The Rock-hewn Churches of Ivanovo (Bulgarian: Ивановски скални църкви, Ivanovski skalni tsarkvi) are a group of monolithic churches, chapels and monasteries hewn out of solid rock and completely different from other monastery complexes in Bulgaria, located near the village of Ivanovo, 20 km south of Rousse, on the high rocky banks of the Rusenski Lom, 32 m above the river. The complex is noted for its beautiful and well-preserved medieval frescoes.

The caves in the region had been inhabited by monks from the 1220s, when it was founded by the future Patriarch of Bulgaria Joachim, to the 17th century, where they hewed cells, churches and chapels out of solid rock. At the peak of the monastery complex, the number of churches was about 40, while the other premises were around 300, most of which are not preserved today.

Second Bulgarian Empire rulers such as Ivan Alexander and Ivan Asen II frequently made donations to the complex, as evidenced by donor portraits in some of the churches. Other patrons included nobles from the capital Tarnovo, with which the monastery complex had strong ties in the 13th and 14th century. It was a centre of hesychasm in the Bulgarian lands in the 14th century and continued to exist in the early centuries of the Ottoman rule of Bulgaria, but gradually decayed.

The monastery complex owes much of its fame to 13th- and 14th-century frescoes, preserved in 5 of the churches, which are thought of as wonderful examples of Bulgarian mediaeval art. The rock premises used by the monks include the St Archangel Michael Chapel (”The Buried Church”), the Baptistery, the Gospodev Dol Chapel, the St Theodore Church (”The Demolished Church”) and the main Holy Mother of God Church, with the 14th-century murals in the latter one being arguably the most famous of all in Ivanovo and noted as some of the most representative examples of Palaeologan art. Many century-old inscriptions have also been preserved in the monastical premises, including the famous indented inscription of the monk Ivo Gramatik from 1308-1309.

The Rock-hewn Churches of Ivanovo were included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1979.

The town of Teteven (400 meters above sea level) is situated on the northwest slopes of the Balkan range, on the two banks of the Beli Vit River. The population is about 12 000 people. It’s situated 115 km away from Sofia and 60 km away from Troyan.
A Thracian tribe with a rich culture inhabited the area as far back as the 7th-6th century BC. The discovered tombs and artifacts prove the existance of a Roman village in the same location. The first name of the village was Tetevian. During the Bulgarian national revival, the village flourished and was called Altin (Golden) Teteven. In 1801, the city was totally destroyed and burnt down by the Ottoman invaders.
Only 3 more than 180 year- old houses have been preserved up to the present day. These are the Bobevska, Yorgova and Hadji Ivanova houses.
Among the attractions in the town is the City Historical Museum with a big exposition of transcripts, books, crafts, etc. There is a church called St. Svetih. Very close to the city are also the “St. Prophet Elijah” Monastery of Teteven, built in the 14th century and “St. George” Monastery of Glojen from the 13th century.
The city is a starting point for many tourist routes in the Balkan range. The Ribaritsa resort with its houses, family hotels and relaxation spots, is situated 12 km to the southeast. From there, tourists can reach the summit of Vejen very quickly, the “Eho”, “George Benkovski” and “Vejen” chalets.
The city and its outskirts are included in the Central Balkan National Park. The “Buatin”, “Kosiastena” and “Carichina’ natural reserves are a part of the tourist routes.
Very close to the city is the secluded area called the Chernia (the Black) route, this is a favorite place of ornithologists. The rocks near Teteven offer excellent conditions for the fans of rock climbing and albinism.
The Saeva dupka cave is located 25 km northwest of Teteven.
Places of interest: Glozhene Monastery, Saeva dupka Cave, Troyan Monastery

Source: visitbg.net

Ihtiman is a town in western Bulgaria, part of Sofia Province. It is located in the Ihtimanska Sredna Gora mountains and lies in a valley 48 km from Sofia and 95 km from Plovdiv, close to Trakiya motorway.
Formerly a Roman defensive station guarding the important roads to the Bosphorus, Ihtiman was then called Stipon. It continued to play this role under the Byzantine Empire and the Bulgarian Empire, which however shifted its main defensive centre in the region to the Gate of Trajan hill pass.
Following the Ottoman invasion in the 14th century, the town’s name was changed to Ihtiman, which is thought to be of Ottoman Turkish origin.
The traditional and dominant religion is Eastern Orthodox Christianity.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Karlovo is a picturesque and a historically important town in central Bulgaria located in a fertile valley along the river Stryama at the southern foot of the Balkan Mountains. It is administratively part of Plovdiv Province and has a population of about 28,321 (as of 2005), the mayor being Nayden Naydenov.Karlovo is famous for the worldwide-known rose oil, which is grown there and used in producing perfume. In addition to this, Karlovo is the birthplace of Vasil Levski, the most distinguished Bulgarian to start preparing the national liberation from the Ottoman rule in the late 19th century. There is a museum and large monument dedicated to him. Karlovo is also a popular location for tourism in the region.

During the 2000s, Bulgarian archaeologists made discoveries in Central Bulgaria which were summarized as “The Valley of the Thracian Kings”. On 19 August 2005, some archaeologists announced they had found the first Thracian capital, which was situated near Karlovo in Bulgaria. A lot of polished ceramic artifacts (pieces of roof-tiles and Greek-like vases) were discovered revealing the fortune of the city. The Bulgarian Ministry of Culture declared its support to the excavations.

History
Karlovo is a successor of the medieval fortress of Kopsis, a feudal possession of Smilets of Bulgaria in the 13th-14th century and the likely capital of his brother despot?s Voysil’s short-lived realm. The modern town originated in 1483 at the place of the village of Sushitsa (still today Sushitsa is one of Karlovo’s districts), but grew in importance in the 19th century as a centre of Bulgarian culture and revolutionary activity.From 1953 until 1962, the city was called Levskigrad

Geography
Karlovo lies at 42°38?N, 24°48?E, 386 m above sea level. It is located in the Valley of Roses, famous for the big-scale production of roses. When arriving in the city, one is immediately struck by the austere beauty of the Stara Planina mountain, which virtually hangs above the city. The highest peak of this famous mountain range – Botev, 2376m – is actually pretty close to Karlovo. The city is located 140km east from the Bulgarian capital – Sofia, and 60km north from Plovdiv, the second biggest Bulgarian city and the capital of the Plovdiv Province.

Climate
The climate of the region is temperate continental, with mild and warm summers, refreshed by the wind coming down the Balkan Mountain , and snowy winters. The average January temperature is 0.1 °C (with an absolute minimum of -25.8 °C). The average July temperature is 22.9 °C (with an absolute maximum of 39.6 °C) Average total annual rainfall is 694mm, being highest in the summer (221mm) and lowest in the winter (169mm)

Infrastructure and Transport
Karlovo is located on the main road E 78, one of the two roads which connect the capital Sofia to the southern part of the Black Sea. The city is an important point on the railway between Sofia and the commercially important Black Sea port of Burgas. There are frequent trains to the second biggest railway station in the country – Plovdiv. The total road length on the territory of Karlovo municipality is 301,4 km. Karlovo is only 50km away from the most important road in Bulgaria – Trakiya motorway, which is actually the main road between Sofia and Istanbul. The international road to Bucharest is also just 50km away.

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