Cherven (fortress)
Encyclopedia
The stronghold of Cherven was one of the Second Bulgarian Empire
's primary military, administrative, economic and cultural centres between the 12th and the 14th century. The ruins of the fortress are located near the village of the same name 30–35 km south of Rousse
, northeastern Bulgaria
.
fortress of the 6th century, but the area has been inhabited since the arrival of the Thracians
. Cherven was first mentioned in the 11th century in an Old Bulgarian
apocryphal chronicle. It gained importance after 1235, when it became the seat of the medieval Bulgarian Orthodox Bishopric of Cherven. It was affected by the Mongol
Golden Horde
raids in 1242 and was briefly conquered by Byzantine troops during the reign of Tsar Ivailo (1278–1280).
During the second half of the 14th century, the stronghold's area exceeded 1 km² and had intensive urban development, including a fortified inner city
on vast rock ground in one of the Cherni Lom river's bends, and an outer city at the foot of the rocks and on the neighbouring hills. The town had a complex fortification system and was completely built up. Cherven grew to become a centre of craftsmanship in the 14th century, with iron extraction, ironworking, goldsmithing, construction and arts being well developed. The town was an important junction of roads from the Danube
to the country's interior, which also made the town a key centre of trade.
Cherven was conquered by the Ottoman Turks
in 1388 during the Bulgarian-Ottoman Wars
, initially retaining its administrative functions but later declining in importance. The modern village of Cherven located close to the ruins of the fortress has, , 302 inhabitants.
Cherven Peak
on Rugged Island
in the South Shetland Islands
, Antarctica is named after Cherven.
. The first excavations were carried out in 1910–1911 under professor Vasil Zlatarski
, while regular research on the site began in 1961. Currently, archaeological work is being conducted by Dr. Stoyan Yordanov of the Rousse Regional Museum of History. Dr. Yordanov has over thirty years of experience working at Cherven, and leads excavations atop the Cherven old town site every summer.
A large feudal palace, fortified walls reaching up to 3 m in width, two well-preserved underground water supply passages, 13 churches, administrative and residential buildings, workshops and streets have been excavated. The 12 m-high three-storey keep
from the 14th century has also been fully preserved and was even used as a model for the reconstruction of Baldwin's Tower in Tsarevets
, Veliko Tarnovo
, in 1930. The site has been a national archaeological reserve since 1965 and is also a popular tourist attraction.
Second Bulgarian Empire
The Second Bulgarian Empire was a medieval Bulgarian state which existed between 1185 and 1396 . A successor of the First Bulgarian Empire, it reached the peak of its power under Kaloyan and Ivan Asen II before gradually being conquered by the Ottomans in the late 14th-early 15th century...
's primary military, administrative, economic and cultural centres between the 12th and the 14th century. The ruins of the fortress are located near the village of the same name 30–35 km south of Rousse
Rousse
Ruse is the fifth-largest city in Bulgaria. Ruse is situated in the northeastern part of the country, on the right bank of the Danube, opposite the Romanian city of Giurgiu, from the capital Sofia and from the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast...
, northeastern 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...
.
History
The town was a successor to an earlier ByzantineByzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
fortress of the 6th century, but the area has been inhabited since the arrival of the Thracians
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...
. Cherven was first mentioned in the 11th century in an Old Bulgarian
Old Church Slavonic
Old Church Slavonic or Old Church Slavic was the first literary Slavic language, first developed by the 9th century Byzantine Greek missionaries Saints Cyril and Methodius who were credited with standardizing the language and using it for translating the Bible and other Ancient Greek...
apocryphal chronicle. It gained importance after 1235, when it became the seat of the medieval Bulgarian Orthodox Bishopric of Cherven. It was affected by the Mongol
Mongols
Mongols ) are a Central-East Asian ethnic group that lives mainly in the countries of Mongolia, China, and Russia. In China, ethnic Mongols can be found mainly in the central north region of China such as Inner Mongolia...
Golden Horde
Golden Horde
The Golden Horde was a Mongol and later Turkicized khanate that formed the north-western sector of the Mongol Empire...
raids in 1242 and was briefly conquered by Byzantine troops during the reign of Tsar Ivailo (1278–1280).
During the second half of the 14th century, the stronghold's area exceeded 1 km² and had intensive urban development, including a fortified inner city
Inner city
The inner city is the central area of a major city or metropolis. In the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Ireland, the term is often applied to the lower-income residential districts in the city centre and nearby areas...
on vast rock ground in one of the Cherni Lom river's bends, and an outer city at the foot of the rocks and on the neighbouring hills. The town had a complex fortification system and was completely built up. Cherven grew to become a centre of craftsmanship in the 14th century, with iron extraction, ironworking, goldsmithing, construction and arts being well developed. The town was an important junction of roads from 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....
to the country's interior, which also made the town a key centre of trade.
Cherven was conquered by the Ottoman Turks
Ottoman Turks
The Ottoman Turks were the Turkish-speaking population of the Ottoman Empire who formed the base of the state's military and ruling classes. Reliable information about the early history of Ottoman Turks is scarce, but they take their Turkish name, Osmanlı , from the house of Osman I The Ottoman...
in 1388 during the Bulgarian-Ottoman Wars
Bulgarian-Ottoman Wars
The Bulgarian-Ottoman wars were fought between the disintegrating Bulgarian Empire and the new emerging Turkic power, the Ottoman Turks in the second half the 14th century and the beginning of the 15th century. The war ended with the collapse of the once powerful Bulgarian Empire in 1422. The...
, initially retaining its administrative functions but later declining in importance. The modern village of Cherven located close to the ruins of the fortress has, , 302 inhabitants.
Cherven Peak
Cherven Peak
Cherven Peak is a rocky peak rising to 224 m on the north coast of Rugged Island off the west coast of Byers Peninsula of Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica...
on Rugged Island
Rugged Island (South Shetland Islands)
Rugged Island is an island long and wide, lying west of Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands. Surface area . The island's summit San Stefano Peak rises to above sea level. Rugged Island is located at...
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 Cherven.
Archaeological site
The remains of the medieval town of Cherven are an archaeological site of great importance to the research of Bulgarian culture of the Middle AgesMiddle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
. The first excavations were carried out in 1910–1911 under professor Vasil Zlatarski
Vasil Zlatarski
Vasil Nikolov Zlatarski was a Bulgarian historian-medievalist, archaeologist, and epigraphist.- Life :Vasil Zlatarski was born in Veliko Tarnovo in 1866, the youngest child of the teacher Nikola Zlatarcheto who was a prominent activist in the educational movement and the religious and national...
, while regular research on the site began in 1961. Currently, archaeological work is being conducted by Dr. Stoyan Yordanov of the Rousse Regional Museum of History. Dr. Yordanov has over thirty years of experience working at Cherven, and leads excavations atop the Cherven old town site every summer.
A large feudal palace, fortified walls reaching up to 3 m in width, two well-preserved underground water supply passages, 13 churches, administrative and residential buildings, workshops and streets have been excavated. The 12 m-high three-storey keep
Keep
A keep is a type of fortified tower built within castles during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars have debated the scope of the word keep, but usually consider it to refer to large towers in castles that were fortified residences, used as a refuge of last resort should the rest of the...
from the 14th century has also been fully preserved and was even used as a model for the reconstruction of Baldwin's Tower in Tsarevets
Tsarevets
Tsarevets is a medieval stronghold located on a hill with the same name in Veliko Tarnovo in northern Bulgaria. It served as the Second Bulgarian Empire's primary fortress and strongest bulwark from 1185 to 1393, housing the royal and the patriarchal palaces, and is a popular tourist...
, Veliko Tarnovo
Veliko Tarnovo
Veliko Tarnovo is a city in north central Bulgaria and the administrative centre of Veliko Tarnovo Province. Often referred to as the "City of the Tsars", Veliko Tarnovo is located on the Yantra River and is famous as the historical capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire, attracting many tourists...
, in 1930. The site has been a national archaeological reserve since 1965 and is also a popular tourist attraction.