Preslav Fortress (Преслав)

The origins of settlement in Preslav date back to Thracian tribes in the 13th to 14th centuries BC, before a Slavic settlement developed here. After the founding of the First Bulgarian Empire around 678 through the unification of Slavic tribes with the Proto-Bulgarians, Preslav gained importance as a military stronghold. Under rulers Khan Krum and Omurtag, the fortress was expanded to secure the Varbitsa Pass. In 893, Tsar Simeon I the Great moved the imperial capital from Pliska to Preslav, after which the city experienced a golden age. It became a center of written culture and Orthodox faith, with the construction of a patriarchal palace in 927. It is believed that the Cyrillic alphabet originated here around the mid-10th century. After being plundered by Sviatoslav I around 970 and subsequently destroyed by the Byzantines in 972, Preslav lost its capital function. In the Second Bulgarian Empire, the site again served as a military camp until the last inhabitants left the fortress in the 13th century and founded a new town. The final destruction occurred in 1388 by the Ottomans.

The Fortress of Preslav is located in Veliki Preslav, in the Shumen district, Bulgaria, at an elevation of approximately 137 m above sea level.