many different goddesses have...
.
Shipka National Park
Shipka National Park is founded on the same area where the bloody battles of the Russian-Turkish Liberation War occurred during 1870s. It represents a complex of memorial tablets, monuments, trenches, and bunkers reminiscent of the battle.On the top of the mount at Shipka rises the "Freedom Monument". It was paid for by voluntary donations of the Bulgarian people and built after the design of Atanas Donkov, an architect and Alexander Andreev, a sculptor. The monument was opened officially in 1934. The located on the monument's levels expositions relate the story of Russian soldiers' and Bulgarian volunteers' heroism during the five-month defence of the pass. From the last ground there is a panorama of the restored details of the battle field, monuments and common graves reminiscent of the self-sacrifice of the Russian and Bulgarian heroes.
The locality offers excellent conditions for relaxation and tourism. Several shops, cafes with well stocked wet-bar, camping, a comfortable hotel-restaurant and a petrol station are available for the visitors.
The national Shipka-Buzludza park-museum includes Shipka Memorial Church (or Church of the Nativity) near the town of Shipka, Shipka National Park, Freedom Monument near the village of Sheinovo and Buzludza National Park.
The Shipka Memorial Church
The Shipka Memorial Church is located only 12 km (7.5 mi) north of Kazanlak, at the south foot of the Stara Planina mountains near the town of Shipka. It was erected after Bulgarian independence as a monument to both Russian and Bulgarian dead. The golden domes and the green and pink coloured facade loom against the mountains and attract the attention of the travellers in the Shipka pass. The project design following the seventeen-century Russian church architecture with arks, friezes, pediments, and gold-plated ornaments, was the work of the CzechCzech people
Czechs, or Czech people are a western Slavic people of Central Europe, living predominantly in the Czech Republic. Small populations of Czechs also live in Slovakia, Austria, the United States, the United Kingdom, Chile, Argentina, Canada, Germany, Russia and other countries...
architect A.I. Tomisko. The main entrance has three arks, topped off with the distinctive 50 metres (164 ft) high spire of the bell tower. There are 17 bells, the heaviest of them weighs about 12 metric tons (11.8 LT). The lime-tree iconostasis is richly decorated with gilded wood-carvings and is of great artistic value. The icons in the church were presented by Russian monks from the monastery of St. Pantaleimon on Mount Athos — Greece.The names of the Russian regiments and of both Russian and Bulgarian dead are inscribed on 34 marble plates built in the walls of the church. The honoured dust of the Russian soldiers killed at Shipka Pass (1877–78) have been kept in 17 stone sarcophagi in the crypt. The Shipka Memorial church was ceremoniously consecrated on 27 September 1902.
The Kosmatka Tomb
One of the most impressive monuments of the Thracian civilization in the Valley of the Thracian Kings, is the heroonHeroon
A heroon , also called heroum, was a shrine dedicated to an ancient Greek or Roman hero and used for the commemoration or cult worship of the hero. It was often erected over his supposed tomb or cenotaph....
(a temple-tomb of a hero of royal status) of Seuthes III
Seuthes III
Seuthes III was a king of the Odrysian kingdom of Thrace from ca. 331 BC to ca. 300 BC, at first tributary to Alexander the Great of Macedon....
. In the summer of 2004 a team of Bulgarian archaeologists unearthed a large, intact 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...
mausoleum dating back from the fifth century BOT near the Bulgarian town of Shipka, Kazanlak municipality. The temple was buried under the 20 metres (65.6 ft) high “Golyamata Kosmatka” mound. "This is probably the richest tomb of a Thracian king ever discovered in Bulgaria. Its style and its making are entirely new to us as experts," said Georgi Kitov
Georgi Kitov
Georgi Kitov was a Bulgarian archaeologist and thracologist with controversial methods. He specialized in Thracian archaeology.-Finding the Thracian tomb:...
, the head of the team.
The Kosmatka Tomb represents a remarkable Thracian
Thrace
Thrace is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe. As a geographical concept, Thrace designates a region bounded by the Balkan Mountains on the north, Rhodope Mountains and the Aegean Sea on the south, and by the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara on the east...
heroon
Heroon
A heroon , also called heroum, was a shrine dedicated to an ancient Greek or Roman hero and used for the commemoration or cult worship of the hero. It was often erected over his supposed tomb or cenotaph....
built accordingly to the Orphic
Orphism (religion)
Orphism is the name given to a set of religious beliefs and practices in the ancient Greek and the Hellenistic world, as well as by the Thracians, associated with literature ascribed to the mythical poet Orpheus, who descended into Hades and returned...
traditions of the end of the 5th or beginning of the 4th century BOT. Serving also as a symbolic tomb of Seuthes III, it contained an enormous treasure, exhibited now in the Iskra Museum and Art Gallery. More than 70 silver, gold and bronze objects, which were used as ritual offering to the gods, were discovered during the excavations.
The temple was used between the end of the fifth and the beginning of the third century BOT, when a symbolic burial ceremony of Seuthes III took place, the famous founder of the Thracian city of Seuthopolis
Seuthopolis
Seuthopolis was an ancient hellenistic-type city founded by the Thracian king Seuthes III, and the capital of the Odrysian kingdom. The city was founded sometime from 325 BC to 315 BC...
, located only 10 km (6.2 mi) away. After the symbolic burial ceremony, the temple was closed and the entrance sealed and buried.
Rose industry
The city lies at the eastern end of the famous Rose ValleyRose 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...
. It is flanked with mid-height mountain ranges on opposite sides, and is especially marvellous in May when rose
Rose
A rose is a woody perennial of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae. There are over 100 species. They form a group of erect shrubs, and climbing or trailing plants, with stems that are often armed with sharp prickles. Flowers are large and showy, in colours ranging from white through yellows...
fields blossom and the fragrance is unparalleled. The harvesting of roses, and the production of rose oil for export to international parfumiers, is of major importance to the local economy. There is one rose oil factory in Kazanlak.
According to The Ultimate Visual Encyclopedia, Bulgaria is the major supplier of a certain type of rose oil in the world and Kazanlak's rose gardens are the largest rose gardens in the whole world. It is the only place in the entire world that can grow this particular rose.
Rose Festival
The Rose Festival is one of the most remarkable events in Bulgaria, dedicated to beauty and flowers, to spring and the fragrance of the priceless Kazanlak rose. The beautiful celebrations for the blossom of the roses there takes place in the first week of June. The whole week is filled with different attractions every day. That week is also interesting, because there is a beauty pageant and on the last day of the celebrations, the most beautiful girl in the city is chosen. They call her "The Queen Of Roses". The Rose Festival was celebrated for the first time in 1903 and since then it has traditionally been held during the first weekend of June. This is the season when the gentle oleaginous Kazanlak rose comes to bloom, filling the air with its scent. Nowadays the Rose Festival has evolved into an international event where thousands of tourists and guests of the town are entertained.Other industries
Prominent among Kazanlak's manufacturers is Arsenal Corp. Founded in 1924, it manufactures and develops a wide range of military equipment, including small arms (especially AK-47AK-47
The AK-47 is a selective-fire, gas-operated 7.62×39mm assault rifle, first developed in the Soviet Union by Mikhail Kalashnikov. It is officially known as Avtomat Kalashnikova . It is also known as a Kalashnikov, an "AK", or in Russian slang, Kalash.Design work on the AK-47 began in the last year...
models), anti-aircraft missiles
Surface-to-air missile
A surface-to-air missile or ground-to-air missile is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles...
, and heavy machine guns.
Also located in the city are M+S Hydraulic and Caproni JSC, manufacturers of hydraulic components.
Kazanlak has three textile factories, one for woolen cloth, the second producing thread of different types and the last producing cloth from synthetic materials.
Education
Kazanlak is home to the following schools:- SOU Ekzarh Antim I
- PMG Nikola Obreshkov
- HG Sts. Cyril and Metodius
- Bulgarska Roza Secondary School
- TMET Ivan Hadjienov
- Mati Bolgaria
- Transport Technical School
- Hydravlika Vocational School
- Academician Dechko Uzunov
- National High School of Plastic Arts and Design http://www.art-school.eu/
Famous people
- Danail Boyukliev, future star
- ChudomirChudomirChudomir , born Dimitar Hristov Chorbadjiev , was a Bulgarian writer and painter.He is famous for his short stories, such as "I'm not One of Them" and "Locals" , satirizing the human weaknesses and political vices of his time.-Biography:He was born in village Turia on March 25, 1890 and died...
, writer - Emanuil ManolovEmanuil ManolovEmanuil Manolov was a Bulgarian composer.Born at Gabrovo, Manolov is thought to be one of the founders of the Bulgarian professional musical culture. He composed the first Bulgarian opera "Siromahkinia" based on the work of Ivan Vazov with the same title, consisting of two parts...
, composer - Petko StaynovPetko StaynovPetko Staynov was a Bulgarian composer and pianist. He enriched the Bulgarian musical culture and contributed considerably to its development...
, composer - Dechko UzunovDechko UzunovDechko Uzunov was a Bulgarian painter. He was born in Kazanluk and died in Sofia at the age of 87....
, artist - Nenko Balkanski, artist
- Svetla Ivanova, pop singer
- Elvira Georgieva, estrada and chalgaChalgaChalga is a Bulgarian music genre. It is a blend of Arabic, Balkan, Bulgarian, Greek and Turkish influences, as well as motives from flamenco, filmi and klezmer music...
singer - Petko Orozov, philanthropist, Rose Oil industrialist and innovator
- Ivan MilevIvan MilevIvan Milev Lalev was a Bulgarian painter and scenographer regarded as the founder of the Bulgarian Secession and a representative of Bulgarian modernism, combining symbolism, Art Nouveau and expressionism in his work....
, artist - Borislav Sabchev, religious philosopher / academic
Twin towns — Sister cities
Kazanlak is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with:
| Country | City | Date |
|---|---|---|
 Egypt |
Alexandria Alexandria Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving... |
2006 |
| Egypt |
Luxor Luxor Luxor is a city in Upper Egypt and the capital of Luxor Governorate. The population numbers 487,896 , with an area of approximately . As the site of the Ancient Egyptian city of Thebes, Luxor has frequently been characterized as the "world's greatest open air museum", as the ruins of the temple... |
2006 |
 France |
Grasse Grasse -See also:*Route Napoléon*Ancient Diocese of Grasse*Communes of the Alpes-Maritimes department-External links:*... |
2004 |
| France |
Saint-Herblain Saint-Herblain Saint-Herblain is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France.It is the largest suburb of the city of Nantes, and lies adjacent to its west side.... |
2008 |
 Greece |
Veria Veria Veria is a city built at the foot of Vermion Mountains in Greece. It is a commercial center of Macedonia, the capital of the prefecture of Imathia, the province of Imathia and the seat of a bishop of the Greek Orthodox Church... |
2001 |
 Russia |
Tolyatti Tolyatti Tolyatti , also known as Togliatti, is a city in Samara Oblast, Russia. It serves as the administrative center of Stavropolsky District, although it is administratively separate from it... |
1994 |
 Japan |
Fukuyama Fukuyama -Places:*Fukuyama, Hiroshima, a city in Japan*Fukuyama, Kagoshima, a former town in Japan, now part of Kirishima city*Fukuyama, Japanese word for Mount Fuji, meaning "mountain of wind"-People:*Francis Fukuyama, an American philosopher and political economist... |
1995 |
 Macedonia |
Kočani Kocani Kočani is a town away from Skopje, situated in the Eastern part of the Republic of Macedonia, with population of 28 330. The town of Kočani is the seat of Kočani Municipality.-Geography and population:... |
2007 |
 Hungary |
Nagykanizsa | 1970 |
 Romania |
Târgovişte Târgoviste Târgoviște is a city in the Dâmbovița county of Romania. It is situated on the right bank of the Ialomiţa River. , it had an estimated population of 89,000. One village, Priseaca, is administered by the city.-Name:... |
2004 |
Honour
Kazanlak PeakKazanlak Peak
Kazanlak Peak is a rocky peak rising to 430 m in Delchev Ridge of Tangra Mountains, Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica. Surmounting Bruix Cove to the northwest, Iskar Glacier to the southwest and Sopot Ice Piedmont to the east...
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 Kazanlak.