Omurtag (town) explained

Official Name:Omurtag (Osmanpazarı Turkish)
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:Bulgaria
Subdivision Type1:Province
(Oblast)
Timezone:EET
Utc Offset:+2
Timezone Dst:EEST
Utc Offset Dst:+3
Pushpin Map:Bulgaria
Pushpin Map Caption:Location of Omurtag, Bulgaria
Leader Title:Mayor
Postal Code Type:Postal Code
Native Name:Омуртаг
Subdivision Name1:Targovishte
Population Total:7,369
Population Urban:24876
Population As Of:Census February 2011
Elevation M:525
Postal Code:7900
Area Code:0605
Coordinates:43.1°N 26.417°W

Omurtag (in Bulgarian pronounced as /omurˈtak/) is a town at the eastern foot of Stara Planina in northeastern Bulgaria, part of Targovishte Province, situated at 525 m above sea level. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous Omurtag Municipality. As of February 2011, the town had a population of 7,369.[1]

A notable natives are Aleksandar Aleksandrov, one of the two Bulgarian cosmonauts, and Viktor Yosifov, captain of the Bulgaria men's national volleyball team.

History

The area around the modern town has been inhabited since the Neolithic. Part of Justinian I's defensive system in the 6th century, the region gained importance as part of the First Bulgarian Empire due to the proximity to the capitals Pliska and Preslav and the passes of Stara Planina.

The first written evidence of the modern town dates from the 17th century, when it was mentioned as the kaza centre Osman Pazarı in Ottoman tax registers. The settlement was a centre of craftsmanship and trade.

Osman Pazarı was liberated from Ottoman rule on 27 January 1878 by Russian troops under Johann Casimir Ehrnrooth during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–78. Most of the Turkish inhabitants of the town left and were replaced by Bulgarians from around Tran and Kyustendil.

Omurtag acquired its present name in 1934, named after the Bulgarian khan Omurtag.

On 24 February 2020 during strong winds knocked down the minaret of the 1874 mosque. The building itself survived with only minor damage to the roof, but the minaret was completely destroyed. As of 2021 the mosque is still under reconstruction.

Culture

Education

Sport

Notable people

External links

Notes and References

  1. Bulgarian National Statistical Institute – Targovishte Province – Census 2011