Karlovo Location: The municipality of Karlovo is located in the central part of Bulgaria and is in the northern part of the district of Plovdiv. It comprises 1030 sq km which is about 1% of the country's territories. On the north it border with Lovech municipality, on the east with Pavel Bania, on the south with Brezovo, Hissar and Kaloian municipalities. The municipality is located at the northern part of the Karlovska Valley at 520 meters above sea level. The area is surrounded by mountains - the Stara Planina, Troyanska and Kaloferska Mountains and on the south by the Sredna gora and Syrnena Gora Mountains. This determines the climate as transitional continental. Compared to other valleys, it is warmer and milder. The average annual temperature is 11.4 C. The municipality of Karlovo is located in the rose valley and includes a bigger part of the National park - Central Balkans. There are a number of waterfalls located at the reserves of Dzhendema and Stara Reka. The most beautiful of them are the Raiskoto pryskalo (The paradise sprinkler) at 1700 meters above sea level and the Big Dzhandemski Waterfall located 1450 meters above sea level. In the Stara Reka reserve, one can see more than 45 plants threatened with extension. All of them are included in the Red book and 20 species are residing only here in Bulgaria. The municipality has population of 70278 and 25000 of them live in the town of Karlovo. The main occupation in Karlovo is associated with the production of rose oil. The vast rose fields are emblematic for the area. History: The oldest life signs found in Karlovo area, date back from the Neolith era about VI thousand years B.C. There was a Neolithic settlement in the locale of Iasy Tepe west of Karlovo. I-IV century and the late antiquity IV-VI are characterized with massive construction all over Karlovo valley. The Romans built roads, road facilities, and fortresses. The main road connecting the Black Sea and Serdika was passing north of modern Karlovo. In order to protect the road the Romans built a number of fortresses called kale. Some of them are the Karlovo Kale and the Sushitsko Kale which continued to function till XII - XIV.
During medieval times, there were a number of settlements near modern Karlovo. One of them was located near the area Sveti Pantaleimon and most probably was the medieval Bulgarian town Sushitsa. Another one is the town called Kopsis. There is another medieval necropolis in the quarter of Badalemika in the west part of the town. There was a medieval monastery Sveti Spas situated at the foot of the Balkan Mountain itself. In the 1370s the Karlovo Valley was conquered by the Ottoman Empire. At the end of the XV century the sultan endowed his army leader Kalry Ali Bei with these territories. The Bei later on built a mosque using the remains from the Sveti Spas monastery. This is the oldest preserved Architectural Monument in the town. The name of the settlement most probably comes from the Bei's last name Karly - the land of Karly or Karlovo. The town reaches its economical and spiritual peak during the Revival era. The crafts are developed - cultivation and production of rose oil. This was exported to England, France, Tsarigrad. Another well developed craft was the copper vessels creation as well as goldsmith, blacksmith, silk production, shoe production and many others. In the mid of XIX, two big churches were built - Saint Nikolai and Sveta Bogoroditsa. The first school in Karlovo was established in 1810. Something Karlovo should be proud with is the Evlogi and Hristo Georgievi brothers. They donated properties and funds in Sofia for the creation of the biggest university in Bulgaria - Sofia University St Kliment Ohridski. It is also the birthplace of the Apostle of Freedom - Vasil Levski. Landmarks: Interesting things to see are the authentic old houses in Karlovo. 115 of them are pronounced cultural monuments and are turned into museum houses. They are in the typical for Bulgaria style with wood-carved ceilings, ornamented gates and frescoes on the stone walls. Kurshum Mosque was built in 1845 from the remains of the Bulgarian Monsatery Sveti Spas. The first town school was renovated and turned into the town historical museum. It is situated in the Old city next to the monument of Vasil Levski. More than 5 waterfalls in the National parks are also worth visiting. Those include the Raiskoto Pryskalo (Paradise Sprinker) and Suchurum Waterfall. Karlovski Bani (Baths) - a balneological resort of national significance. Besides the mineral water, there is also a source of curative mud. |