History

Terms information

Strandja mountain with a rich history preserved in the land and spiritual spaces succession of several civilizations.
The oldest traces of life in the mountains - stone axes and pottery fragments found on Ahtopol peninsula, dating from the Neolithic and mednokamennata ages (6-3 mil.).

Called centuries Tratonzos, Salmidessos, Mons Astikus, Haemimont, Paroria a number of reasons Strandja remains almost unknown in historical and geographical terms in the ancient world. More data about Strandja coast, which in the Bronze and Early Iron Age was called Salmidessos.

By the middle of the 1st millennium BC. mountain is inhabited by Thracian tribes tins and asts, subject to the Odrysian kingdom. Thracians inhabited Salmidessos (now Media, Turkey) centuries inspire terror of seafarers with cruel pirate raids. Tiny you are the most warlike of all the tribes and most experienced in night attacks. Name nose Tiniada (today Ineada, Turkey) derives from their tribal name.

After the collapse of Odryssae country in the last two centuries BC., Vashti create their own state here - Asteysko kingdom with its capital city Bizia (today Vize, Turkey).

In the early Iron Age (XII - VI century BC). Thracians profess religious cults outdoors, often among rocks. The basis of these beliefs is the worship of the sun god, rooted in them back in the Bronze Age. Even today this belief is preserved in Strandja - preserved in rock temples, sanctuaries and altars in archaic folklore obichai.Edna of the most important features of the mountain and its coast is the presence of megalithic culture. From the time of the Thracians remain scattered throughout Strandja stone tombs known as dolmens. Constructed entirely of huge nyakolkotonni stone. Amazingly survived the millennia, unfortunately many of them were destroyed in the civilized twentieth century by treasure hunters or ignorance. Studied in Strandja dolmens dating from the I-st millennium BC.

3 km southwest of the town of Malko Tarnovo is the most famous monument of the ancient Thracian culture in Strandja - the domed tomb-shrine in Mishkova levels. It has evolved over the centuries by dolmen krepis and earth mound to monumental temple-mausoleum. Finished in the Roman era (II - III century AD). Huge marble blocks, it is used as a place of worship of mythical ancestor-heroes and Temple of Apollo-Aulariok.Kato coastal mountain Strandja is inextricably linked to water and sea. Rich ore and marble deposits and thick oak forests that supply abundant and quality material for shipbuilding, creating an environment for the development of ore-mining on shipping and trade. No chance in 610 BC. on a small peninsula in northern Strandja was founded the famous ancient Greek colony of Apollonia (Sozopol dn.gr.). More than 60 were studied remains of Thracian fortresses of Strandja testifying to the endless intertribal rivalries, conflicts and foreign invasions all I thousand BC . Xp. Built with massive walls of large stones without mortar. Such are the "Big Kale" near the village of Youth, "Gradishteto" near the village of Bulgari, three fortresses around Brodilovo, "Big gradishte" southwest of Malko Tarnovo and others. Some of the equipment used in the Middle Ages.

In 45 AD. Rome finally absorbs Asteyskoto kingdom and includes land in the newly established Roman province of Thrace. Roman rule in Strandja Mountain is attested at hundreds of locations through cemeteries, subway stations and antique buildings. In Propada large Thracian necropolis uniquely combines four different types of tombs dating from the II - IV century AD.

In Roman times the Strandja develop in large scale mining and metallurgy. In m cinder end Rezovo is the largest deposit in the country of ancient slag (cinder), volume hundreds of thousands of tons.

The rocky shores of rivers Veleka Rezovska are the ruins of a number of small early Byzantine fortresses. They are part of a major defense system of fortifications of the Roman Emperor Justinian the Great (527-565 AD). Built against Avars and Slavic invasions.

First Strandja is included in the Bulgarian state in 705 Khan Tervel. Century earlier mountain already inhabited by Slavs, mixed with numerous Thracian population survived. After 705 mountain probably settled proto military colonists border guard. According to Prof. Dimitrov Strandja village of Bulgari was founded by their heirs.

Res 971, at the beginning of the conquest of Bulgaria, for two centuries Strandja becomes Byzantine province, but reserves the Bulgarian character.

During the Second Bulgarian Kingdom ongoing Bulgarian-Byzantine war she was "transferred" sometimes Byzantine, now in Bulgarian hands. Boundary moves north or south of the mountain, but mostly runs along its central bilo.Prez 1308 in Strandja passages pass Catalan, Spanish mercenaries Byzantine service, which then buntopustoshavat Eastern Thrace and together with Turkish allies invaded southern Bulgaria . To their defeat by Bulgarian troops they carry untold atrocities, the memory of which is preserved to this day, 700 years after sabitiyata.Kam 1369 the Turks conquered the whole of eastern Thrace and immediately thereafter Strandja Black Sea with its cities. From this point on the coast several times was conquered by them and for many reasons again returned to Byzantium until its destruction in 1453 g.Prez first centuries of slavery, the majority of villages in Strandja are "soldiers" - supplied auxiliary troops of the Turkish Army others are "derventdzhiyski" - have a duty to guard the mountain passes. Such villages are exempt from some taxes, while men had the right to bear arms - a status that was maintained until the early nineteenth century. At the same time creates pravilegirovanata Hasekiyata area including 17 villages, mostly situated in the Bosnian mountain ridge. It Muslims had no right to settle.

During the last centuries of Ottoman rule one of the most tragic moments in the history of Strandja population is called. "Karaevrenska catastrophe" (1803g., s.Bliznak) when Kardzhalimen hordes ignite the tower of the local spahi and it burned alive hundreds of people. This tragedy leaves such an impression in people's consciousness that is recreated in dozens of folk songs and legends.
At this time in Strandja and surrounding lands rampant outfit voivodi Valchan Ince. More legends of treasures of Valchan leader hiding somewhere in the mountain caves.

To save his life during Kardzhalimen attacks (1785-1810), Strandja mass population was forced to flee - to Istanbul and Edirne to the south or to the north of Sozopol harbor, where in 1806 and 1807 across the Russian fleet transports refugees to Yuzhno ports. Rendering armed assistance to Russia in the Russo-Turkish War of 1828-29, and the return of the Turks caused a new wave of refugees. Displaced targets families, even villages, for a period of about 30 years (1800-1830), the number of immigrants from all over southeastern Bulgaria, including and Strandja exceeds 130,000 people. And today in southern Ukraine, Crimea and Moldova there are dozens of villages Thracian refugees, many of which bear the names of their old settlements. One of the neighborhoods of the town of Nikolaev in Ukraine says "Ternóvka" - 170 years ago it was settled by refugees from the town of Malko Tarnovo.

After the liberation of Bulgaria in 1878, the Treaty of Berlin returns Strandja in the Ottoman Empire. New emigration wave is directed this time to free Bulgaria and the remainder in Strandja and Eastern Thrace population continues struggle for national freedom. Under the direction of the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization in whole mount up revolutionary committees entering bands Fighting erupts. On June 29, 1903 in the area Pétrova levels IMRO decided to declare uprising. It broke out on 5 August (day Transfiguration of Christ) in support of the outbreak two weeks ago in Macedonia Ilinden Uprising.

Without any chance of success against the overwhelming superiority of the enemy in close proximity to the capital of the Ottoman Empire, Strandja sacrifice to help the insurgent Macedonian counterparts and show the world intransigence toward slavery. For a few days Strandja is released. Objectives 26 days last epic struggle of a few thousand poorly armed rebels against the 40-strong regular Turkish army and irregulars uncounted. The glow of fires hangs over the mountain - burned more than 60 villages, thousands of old men, women and children were killed or kidnapped. Three-quarters of the population left the homeland and found refuge in Bulgaria.
Eventual accession of Bulgarian Strandja today to become homeland after disastrous war among Bulgaria in 1913.