RAZGRAD

Razgrad Province (Област Разград) is a province in northeastern Bulgaria. The province is geographically part of the Ludogorie region.The population is 152,417 and the main ethnic group are the Turks (71,963), Bulgarians (67,069) and Roma (8,733).
   Razgrad district and the region of Ludogorie includes the Ludogorsko plateau. It is situated in the Northeastern Bulgaria. The region is distinguished for its rich cultural heritage and marvelous places for recreation.
The towns in the district are Razgrad, Isperih ,Kubrat ,Zavet ,Loznitza,Samuil and Tzar Kaloyan.
Picturesquely situated on the banks of Beli Lom river the town of Razgrad offers excellent opportunities for cultural tourism. Very interesting are the history museum of "Abritus"which hoststhe largest Bulgarian golden treasure of coins,the archeological museum,the mosque of 'Ibrahim Pasha', the clock tower and the "Momina fountain" (Maiden's fountain).Not far away from the town are situated the historic place of Hissarlaka,where are over 30 tombs and archaeological finds,the archeological reserve of 'Abritus'(an ancient Roman town)and etc.
An important part of the cultural and historical heritage of Bulgaria are the archeological complex of Sboryanovo,near town of Isperih, the Thracian tomb of Sveshtari situated there which is under UNESCO protection, and the archeological museum in the village of "Pobiti kamani".,near town of Razgrad .
Marvelous opportunities for recreation and tourism close to nature, fishing and hunting in the region offer the hunting reserves of "Voden" and "Palamara", near Razgrad, the Pchelina area and the dam of "Beli lom".
The Razgrad municipality is situated along the valley of the "Beli Lom" river in the direction Southeast - Northwest, 60 km(40 miles) away from town of Rousse, 130 km(80 miles) away from town of Varna, 55 km (37miles) away from town of Shoumen and 36 km (22 miles)away from town of Targovishte. The first class road Rousse - Varna and a railway line which are the shortest strategic connection between The Danube and the Black Sea, pass through the municipality's administrative centre. By the statistics from 1999 the town of Razgrad has 53576 inhabitants.
HISTORY
   The archaeologists have not determined Razgrad's birth date with precision yet. It is only certain that people have inhabited the picturesque valley of the Beli Lom River, cutting the town in two, since ancient time. The three prehistoric settlement mounds in the town's environs testify to that. The thirty burial mounds and the archaeological finds in the Hissarlaka area prove that there was a busy settlement there as early as the ancient Thracians' time.
Centuries later, the Romans built upon the ruins of the Thracian settlement the strategic town Abritus fortress, whose name was connected with their bloody battle with the tripes of Goths in 251, in which Emperor Derius Traianus himself was killed. The Battle of Abrittus (now Razgrad, Bulgaria), also known as the Battle of Forum Terebronii, occurred in Scythia Minor in early June, 251, between the Roman Empire and Goths under King Cniva. The Romans were defeated, and Emperors Decius and his son Herennius Etruscus were both killed during battle, largely owing to the failure of the general Trebonianus Gallus to attack aggressively. Decius became the first Roman emperor killed in a battle with barbarians. Gallus, who became emperor upon Decius' death, negotiated a treaty with the Goths under duress, which allowed them to keep their booty and return to their homes on the other side of the Danube, while at the same time promising an annual tribute in return for the Goths' promise to respect Roman territory.
            The 835 gold coins (4 kg,about 8 pounds) from the 5th century are a remnant of that civilization. This is the largest gold coin treasure in Bulgaria. The local historical museum also possesses the Golden Pegasus:
the collective find of Thracian bronze relieves, etc.
The predecessor of Razgrad wasthe medieval Bulgarian settlement Hrasgrad of thе 8th century, whose name it inherited.After the Ottoman Empire conquered Bulgaria at the end of c.14,the invaders wrote the settlement's name as Hezargrad, Hezezgrad or Hrazgrad, while the Bulgarians called it Razgrad. There are two cultural monuments from the time of the Ottomans in Razgrad - the Ibrahim pasha mosque (1616),a work of the local Bulgarians' building genius, and the Clock Tower, which is a symbol of the town.
TOURISM
The town has its rest objects, of which especially important are the rest zones in the Pchelina area, the youth park and the town park. Specific rest objects are the dam lakes, which are the citizens' favorite places for fishing and rest.
The attractive tourist objects situated on the municipality's territory – the Voden hunting reserve, the Pchelina area, the archaeological complex Sboryanovo and the Sveshtarska grobnitsa (a sepulchre) in it, the remains of the antique town of Abritus and the Ethnographical Museum in the village of Pobit Kamak - are a potential for attracting investments into tourism, which is not a traditional branch of the region's economy.
CULTURAL LANDMARKS
The development of the museum work is an important factor in the development of the region's culture through the years. Its beginning was laid as early as 9 years after the National Liberation in 1878 by the botanist and public worker Acad. Anani Yavashev, who was born in Razgrad.
The Historical Museum, founded by him in 1887, now is works with and popularizes over 53 000 movable cultural monuments. The largest exhibition is the archaeological, which has a depository, a specialized library, restoration studios and a photographic darkroom. There are also the specialized museums “Dimitar Nenov” and “Stanka and Nikola Ikonomovi”.
The temple “Sv. Nikolay Choudotvorets” (1860) -the first dome basilica to be built in the town - is also among the monuments of the National and the Church Revival of Razgrad in c. 19.
The Momina Cheshma (The Lass' Fountain) (1885) is also a symbol of the town. This original and exquisitely worked cast-iron statue of a girl in a classic style is the only female figure of its kind in Bulgaria.
The archaeological reservation Abritus with an area of 1 000 dka. is a cultural monument of national importance. The settlement is of the Roman era (c. 1-4 AD). Part of the south necropolis with graves from c. 2-4, a fortified wall from c. 3, buildings' foundations, etc. have been researched.
Isperih (Bulgarian: Исперих; Turkish: Kemallar) is a town in northeastern Bulgaria, part of Razgrad Province and situated in the central part of the Ludogorie region. It was called Kemallar during the Ottoman rule of Bulgaria and was later renamed in honour of Bulgarian khan Asparuh, whose name in Slavic was Isperih.
The town has a mixed population of Bulgarians and Turks, with an Orthodox church and a mosque being present. Isperih emerged in 1545 at the place of a medieval settlement, with the earliest known traces of human presence in the area dating from the Bronze Age. The village was first mentioned as Kemallar in an Ottoman tax register from 1573 and was renamed Isperih in 1934, becoming a town on 31 January 1960.
The Thracian Tomb of Sveshtari, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is located nearby. Another landmark in the area is the 17th-century Bektashi Demir Baba Tekke, uniting Bektashi, Sunni, Christian and pagan traditions.
Kubrat (Bulgarian: Кубрат; Turkish: Balbunar) is a town in northeastern Bulgaria, part of Razgrad Province, named after Bulgar ruler Kubrat. It is part of the Ludogorie region.
The first documented mention of the city is from 1624, while the legend says it was founded in the 15th century. During the Ottoman rule of Bulgaria, it was known as Balbunar ("copper well") in Turkish, as the town was centred around the Copper Well that is now the town square. A primary school was founded in 1890 and the Cyril and Methodius community centre (chitalishte) followed on 4 May 1891. The then-village acquired its present name in 1934 and was proclaimed a town in 1949.
A notable native is famous singer Lili Ivanova. The population is ethnically mixed, the two main groups being the Bulgarians and the Turks.
Tsar Kaloyan (Bulgarian: Цар Калоян) is a town located in the north-east of Bulgaria mid-way between Razgrad and Rousse. It was known as Hlebarovo before 1989. The town has a population of around 5.000, and is located at 43°37?N 26°15?E.

Glittery texts by bigoo.ws

Razgrad Peak (Vrah Razgrad \'vr&h 'raz-grad\) is an ice-covered peak rising to 550m in Breznik Heights, Greenwich Island, Antarctica. The peak is located 650 m SE of Terter Peak, 1.8 km SW of Momchil Peak, 2.9 km W of the summit of Viskyar Ridge, and 1 km N of the summit of Ephraim Bluff.
The peak is named after the city of Razgrad