Oryahovo
Encyclopedia
Oryahovo is a port city in northwestern Bulgaria
, part of Vratsa Province
. It is located in a hilly country on the right bank of the Danube
, just east of the mouth of the river Ogosta
, a few more kilometres downstream from where the Jiu
flows into the Danube on Romania
n territory. The town is known for the ferry service that connects it to the Romanian town of Bechet
across the river. There are also plans by local private companies for a bridge across the Danube. As of December 2009, Oryahovo has a population of 5,400 inhabitants.
to the Late Middle Ages
. A fortress called Kamaka (Камъка) is located 1 km east from Oryahovo, which existed from the 9th to the 14th century. In 1396, the city, already controlled by the Turks, was sacked and its Ottoman inhabitants killed or taken prisoner by French crusaders
heading towards Nikopol
. The troops of Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund
and Polish King Władysław III of Varna passed through the fortress during their unsuccessful crusades (the Battle of Nicopolis
and the Battle of Varna
, respectively) against the Ottoman Empire
.
, Oryahovo established itself as an economic and industrial centre and a key point for the supply of the Ottoman Empire with goods through the Danube. The town was mentioned as an important Danube port in a 1762 book printed in Brussels
. The St George Church was opened in 1837, a secular school was built in the town in 1857 and a community centre (читалище, chitalishte) followed in 1871. During the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78, the town was liberated on 21 November 1877 by Romanian forces after three-day fighting. A memorial by Italian
sculptor Arnaldo Zocchi was erected in their honour.
for 10 years (1877–1882 and 1884–1889). The architecture from the period is typically influenced by the one of Western Europe
, with many such buildings being preserved today.
A railway line linking Oryahovo with Cherven Bryag
was constructed in 1926, a new church, the Assumption of Mary Church, opened in 1930, and a new building for the community centre was built in 1936 after a project by two Vidin
architects.
Some of the first industrial companies in the city, a spare parts factory and a metalworking company, were opened in 1961. Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant
, a short drive west of town, is also a mayor employer.
The ferry Oryahovo- Beckett, crossing Danube, is one of the main transport corridors from Bulgaria to Romania. This is the most direct route from Sofia to Romania, Ukraine and other countries.
on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands
, Antarctica is named after Oryahovo.
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...
, part of Vratsa Province
Vratsa Province
Vratsa Province , former name Vratsa okrug) is a Bulgarian province located in the northwestern part of the country, between Danube river in the north and Stara Planina mountain in the south. It is named after its main town - Vratsa...
. It is located in a hilly country on the right bank of the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
, just east of the mouth of the river Ogosta
Ogosta
The Ogosta , is a river in Northern Bulgaria, a right tributary of the Danube. It takes it source from Vrazha Glava Peak on the border with Serbia. The towns of Chiprovtsi, Montana and Miziya are situated on the river's banks....
, a few more kilometres downstream from where the Jiu
Jiu
The name Jiu may refer to :* Jiu - Means Great in Philippines* Jiu - is a Japanese word meaning incoming or welcome rain.* Jiu - tributary of the Danube* Jiu - tributary of the Râul Mic...
flows into the Danube on Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n territory. The town is known for the ferry service that connects it to the Romanian town of Bechet
Bechet
Bechet is a city in Dolj County, Oltenia, Romania, on the river Danube, opposite the Bulgarian city of Oryahovo.- External links :*...
across the river. There are also plans by local private companies for a bridge across the Danube. As of December 2009, Oryahovo has a population of 5,400 inhabitants.
Ancient history and Middle Ages
The town's name has evolved through the course of history, with names such as Vrhov, Orezov, Oreov and Rahovo being mentioned in documents until the current one was officially established in 1886. The area around Oryahovo has been inhabited since ancient times, as archaeological research has proven with findings from the early NeolithicNeolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
to the Late Middle Ages
Late Middle Ages
The Late Middle Ages was the period of European history generally comprising the 14th to the 16th century . The Late Middle Ages followed the High Middle Ages and preceded the onset of the early modern era ....
. A fortress called Kamaka (Камъка) is located 1 km east from Oryahovo, which existed from the 9th to the 14th century. In 1396, the city, already controlled by the Turks, was sacked and its Ottoman inhabitants killed or taken prisoner by French crusaders
Crusades
The Crusades were a series of religious wars, blessed by the Pope and the Catholic Church with the main goal of restoring Christian access to the holy places in and near Jerusalem...
heading towards Nikopol
Nikopol, Bulgaria
Nikopol is a town in northern Bulgaria, the administrative center of Nikopol municipality, part of Pleven Province, on the right bank of the Danube river, 4 km downstream from the mouth of the Osam river. It spreads at the foot of steep chalk cliffs along the Danube and up a narrow valley...
. The troops of Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund
Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor
Sigismund of Luxemburg KG was King of Hungary, of Croatia from 1387 to 1437, of Bohemia from 1419, and Holy Roman Emperor for four years from 1433 until 1437, the last Emperor of the House of Luxemburg. He was also King of Italy from 1431, and of Germany from 1411...
and Polish King Władysław III of Varna passed through the fortress during their unsuccessful crusades (the Battle of Nicopolis
Battle of Nicopolis
The Battle of Nicopolis took place on 25 September 1396 and resulted in the rout of an allied army of Hungarian, Wallachian, French, Burgundian, German and assorted troops at the hands of an Ottoman force, raising of the siege of the Danubian fortress of Nicopolis and leading to the end of the...
and the Battle of Varna
Battle of Varna
The Battle of Varna took place on November 10, 1444 near Varna in eastern Bulgaria. In this battle the Ottoman Empire under Sultan Murad II defeated the Polish and Hungarian armies under Władysław III of Poland and János Hunyadi...
, respectively) against the Ottoman Empire
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...
.
Bulgarian National Revival
During the Bulgarian National RevivalBulgarian National Revival
The Bulgarian National Revival , sometimes called the Bulgarian Renaissance, was a period of socio-economic development and national integration among Bulgarian people under Ottoman rule...
, Oryahovo established itself as an economic and industrial centre and a key point for the supply of the Ottoman Empire with goods through the Danube. The town was mentioned as an important Danube port in a 1762 book printed in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
. The St George Church was opened in 1837, a secular school was built in the town in 1857 and a community centre (читалище, chitalishte) followed in 1871. During the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78, the town was liberated on 21 November 1877 by Romanian forces after three-day fighting. A memorial by Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
sculptor Arnaldo Zocchi was erected in their honour.
Liberated Bulgaria
After the liberation, Oryahovo was known for the lively trade and rich cultural life. A provincial centre for three months, it became the centre of an okrugOkrug
Okrug is an administrative division of some Slavic states. The word "okrug" is a loanword in English, but it is nevertheless often translated as "area", "district", or "region"....
for 10 years (1877–1882 and 1884–1889). The architecture from the period is typically influenced by the one of Western Europe
Western Europe
Western Europe is a loose term for the collection of countries in the western most region of the European continents, though this definition is context-dependent and carries cultural and political connotations. One definition describes Western Europe as a geographic entity—the region lying in the...
, with many such buildings being preserved today.
A railway line linking Oryahovo with Cherven Bryag
Cherven Bryag
Cherven Bryag is a town in northern Bulgaria, a capital of the Cherven Bryag municipality, Pleven Province. It is situated on the right shore of the Zlatna Panega in river Iskar, 137 km north-east of Sofia, 53 km south-west of Pleven, 12 km north-west of Lukovit, 56 km east...
was constructed in 1926, a new church, the Assumption of Mary Church, opened in 1930, and a new building for the community centre was built in 1936 after a project by two Vidin
Vidin
Vidin is a port town on the southern bank of the Danube in northwestern Bulgaria. It is close to the borders with Serbia and Romania, and is also the administrative centre of Vidin Province, as well as of the Metropolitan of Vidin...
architects.
Some of the first industrial companies in the city, a spare parts factory and a metalworking company, were opened in 1961. Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant
Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant
The Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant is a nuclear power plant in Bulgaria situated north of Sofia and east of Kozloduy, a town on the Danube river, near the border with Romania. It is the country's only nuclear power plant and the largest in the region...
, a short drive west of town, is also a mayor employer.
The ferry Oryahovo- Beckett, crossing Danube, is one of the main transport corridors from Bulgaria to Romania. This is the most direct route from Sofia to Romania, Ukraine and other countries.
Honour
Oryahovo HeightsOryahovo Heights
Oryahovo Heights are the ice-covered heights of elevation 340 m extending 6 km in north-south direction in central and eastern Ioannes Paulus II Peninsula, 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 Oryahovo.