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Lovech

Lovech

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Lovech is a town in north-central Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a country in the Balkans in south-eastern Europe. Bulgaria borders five other countries: Romania to the north , Serbia and the Republic of Macedonia to the west, and Greece and Turkey to the south...

 with a population of about 50,000. Lovech is the administrative centre of Lovech Province
Lovech Province
Lovech Province is one of the 28 provinces of Bulgaria. Its main city is Lovech.-Municipalities:...

 and of the subordinate Lovech municipality, and is located 150 km from the capital city of Sofia
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city by population in the European Union, with 1.4 million people living in the Capital Municipality...

. Near Lovech are the towns of Pleven
Pleven
Pleven is the seventh most populous city in Bulgaria. Located in the northern part of the country, it is the administrative centre of Pleven Province, as well as of the subordinate Pleven municipality....

, Troyan
Troyan
Troyan is a town in central Bulgaria with population of about 30,000 and territory of 888,850 m². It is located 160km from Sofia. The nearest civilian airport is Gorna Oryahovitsa, 105 km away...

 and Teteven
Teteven
Teteven is a town on the banks of the Vit, at the foot of Stara Planina in north central Bulgaria, part of Lovech Province.The town was first mentioned in a written document in 1421. It is thought that the town's name comes from the family of a certain Tetyo , who settled in the area and founded...

.

Geography


Lovech is situated in the Forebalkan
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. The highest peaks of the Stara...

 area of northern Bulgaria, on both sides of the river Osam
Osam
The Osam is a river in northern Bulgaria. Its drainage basin is in between that of the river Vit to the west and the Yantra system to the east...

, and unifies both mountainous and plain relief. The eastern part of the town is surrounded by a 250 m high plateau, where the largest park in Lovech, Stratesh, is located, and the southwestern part is surrounded by the hills Hisarya and Bash Bunar. In the northwest the relief gradually changes to the plains of the neighbouring Pleven Province
Pleven Province
Pleven Province or Plevenska Oblast is a province located in central northern Bulgaria, bordering the Danube river, Romania and the Bulgarian provinces of Vratsa, Veliko Tarnovo and Lovech. Pleven Province embraces a territory of 4,333.54 km² and a population of 310,449...

. The average altitude of Lovech is about 200 m above mean sea level. The highest point of the town is Akbair Hill at 450 m.

Lovech has a beautiful location, with many parks and places to rest. In Stratesh Park, the highest place in the town, there are a great number of lilac bushes, easily seen from the whole town, which are a wonderful view in the spring. Due to this, Lovech is well-known as the town of the lilac
Lilac
Syringa is a genus of about 20–25 species of flowering plants in the olive family , native to Europe and Asia.They are deciduous shrubs or small trees, ranging in size from 2–10 m tall, with stems up to 20–30 cm diameter...

s.

Ancient history


Lovech is one of the oldest towns in Bulgaria. Traces of human activities from very ancient times were found in the region, mainly in the caves near the town. The reason was the comfortable location between the mountains and the flat country, and the presence of a river.

The first inhabitants of the town were the Thracian
Thracians
The ancient Thracians were a group of Indo-European tribes who spoke the Thracian language – a scarcely attested branch of the Indo-European language family...

 tribe of the Meldi, whose traces date as back to the 4th
4th century BC
The 4th century BC started the first day of 400 BC and ended the last day of 300 BC. It is considered part of the Classical era, epoch, or historical period.-Overview:This century marked the height of Classical Greek civilization in all of its aspects...

-3rd century BC. They founded their capital, called Melta, in the area, which was situated at the place of today's neighbourhood and architecture reserve Varosha. Later, when the Balkans were occupied by the Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean. The term is used to describe the Roman state during and after the time of the first emperor,...

, a military station called Prezidium was founded near the modern town, which was situated at an important strategic position on one of the main Roman roads. Parts of this road are to be seen in the territory of Lovech today.

Middle Ages


The former Roman citadel Hisarya, which is situated on the hill of the same name, was the place where in 1187 the peace treaty between Bulgaria and the Byzantine Empire
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire or Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages, centered on the capital of Constantinople, and ruled by Emperors in direct and de jure succession to the ancient Roman Emperors...

 was signed and the independence of Bulgaria was officially declared, marking the restoration of the Bulgarian Empire
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 declining to be conquered by the Ottomans in the late 14th-early 15th century...

. In the 12th century Lovech was a great trade centre and one of the most famous towns in Bulgaria.

The Turkish invasion in the middle of the 14th century did not pass the town, but the Hisarya fortress was captured last of all, in 1446, although for a long time after that the town enjoyed some privileges such as a prohibition on Turkish people to settle in the town or to take Bulgarian children as janissaries.

Ottoman rule


In the 17th century Lovech (Lofça in Turkish
Turkish language
Turkish is spoken as a first language by over 63 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Cyprus, with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo, Albania and other...

) was once again an important trade centre and one of the richest towns in Bulgaria, a reason for the town being called Altan Lovech (Golden Lovech, from Turkish
Turkish language
Turkish is spoken as a first language by over 63 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Cyprus, with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo, Albania and other...

) at the time.

1784 is the most horrible year in the history of the town, when it was almost totally burnt and destroyed by a Turkish army. From 20,000 citizens at the time there were only 4,600 survivors .

In the times of revolutionary organisations against the Ottoman rule, Lovech was the centre of operations of the Internal Revolutionary Organisation
Internal Revolutionary Organisation
The Internal Revolutionary Organisation or IRO was a Bulgarian revolutionary organisation founded and built up by Bulgarian revolutionary Vasil Levski in the period between 1869 and 1871. The organisation represented a network of regional revolutionary committees which were governed by a Central...

 of Vasil Levski
Vasil Levski
Vasil Levski was the nickname of Vasil Ivanov Kunchev , a Bulgarian revolutionary renowned as the national hero of Bulgaria. Dubbed the Apostle of Freedom, Levski ideologised and strategised a revolutionary movement to liberate Bulgaria from Ottoman rule...

, called the Secret Revolutionary Committee. He was arrested by the Turkish military in a village near Lovech called Kakrina
Kakrina
Kakrina is a village in central northern Bulgaria, part of Lovech municipality, Lovech Province. It lies in the central Fore-Balkan Mountains, at an attitude of . As of 2008, it has a population of 298....

 and later hanged in Sofia
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city by population in the European Union, with 1.4 million people living in the Capital Municipality...

. The biggest museum of Vasil Levski in Bulgaria containing
many personal items such as notebooks, clothes and weapon is situated in the old town part of Lovech.

Between 1872 and 1874, the Bulgarian master-builder Nikola Fichev, known also as Kolyu Ficheto
Kolyu Ficheto
Nikola Fichev , commonly known as Kolyu Ficheto , was a Bulgarian National Revival architect, builder and sculptor born in Dryanovo in 1800....

, built the famous Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge, Lovech
The Covered Bridge is, as the name suggests, a covered bridge in the town of Lovech, Bulgaria. The bridge crosses the Osam River, connecting the old and new town parts of Lovech, being possibly the most recognizable symbol of the town.After the bridge that then served the town was almost...

 (Покрит мост) over the river Osam, the only one of its kind in the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...

. The bridge was burned out in 1925, but rebuilt in 1931. Now it connects the new and the old part of the town and it's full of cafes, small restaurants and many souvenir shops.

During the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78, an important battle was held at Lovech, known as the Battle of Lovcha
Battle of Lovcha
The Battle of Lovcha, or Loftcha , was a battle of the Russo-Turkish War which occurred during the siege of Pleven...

. Many Turkish families were made to leave the city by the Russian army, and the Muslims of Lovech known to be "Lofçalılar" has immigrated to several parts of Turkey (mainly Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul is the largest city in Turkey and fifth largest city proper in the world with a population of 12.6 million. Istanbul is also a megacity, as well as the cultural and financial centre of Turkey. The city covers 39 districts of the Istanbul province...

, Edirne
Edirne
Edirne is a city in Thrace, the westernmost part of Turkey, close to the borders with Greece and Bulgaria. Edirne served as the capital city of the Ottoman Empire from 1365 to 1453, when Constantinople became the empire's new capital. At present, Edirne is the capital of the Edirne Province in...

 and Bursa).

Modern time


In more recent times, Lovech was the place where modern foreign language education in Bulgaria started. Taking over from the American college established there in 1881, the first foreign language school in Bulgaria was set up in Lovech in 1950. Initially three languages were taught in this school: English, French and German. However soon after that the teaching of English and French was moved to Sofia and Varna respectively, founding the first language schools in these cities: the First English Language School
First english language school
First English Language School was founded in 1958 in Sofia, Bulgaria as a specialized high school with English-language instruction. The school has occupied its current location at 60 Dondukov Street since 1960. It became a UNESCO associated school in 1978.FELS is considered one of the top high...

 in Sofia in 1954 and the French Language School in Varna in 1958. Since for the period 1959-1984 German was the only language taught, the school in Lovech was informally known as The German School (Немската гимназия).

Economy


On April 9, 2009 Great Wall Motor and the Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a country in the Balkans in south-eastern Europe. Bulgaria borders five other countries: Romania to the north , Serbia and the Republic of Macedonia to the west, and Greece and Turkey to the south...

n company "Litex Motors" signed a contract for building a plant that would manifactures Great Wall Hover
Great Wall Hover
The Great Wall Hover is a Crossover Utility Vehicle sold by the Great Wall Motor Company in several countries. It was the first Chinese car to be exported in large quantities to Western Europe in 2006, when 30,000 Hovers were shipped to Italy. One of the main advantages against established...

, Great Wall Wingle
Great Wall Wingle
The Great Wall Wingle is a compact pickup truck built and marketed by Great Wall Motors. In 2009, it became the first Chinese made 'Ute' or Pick Up to be sold in Australia and is sold under the badge Great Wall V240 .-External links:* *...

 and Great Wall Florid
Great Wall Florid
The Great Wall Florid is a subcompact car marketed by Great Wall Motor of China. Styling is almost entirely copied from the first generation Toyota ist , while the nose section is inspired by the second generation Toyota Vitz ....

 in Lovech, Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a country in the Balkans in south-eastern Europe. Bulgaria borders five other countries: Romania to the north , Serbia and the Republic of Macedonia to the west, and Greece and Turkey to the south...

.
The investment is for 80 million euros and 1, 500 new jobs would be created. The new plant in Bulgaria would be open in October 2010 and would be used to assist of entering the EU market by Great Wall Motor.

Cultural and natural sights



  • The Tinkov house
  • The Covered Bridge
    Covered Bridge, Lovech
    The Covered Bridge is, as the name suggests, a covered bridge in the town of Lovech, Bulgaria. The bridge crosses the Osam River, connecting the old and new town parts of Lovech, being possibly the most recognizable symbol of the town.After the bridge that then served the town was almost...

     by Kolyu Ficheto
    Kolyu Ficheto
    Nikola Fichev , commonly known as Kolyu Ficheto , was a Bulgarian National Revival architect, builder and sculptor born in Dryanovo in 1800....

  • The Hisarya Fortress
  • The monument of Vasil Levski
  • The monuments to Russian soldiers killed in the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78
  • The Varosha old town part
  • Stratesh Park with the biggest zoo in the province
  • Bash Bunar Park
  • The baroque buildings in the town's central parts
  • The Varosha architectural and historical reserve, with Drasova and Rashova memorial houses

Theatres

  • Lovech Drama Theatre
  • Theatre by the Nauka Community Centre
  • The summer theatre in Stratesh Park

Museums

  • Museum of Vasil Levski
  • Lovech Historical Museum
  • Drasova Memorial House
  • Rashova Memorial House
  • Saint Kliment Ohridski School

Sports

  • PFC Litex Lovech
    PFC Litex Lovech
    PFC Litex Lovech or simply Litex is a Bulgarian football club from the town of Lovech, which currently competes in the Bulgarian A Professional Football Group, the top division of Bulgarian football. The club's home ground is the Lovech Stadium, which has a capacity of 7,000 seats, electric...

    , one of Bulgaria's top football clubs
  • Osam, a men's handball club
  • Lovech '98, a women's handball club
  • Eagles, a baseball club
  • A wrestling club
  • A kyokushin
    Kyokushin
    is a style of stand-up, full contact karate, founded in 1964 by who was born under the name Choi Yong-I . Kyokushinkai is Japanese for "the society of the ultimate truth."Kyokushin is rooted in a philosophy of self-improvement, discipline and hard training...

     karate
    Karate
    is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands...

     club
  • Progress, a chess club

Famous people born in or connected with Lovech

  • Joseph I of Bulgaria
    Joseph I of Bulgaria
    Joseph I, born as Lazar Yovchev, , also known as Iosif I, was a Bulgarian Exarch from 1877 to 1915. His grave, marked by a white cross and a bed of flowers, is located just outside the western wall of St Nedelya Church in Sofia....

     — Bulgarian exarch
  • Georgi Ivanov
    Georgi Ivanov
    Georgi Ivanov was the first Bulgarian in space. He was a member of the National Assembly of Bulgaria in 1990....

     — the first Bulgarian cosmonaut
  • Dimitar Dimov
    Dimitar Dimov
    Dimitar Todorov Dimov was a Bulgarian dramatist, novelist, and veterinary surgeon.Born in Lovech, he is best known for his best-selling novel Tobacco , which was made into the 1962 film Tobacco, directed by Nikola Korabov...

     — Bulgarian author
  • Simeon Djankov
    Simeon Djankov
    Simeon Djankov is a Bulgarian economist, who currently serves as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance in Bulgaria....

     — economist
  • Anastas Ishirkov — noted geographer
  • Benyo Tsonev — important figure of Bulgarian linguistics
  • Todor Kirkov — revolutionary
  • Hristo Karpachev — poet, partisan
  • Panayot Pipkov — composer
  • Lyubomir Pipkov — composer
  • Borissova Daniela 

Honour


Melta Point
Melta Point
Melta Point is a rocky point on the coast of Hero Bay, Livingston Island, formed by an offshoot of Teres Ridge. The point is named after the ancient Melta, ancestor of the present town of Lovech in Northern Bulgaria.-Location:...

 on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands
South Shetland Islands
The South Shetland Islands are a group of Antarctic islands, lying about 120 kilometres north of the Antarctic Peninsula. 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 non-military...

, Antarctica
Antarctica

| style="border-top:solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding:0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align:top;" | 14,000,000 km2
280,000 km2
13,720,000 km2 |-! style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top;...

is named after the ancient Melta.

External links