Second Bulgar Empire
| Second Bulgarian Empire | ||||||||||
| ц︢рьство блъгарское Второ българско царство | ||||||||||
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 Shield of the King's Watch in Tarnovo, Travel of an Anonymous Arabian Traveler, end of 14 c.
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 Bulgaria under Ivan Asen II
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| Capital |
Tarnovo (1185 –1393) Vidin and Nikopol (1393–1396) |
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| Languages | Middle Bulgarian | |||||||||
| Religion | Orthodox Christianity, Bogomilism (banned) | |||||||||
| Government | Monarchy | |||||||||
| Tsar (Emperor) | ||||||||||
| • | 1185–1190 | Peter IV (first) | ||||||||
| • | 1396 | Constantine II (last) | ||||||||
| Historical era | Middle Ages | |||||||||
| • | Reestablishment | 1185 | ||||||||
| • | Fall under Ottoman rule | 1396 | ||||||||
| Area | ||||||||||
| • | 1205 | 248,000 km2 (96,000 sq mi) | ||||||||
| • | 1241 | 477,000 km2 (184,000 sq mi) | ||||||||
| • | 1350 | 137,000 km2 (53,000 sq mi) | ||||||||
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| Today part of | ||||||||||
The Second Bulgarian Empire (Bulgarian: Второ българско царство, Vtorо Bălgarskо Tsarstvo) was a medieval Bulgarian state that existed between 1185 and 1396. A successor to the First Bulgarian Empire, it reached the peak of its power under Tsars Kaloyan and Ivan Asen II before gradually being conquered by the Ottomans in the late 14th and early 15th centuries. It was succeeded by the Principality and later Kingdom of Bulgaria in 1878.
Until 1256, the Second Bulgarian Empire was the dominant power in the Balkans, defeating the Byzantine Empire in several major battles. In 1205 Emperor Kaloyan defeated the newly established Latin Empire in the Battle of Adrianople. His nephew Ivan Asen II defeated the Despotate of Epiros and made Bulgaria a regional power again. During his reign, Bulgaria spread from the Adriatic to the Black Sea and the economy flourished. In the late 13th century, however, the Empire declined under constant invasions by Mongols, Byzantines, Hungarians, and Serbs, as well as internal unrest and revolts. The 14th century saw a temporary recovery and stability, but also the peak of Balkan feudalism as central authorities gradually lost power in many regions. Bulgaria was divided into three parts on the eve of the Ottoman invasion.
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