Veliki Preslav

The modern Veliki Preslav or Great Preslav (Bulgarian: Велики Преслав), former Preslav (till 1993), is a city and the seat of government of the Veliki Preslav Municipality (Great Preslav Municipality, new Bulgarian: obshtina), which in turn is part of Shumen Province. Veliki Preslav is situated at an altitude of 132 m.

A former village, it assumed the name of the medieval capital in 1878 and became a town in 1883. As of December 2009, it has a population of 8,951 inhabitants.

The town lies at 43°10′N 26°49′E / 43.167°N 26.817°E / 43.167; 26.817, 92 m above sea level.

Preslav (Bulgarian: Преслав) was the capital of the First Bulgarian Empire from 893 to 972 and one of the most important cities of medieval Southeastern Europe. The ruins of the city are situated in modern northeastern Bulgaria, some 20 kilometres southwest of the regional capital of Shumen, and are currently a national archaeological reserve.

History

The name of Preslav is of Slavic origin; apparently it was initially founded and functioned as a Slavic settlement until its fortification at the beginning of the 9th century. The proximity to the then Bulgarian capital of Pliska led to the fast development and expansion of Preslav during the reign of the Khans Krum and Omurtag. By the time of the coronation of Khan Boris I in 852, Preslav had turned into an important strategic military centre and was the seat of the Ichirgu-boil. A number of churches were built in the city after the conversion of the Bulgarians to Christianity in 864.