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Northeast Bulgaria > Provadia > History
History of ProvadiaThe town is a successor of the Byzantine fortress Provaton (Provat) of 5th century, which in Greek means sheep. The Bulgarian medieval fortification town on the same place was called Ovech. The remains of these fortresses can be found right above the town in the region of Tashhisar. In different documents the town appeared with the names of Bourfanto and Ovechgrad.
In 13th-14th centuries the town was a prospering crafts and trading centre. Traders from Doubrovnik and Armenia came here to do business. Ovech was among the most important metropolitan centres in Bulgaria together with Tarnovo, Preslav, Cherven, Drustur, and Sredets. It was also called Purvada, Pravada but after all the present day name of Provadia was kept which sounds similar to the first Greek name of the settlement. For decades on end this had been the place where the famous singing carts (over 3000 per year) were made; Yordan Yovkov glorified those in such a poetical manner. In 1844 the St. Nichola Church was erected, and in 1849 a secular school was opened with R. Bluskov as a first teacher there.
After the Liberation Provadia underwent a brisk development and now it is the west branch of the industrial axis Varna-Devnya-Provadia. Six kilometres south-east near the railway station of Mirovo is one of the biggest rock salt deposits in the country (about 3900 m deep), which serves for the production of cooking salt. All travellers that had once visited the town had been fascinated by its beauty - In my opinion there isnt a more wonderful place than this, A remarkable place, A town having too nice a view, An incomparable town!
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