Omurtag (Osmanpazarı Turkish)
Омуртаг
View of Omurtag
View of Omurtag
Official seal of Omurtag (Osmanpazarı Turkish)
Seal
Omurtag (Osmanpazarı Turkish) is located in Bulgaria
Omurtag (Osmanpazarı Turkish)
Omurtag (Osmanpazarı Turkish)
Location of Omurtag, Bulgaria
Coordinates: 43°6′0″N 26°25′1.2″E / 43.10000°N 26.417000°E / 43.10000; 26.417000
CountryBulgaria
Province
(Oblast)		Targovishte
Elevation
525 m (1,722 ft)
Population
 (Census February 2011)[1]
 • City7,369
 • Urban
24,876
Time zoneUTC+2 (EET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+3 (EEST)
Postal Code
7900
Area code0605

Omurtag (Bulgarian: Омуртаг [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 has a population of 7,369 inhabitants.[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 1860 St Demetrius the Megalomartyr Bulgarian Orthodox church in Omurtag.
City hall

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.

Historical Museum

Population

Omurtag
Year 1887 1910 1934 1946 1956 1965 1975 1985 1992 2001 2005 2009 2011 2021
Population no data no data no data 4,233 6,127 8,161 9,082 9,505 8,941 8,893 8,867 8,725 7,369 ??
Highest number 10,160 in 1980
Sources: National Statistical Institute,[1][2][3] citypopulation.de,[4] pop-stat.mashke.org,[5] Bulgarian Academy of Sciences[6]

Culture

Education

Sport

Notable people

References

  1. ^ a b c (in Bulgarian) Bulgarian National Statistical Institute – Targovishte Province – Census 2011 Archived 11 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ (in English) Bulgarian National Statistical Institute – Bulgarian towns in 2009
  3. ^ (in Bulgarian)National Statistical Institute – Towns population 1956–1992[permanent dead link]
  4. ^ (in English) "WorldCityPopulation“
  5. ^ "pop-stat.mashke.org“
  6. ^ (in Bulgarian) Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Archived 6 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine

External links

Cities and towns of Bulgaria (2011 census)
Categories