Razgrad

Razgrad Разград
Razgrad at night
Coat of arms
Razgrad Location of Razgrad
Coordinates: 43°32′N 26°31′E / 43.533°N 26.517°E / 43.533; 26.517Coordinates: 43°32′N 26°31′E / 43.533°N 26.517°E / 43.533; 26.517
Country	Bulgaria
Province (Oblast)	Razgrad
Government
• Mayor	Dencho Boyadzhiev
Elevation	200 m (700 ft)
Population (Census February 2011)[1]
• City	33,238
• Urban	49,872
Time zone	EET (UTC+2)
• Summer (DST)	EEST (UTC+3)
Postal Code	7200
Area code(s)	084
Website	www.razgrad-bg.org

Razgrad (Bulgarian: Разград [razˈɡrad] ( listen)) is a city in northeastern Bulgaria, administrative and industrial centre of the homonymous Razgrad Province. As of February 2011, it has a population of 33,238 inhabitants.^[1]

History

Razgrad was built upon the ruins of the Ancient Roman town of Abritus on the banks of the Beli Lom river. Razgrad Province has one of the densest Turkish populations in Bulgaria, with 27% of the municipality (which also includes 22 villages) 's citizens declaring to be Turks in 1998. An absolute majority of 69% are Bulgarians, with the remaining 4% being composed for the most part of Roma.

Some of Razgrad's landmarks include the Varosha architectural complex from the 19th century, the ethnographic museum and several other museums, the characteristic clock tower in the centre built in 1864, the St Nicholas the Miracle Worker Church from 1860, the Momina cheshma sculpture, the Mausoleum Ossuary of the Liberators (1879–1880) and the Ibrahim Pasha Mosque from 1530. The mosque is said to be the third largest one in the Balkans (excluding Istanbul) and its reconstruction has still not been completed, having begun in Socialist times.

In 251, the town was the site of the Battle of Abrittus, during which the Goths defeated a Roman army under the emperors Trajan Decius and Herennius Etruscus. The battle is notable for being the first occasion of a Roman emperor being killed in a battle with barbarians.

The name of the city was Hezargrad^{[citation needed]} in the Ottoman times. Razgrad Peak on Greenwich Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica is named after Razgrad.

Population

According to census 2011, Razgrad has a population of 33,238 inhabitants as of February 2011.^[1] The number of the residents of the city reached its peak in the period 1988-1991 when exceeded 55,000.^[2] The following table presents the change of the population after the liberation of the country in 1878.

Twin towns — sister cities

Razgrad is twinned with:

• Oryol, Russia (since 1968)
• Wittenberge, Germany (since 2001)
• Armagh, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom (since 1995)
• Châlons-en-Champagne, France (since 1975)
• Avcılar, Istanbul, Turkey (since 2000)
• Yangzhou, People's Republic of China (since 2000)
• Brunswick, Ohio, United States (since 1998)
• Assen, Netherlands (since 2006)

Gallery

• 

  Clock tower of Razgrad

• 

  View of Razgrad

• 

  Ibrahim Pasha Mosque in central Razgrad

• 

  Clock tower of Razgrad

References

External links

• the news from Razgrad and Razgrad district
• Razgrad municipality website

v t e Cities and towns of Bulgaria 1,000,000+ Sofia (capital) 300,000+ Plovdiv Varna 100,000+ Burgas Pleven Ruse Stara Zagora 50,000+ Asenovgrad Blagoevgrad Dobrich Gabrovo Haskovo Pazardzhik Pernik Sliven Shumen Veliko Tarnovo Vratsa Yambol 20,000+ Aytos Botevgrad Dimitrovgrad Dupnitsa Gorna Oryahovitsa Karlovo Kardzhali Kazanlak Kyustendil Lom Lovech Montana Nova Zagora Petrich Razgrad Samokov Sandanski Sevlievo Silistra Smolyan Svishtov Targovishte Troyan Velingrad Vidin 10,000+ Balchik Bankya Bansko Berkovitsa Byala, Rousse Province Byala Slatina Cherven Bryag Chirpan Elhovo Etropole Gotse Delchev Harmanli Ihtiman Isperih Karnobat Kavarna Knezha Kostinbrod Kozloduy Kubrat Levski Mezdra Momchilgrad Nesebar Novi Iskar Novi Pazar Panagyurishte Parvomay Pavlikeni Peshtera Pomorie Popovo Provadiya Radnevo Radomir Rakovski Razlog Stamboliyski Svilengrad Teteven 5,000+ Aksakovo Ardino Belene Belogradchik Beloslav Bobov Dol Chepelare Dalgopol Devin Devnya Dolni Chiflik Dragoman Dryanovo Dulovo Dzhebel Elena Elin Pelin Galabovo General Toshevo Hisarya Kameno Koynare Kostenets Kotel Krichim Krumovgrad Kuklen Lukovit Lyubimets Lyaskovets Madan Nedelino Omurtag Oryahovo Perushtitsa Pirdop Polski Trumbesh Rakitovo Saedinenie Septemvri Simeonovgrad Simitli Slivnitsa Sopot Sredets Straldzha Strazhitsa Suvorovo Svoge Tervel Topolovgrad Tryavna Tsarevo Tutrakan Tvarditsa Varshets Vetovo Veliki Preslav Yakoruda Zlatitsa Zlatograd Under 5,000 Ahtopol Alfatar Antonovo Apriltsi Balgarovo Batak Batanovtsi Belitsa Belovo Boboshevo Bolyarovo Borovo Boychinovtsi Bozhurishte Bratsigovo Bregovo Breznik Brusartsi Byala, Varna Province Byala Cherkva Chiprovtsi Debelets Dimovo Dobrinishte Dolna Banya Dolna Mitropoliya Dolna Oryahovitsa Dolni Dubnik Dospat Dunavtsi Dve Mogili Glavinitsa Glodzhevo Godech Gramada Gulyantsi Gurkovo Hadzhidimovo Iskar Ivaylovgrad Kableshkovo Kalofer Kaolinovo Kaspichan Kermen Kilifarevo Kiten Klisura Kocherinovo Koprivshtitsa Kostandovo Kresna Krivodol Kula Laki Letnitsa Loznitsa Madzharovo Maglizh Malko Turnovo Marten Melnik Merichleri Miziya Momin Prohod Nikolaevo Nikopol Obzor Opaka Pavel Banya Plachkovtsi Pliska Pordim Pravets Primorsko Rila Roman Rudozem Sadovo Sapareva Banya Sarnitsa Senovo Shabla Shipka Shivachevo Slavyanovo Slivo Pole Smyadovo Sozopol Strelcha Suhindol Sungurlare Sveti Vlas Tran Trastenik Tsar Kaloyan Ugarchin Vetren Valchedram Valchi Dol Varbitsa Yablanitsa Zavet Zemen Zlataritsa

v t e Municipality of Razgrad Capital: Razgrad Villages Balkanski, Blagoevo, Cherkovna, Dryanovets, Dyankovo, Getsovo, Kichenitsa, Lipnik, Mortagonovo, Nedoklan, Osenets, Ostrovche, Pobit Kamak, Poroishte, Prostorno, Radingrad, Rakovski, Strazhets, Topchii, Ushintsi, Yasenovets Landmarks Abritus Culture Battle of Abrittus Notable people Ivan Vedar, Petur Gabrovski, Dimitar Nenov, Nikolay Antonov