Pavlikeni
Encyclopedia
Pavlikeni is a town
in Veliko Tarnovo Province
, Northern Bulgaria
, about 41 kilometers away from the city of Veliko Tarnovo
. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous Pavlikeni Municipality
. As of December 2009, the town has a population of 11,151 inhabitants.
and pottery
in Antiquity as evidenced by the remains from Roman
and Thracian
times, the modern town emerged in the 13th-14th century as a village initially called Marinopoltsi. Since its residents were adherents of the Christian sect of Paulicianism
, it soon acquired its present name.
During the Ottoman rule of Bulgaria, the demographics
of the village changed significantly, as many Turks
settled to make it a purely Turkish village. After the Liberation of Bulgaria
from Ottoman rule in 1877–1878, the Turks left to be replaced by Bulgarians
from the Balkan Mountains
and the villages of the plains. After the Liberation Pavlikeni developed as a centre of craftsmanship and trade, with many new buildings being constructed. Pavlikeni acquired town status in 1943 owing much to its position on the Sofia
-Varna
railway line.
on Greenwich Island, South Shetland Islands
is named after Pavlikeni.
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
in Veliko Tarnovo Province
Veliko Tarnovo Province
Veliko Tarnovo is a province in the middle of the northern part of Bulgaria. Its capital city, Veliko Tarnovo, is of historical significance as it is known as the capital of Medieval Bulgaria...
, Northern 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...
, about 41 kilometers away from the city of 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...
. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous Pavlikeni Municipality
Pavlikeni Municipality
Pavlikeni Municipality is a municipality in Veliko Tarnovo Province, Central-North Bulgaria, located mostly in the Danubian Plain...
. As of December 2009, the town has a population of 11,151 inhabitants.
History
Pavlikeni was a centre of ceramicsCeramics (art)
In art history, ceramics and ceramic art mean art objects such as figures, tiles, and tableware made from clay and other raw materials by the process of pottery. Some ceramic products are regarded as fine art, while others are regarded as decorative, industrial or applied art objects, or as...
and pottery
Pottery
Pottery is the material from which the potteryware is made, of which major types include earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. The place where such wares are made is also called a pottery . Pottery also refers to the art or craft of the potter or the manufacture of pottery...
in Antiquity as evidenced by the remains from Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
and 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...
times, the modern town emerged in the 13th-14th century as a village initially called Marinopoltsi. Since its residents were adherents of the Christian sect of Paulicianism
Paulicianism
Paulicians were a Christian Adoptionist sect and militarized revolt movement, also accused by medieval sources as Gnostic and quasi Manichaean Christian. They flourished between 650 and 872 in Armenia and the Eastern Themes of the Byzantine Empire...
, it soon acquired its present name.
During the Ottoman rule of Bulgaria, the demographics
Demographics
Demographics are the most recent statistical characteristics of a population. These types of data are used widely in sociology , public policy, and marketing. Commonly examined demographics include gender, race, age, disabilities, mobility, home ownership, employment status, and even location...
of the village changed significantly, as many Turks
Turkish people
Turkish people, also known as the "Turks" , are an ethnic group primarily living in Turkey and in the former lands of the Ottoman Empire where Turkish minorities had been established in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Romania...
settled to make it a purely Turkish village. After the Liberation of Bulgaria
Liberation 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...
from Ottoman rule in 1877–1878, the Turks left to be replaced by Bulgarians
Bulgarians
The Bulgarians are a South Slavic nation and ethnic group native to Bulgaria and neighbouring regions. Emigration has resulted in immigrant communities in a number of other countries.-History and ethnogenesis:...
from 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...
and the villages of the plains. After the Liberation Pavlikeni developed as a centre of craftsmanship and trade, with many new buildings being constructed. Pavlikeni acquired town status in 1943 owing much to its position on the 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...
-Varna
Varna
Varna is the largest city and seaside resort on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast and third-largest in Bulgaria after Sofia and Plovdiv, with a population of 334,870 inhabitants according to Census 2011...
railway line.
Notable natives
- Nicola Ghiuselev - world renowned operaOperaOpera 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...
singer - Kiril RakarovKiril RakarovKiril Manolov Rakarov was a former Bulgarian football player.He represented Bulgaria at the 1956 Summer Olympics and the 1962 FIFA World Cup.-References:...
- former Bulgarian national football player
Honour
Pavlikeni PointPavlikeni Point
Pavlikeni Point projects 600 m from the north coast of Greenwich Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica and is snow-free in summer...
on Greenwich Island, 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...
is named after Pavlikeni.