Stara Zagora

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Stara Zagora
nickname = The city of the linden-trees

---

imagesize = 250px
subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = BUL
subdivision_type1 = Provinces
(Oblast)
timezone=EET
utc_offset=+2
timezone_DST=EEST
utc_offset_DST=+3
map_caption = Location of Stara Zagora
pushpin_

pushpin_label_position =
pushpin_map_caption =Location of Stara Zagora
pushpin_mapsize =
leader_title =Mayor
postal_code_type =Postal Code
native_name=Стара Загора
|subdivision_name1=Stara Zagora
image_shield=Stara-Zagora-coat-of-arms.svg
|population_total=162416|population_footnotes= ^{[http://www.grao.bg/tna/tab02.txt]}
elevation_m=196
postal_code=6000
area_code=042
latd=42|latm=26|lats=|latNS=N|longd=25|longm=39|longs=|longEW=E|leader_name=Svetlin Tanchev

Stara Zagora ( _bg. Стара Загора) is the sixth largest city in Bulgaria, and one of the nationally important economic centres. Stara Zagora is known as the city of straight streets, linden trees, and poets. According to the city's chamber of commerce, it is one of the oldest settlements in Europe, being at least eight thousand years old. According to one unofficial study, Stara Zagora ranks second among the cities in Bulgaria by average salary. [ [http://www.karieri.bg/show/?storyid=312279 За търсещи работа - Новини - 880 лв. средна заплата в София - KARIERI.bg ] ]

Geography and climate

Stara Zagora is the administrative centre of its municipality and the Stara Zagora Province. It is located about km to mi|spell=Commonwealth|231 away from Sofia, near the Bedechka river in the historic region of Thrace. The population is about 162,400

The city is located in an area of transitional continental climate with considerable Mediterranean influence. The average yearly temperature is about C to F|spell=Commonwealth|13.

History

Stara Zagora is considered one of the oldest settlements in Bulgaria and Southeastern Europe.Fact|date=May 2007 It was founded by the Thracians under the name "Beroe" (meaning "iron") about 6th-5th century BCE, with the Neolithic dwellings and the copper mine near the city being the oldest preserved ones in Europe. The area has been a mining region since Antiquity.

Under the Roman Empire, the town was renamed to "Augusta Trajana" in honour of emperor Trajan.

At the time of the Byzantine Empire, it adopted the name "Irinopolis" after Byzantine empress Irene. The fortifications around the town were reconstructed because of fear of Bulgarian attacks, but Irinopolis and the whole Zagore region were reincorporated into Bulgaria in 717. The land was bestowed on khan Tervel as a Byzantine gift in acknowledgement of the Bulgarian help to fight back the Arabs besieging Constantinople. The region was the first Bulgarian territorial gain south of Stara Planina. The town acquired the name "Boruy".

In 1122 Stara Zagora ("Beroia") was the site of a battle between Byzantine Emperor John II Komnenos and an invading Pecheneg army, the Battle of Beroia. The Pechenegs suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of John's Byzantine army, and many of the captives were settled as foederati within the Byzantine frontier. In 1208 the Bulgarians defeated the Latin Empire in the battle of Boruy.

The Ottomans conquered Stara Zagora in 1371. A grade school was built in 1840 and the town's name was changed to "Zheleznik" ( _bg. Железник; a Slavic translation of "Beroe") in 1854 instead of the Turkish " _tr. Eskizağra", but was renamed once again to "Stara Zagora" in 1870. After the Liberation of Bulgaria from Ottoman rule in 1878, it became part of autonomous Eastern Rumelia before the two Bulgarian states finally merged in 1886 as a result of the Unification of Bulgaria.

Historical population

Districts

* APK ("АПК" - named at former Industrial-agricultural complex)
* Atyuren ("Атюрен" - future district of the city)
* Bogomilovo ("Богомилово" - former village of Bogomilovo)
* Central City Part (includes Supercenter, Chayka & Zagorka) ("Централна градска част (Суперцентър, Чайка и Загорка)" - Chayka - Sea-gull, Zagorka - named at Zagorka brewery)
* Chumleka ("Чумлека")
* Dabrava ("Дъбрава" - former village of Dabrava)
* Eastern Industrial Zone ("Източна индустриална зона")
* Hrishteni ("Хрищени" - former village of Hrishteni)
* Industrial Zone ("Индустриална Зона")
* Kazanski ("Казански")
* Kolyu Ganchev ("Колю Ганчев" - named at famous Bulgarian revolutionary)
* Lozenets ("Лозенец" - from "лозе" - vineyard)
* Malka Vereya ("Малка Верея" - Vereya - old name of the city, Malka - small)
* Samara 1, 2 & 3- ("Самара 1, 2 и 3" - named at sister city of Samara, Russia)
* Studentski grad - ("Студентски град" - Student town)
* Tri Chuchura north, center & south - ("Три чучура север, център и юг" - "Three spouts")
* Zheleznik (small & big) ("Железник" - named at former name of the city)
* Zora ("Зора" - Dawn)

Culture

Landmarks

* The Antique Forum
* Thracian Tomb
* The Roman Baths
* The Samarsko Zname Monument
* Ayazmoto Park
* Defenders of Stara Zagora Memorial Complex
* Memorial House of Geo Milev
* The South Gate of Augusta Trajana
* The Opera House (built 1925)
* Stara Zagora Transmitter with one of the few Blaw-Knox Towers in Europe

Famous Natives

* Anna Tomowa-Sintow, dramatic soprano opera singer
* Vesselina Kasarova, coloratura mezzo soprano opera singer
* Kiril Hristov, writer

Trivia

* Beroe Hill on Livingston Island, West Antarctica is named after this city, in its previous incarnation as Beroe.
* One of the two lighting factories Svetlina is situated here.

Notes

ee also

* Stara Zagora Airport
* Kalvacha Airport

External links

* [http://museum.starazagora.net/ Stara Zagora Regional museum of history]
* [http://tour.starazagora.net/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1 Stara Zagora Tourist Information Centre]
* [http://www.szeda.bg Stara Zagora Economic Development Agency]
* [http://www.guide-bulgaria.com/SC/Stara_Zagora/Stara_Zagora Maps, Population, Info & Facts about cities and villages in Stara Zagora municipality]
* [http://programata.bg/index.php?p=&c=14&l=2 Programata Stara Zagora — the free cultural guide of Stara Zagora]
* [http://get.info.bg/visit/Dir.asp?d=0-13-Stara_Zagora Information and links about Stara Zagora]
* [http://www.visitbulgaria.com/citydetails.php?id=63 Information from Visit Bulgaria]
* [http://www.chambersz.com/econ2003/Munisip/StZ_en.htm Chamber of commerce]
* [http://www.pbase.com/ngruev/starazagora Real Photos from Stara Zagora]