Gorna Oryahovitsa
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Gorna Oryahovitsa Горна Оряховица |
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| Town | ||
Gorna Oryahovitsa town centre
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 Gorna Oryahovitsa
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| Coordinates: 43°08′N 25°42′E / 43.133°N 25.700°ECoordinates: 43°08′N 25°42′E / 43.133°N 25.700°E | ||
| Country | Bulgaria | |
| Province (Oblast) | Veliko Tarnovo | |
| Municipality | Gorna Oryahovitsa | |
| Government | ||
| • Mayor | Dobromir Dobrev | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 21.108 km2 (8.150 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 140 m (460 ft) | |
| Population (2009-12-31) | ||
| • Total | 32,436 | |
| • Density | 1,500/km2 (4,000/sq mi) | |
| Time zone | EET (UTC+2) | |
| • Summer (DST) | EEST (UTC+3) | |
| Postal Code | 5100 | |
| Area code(s) | 0618 | |
| Website | Official website | |
Gorna Oryahovitsa (Bulgarian: Горна Оряховица) is a town in northern Bulgaria, situated in Veliko Tarnovo Province, not far from the city of Veliko Tarnovo. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous Gorna Oryahovitsa Municipality. As of December 2009, the town has a population of 32,436 inhabitants.
The nearby village of Arbanasi is an architectural reserve with a large number of historical monuments, such as medieval churches and examples of the Bulgarian National Revival architecture.
The first settlement in the area dates back to the second half of the 5th millennium BC (Middle Neolithic Age). There are traces of a later Thracian settlement between the Kamaka (The Stone) Hill and the Arbanasi Plateau. Its inhabitants were from the tribe of Krobizi. They erected the Kamaka Fortress that existed from the 5th century BC to the 1st century BC, when the Romans built up their own fortified settlement over its ruins. It gradually acquired economic power mainly through cultivating grapes and producing wine. The life of that settlement continued up to the coming of the Slavs (6th–7th century). There is no substantial evidence of settled life between the 7th and the 12th century.
After the restoration of the Bulgarian State at the end of the 12th century, a need arose for protection of the new metropolis Tarnovgrad. Several fortresses were built, including Rahovets (4 kilometres (2 miles) northwest of the modern town). The main purpose of the strongholds was to protect the roads leading to the Bulgarian capital Tarnovgrad. The name Rahovets means 'road fortress' (from Persian rah, meaning 'road'). The medieval fortress gave its name to the modern town, even though with some Slavic twist. They were well known for their mushroom farming at the time. This proved to be a good method of income for the town.
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Wikipedia