Tenth centuries Constantinople was assailed by no less than six invasions

During the ninth and tenth centuries Constantinople was assailed by no less than six invasions— from Bulgaria, from Hungary, and four times from Russia.

In 1096 A.D. Constantinople was visited by the Crusaders under Godfrey de Bouillon, on their way to Jerusalem. The Emperor Alexius was an assenting party to the armed confederation of western chivalry which initiated the Crusades, and, through his ambassadors, had pledged the aid of his treasures and of his troops.

But when he saw the hosts of the Christian armies collected beneath the walls of his capital, and contrasted the strength, numbers, discipline, and brilliant equipment of his allies with the too evident weakness of his own troops, he recognised his inability to resist, if, as he feared might be the case, they should be tempted from their sterner purpose by the attractions of his capital, and should prefer the substantial pleasures of the present Constantinople to the more distant and dangerous honours of the conquest of Jerusalem. However, he adopted a policy of conciliation, and, after being kept on the tenter-hooks of alternate hope and fear, had at last the satisfaction of seeing them depart.

One institution of Alexius

There is one institution of Alexius and of these later rulers of the Eastern Empire which is of special interest to Englishmen, viz. the Royal Varangian Guard. The best of the native soldiers were enrolled in battalions under the proud title of ‘ the Immortals but, partaking as they did of the general effeminacy of the nation in its decadence, they could by no means be relied upon in the field, while at home they more frequently than otherwise aided any insurrectionary risings of the citizens instead of supporting the crown.

The Greek sovereigns, therefore, maintained a number of mercenary troops. These at first consisted of the Heruli, the offscouring of the hordes of Alaric and of Attila, or of the conquered bar-barians from the coast of Africa; but were in later times composed of the adventurous mariners who, in a preceding century, had made voyages from Denmark and from the shores of the Baltic daily tours istanbul, and of a large importation from England of noble Anglo-Saxon youths, who preferred military service in a foreign court to submission to the Norman conqueror.

These English exiles were the safe-guards of the throne of Alexius, and to them he looked as being alike willing and able to help in any fray or contest with embarrassing Norman auxiliaries and allies. The Varangian Guard were the only troops which showed fight against the invaders when, in A.D. 1203, the army of Norman nobles forming the fourth Crusade turned aside from their purpose at the instance of the Republic of Venice, and, with the assistance of the Venetian galleys, attacked Constantinople simultaneously by sea and land and took the city. Willardouin, in describing this siege, says: ‘ Li murs fu mult garnis d’Anglois et de Danois.’ Henry Dandolo, the ‘ Octogenarian Chief the blind Doge of

Between Jambaz and Taxim Tepe

ANTIQUE THEATRE

Trimontium’s antique theatre lies on the low ground between Jambaz and Taxim Tepe. Archaeological excavations have uncovered one of the best-preserved antique theatres in the world, built at the beginning of the 2nd c. during Emperor Trayan’s rule. The theatron, the spectators’ section, is amphitheatrical, in two semi-circles with a wide horizontal aisle in between. Each tier has 14 rows of marble seats divided into sectors by aisles. The area of the stage excels in architectural design. The skene at the back is a two-storey structure with lateral wings ending in imposing triangular pediments.

Inscriptions and exquisite statues found Antique Theatre of Philippopolis on the site have been incorporated in the architecture of the building. The theatre must have seated 5 to 7 thousand people. A fire or an earthquake at the end of the 4th c. caused irreparable damage to this remarkable antique building. The splendid skene was completely demolished, just 20 out of the 28 rows of the theatron survived. In spite of the serious destruction, archaeological research made it possible to execute a successful restoration. Now the ancient building has been entirely adapted to the contemporary cultural functions of Plovdiv and it shows various performances before an audience of 5000 people.

ANTIQUE STADIUM

The imposing remains of the stadium of Philippopolis (Trimontium) were discovered under the square west of Jumaya Mosque (Friday Mosque). Part of them is now displayed below the level of the busy street. The majestic structure measures 1000 Roman steps in length (250m) by 250 steps in width (74m). The main entrance into the stadium is below the junction of Knyaz Alexander I Street and Dr Valkovitch Street. It was designed in the solemn style of Asia Minor cities like Miletus holidays bulgaria, Ephesus and Aspendos. The seats arranged in 14 marble, amphitheatrical rows stand on supports decorated with high relief lions’ paws. The major part of the stadium is occupied by the racetrack whose length is 600 Roman steps.

It starts at the main entrance and reaches the northern side turning into a bend to accommodate chariot-racing. Part of this sector is displayed under street level and under the open sky. The marble seats and the track are clearly identifiable. In the middle of the bend there is an arched corridor leading out into a street built of large syenite slabs. You can see the impressive bases of the columns supporting the aqueduct, which fed the large reservoir on Taxim Tepe with water from the Rhodope Mountains.

During Philippopolis’ apogee (2nd -4th c.) the Antique (Roman) stadium was the venue of the traditional athletic games organized in honour of the god Apollo and Alexander of Macedon. After the Emperor Theodosius the Great suspended the games at the end of the 4th c. the Philippopolis stadium was used as a hippodrome. The final information about it comes from the Byzantine autheress Anna Comnenus (end of the 11thc.) who was deeply impressed . by what had remained of the Roman stadium. In its heyday the stadium could seat thirty thousand spectators and was one of the major public facilities in ancient Philippopolis.

Iskra library club

One of the country’s most famous cultural institutes is the Iskra library club, founded in 1873 with library, theatre, cinema, and a museum with valuable exhibits. Here is also the famous Kazanluk Thracian Tomb, a unique monument of ancient Thracian art. It is believed that a prominent Thracian chieftain was buried in the tomb in the 4th-3rd century B.C. It consists of an antechamber, a stone corridor and a domed chamber. The frescoes on the walls, the corridor ceiling and the dome are kept at constant air temperature and humidity. The tomb is under the protection of UNESCO. There is a model nearby which is open to visitors.

Hotels: Kazanluk, 3 stars, 199 rooms, tel. 2-72-10; Roza, 2 stars, 1 Tolbukhin Rlvd.; Zomitsa, 2 stars, tel. 2-23-84.

Motel: Krunska Koriya, 2 stars, restaurant, 5 km from the town.

Camp sites: Krunska Koriya, 1 star, 5 km from the town. 12 km north of Kazanluk along the E-85 road at the very foot of the Balkan Range are the golden domes of the impressive church built 1897-1902 in memory of those who died in the Russo-Turkish War of Liberation 1877-78 private tour istanbul. The iconostasis of gilded woodwork was made in Moscow as were the bells while the icons were painted at the Panteleimon Monastery on Mount Athos, Greece. Part of the frescoes are from 1902 while the rest were painted in 1959.

Mount Shipka

A road leads up Mount Shipka to the granite monument to the handful of Russians and Bulgarians defending the Shipka Pass against the 35.000-strong army of Suleiman Pasha. The monument contains the remains of the defenders of the pass.

The neighbouring peak, Bouzloudja, has a huge monument to Communism and Socialism.

East along E-772 is the village of Muglizh (pop. 5,500; where the September uprising against fascism broke out in 1923. Sliven (pop. 98,000) is situated at the foot of the Eastern Balkan Range. The Blue Stones (a picturesque rock area) tower over the town. Sliven was first mentioned in the journal of the Arabian traveller, Idrissi, 1153, but archaeological studies in the area show there was a settlement in Roman times. Bulgaria’s first textile mills were opened here in 1834.

Tourist attractions:

Monument to Hadji Dimiter in the town centre.

Monument to the Soviet Army stands on Haman Bair hill in a park south of the town.

Bust of Dobri Zhelyazkov in the town centre.

Bust of Dobri Chintoulov in Hadji Dimiter’s Square.

Bust of Subi Dimitrov — Sliven’s favourite who when sur-rounded by police in 1941 killed himself so as not to fall into their hands.

Rousski Square

Hotels: Vitosha New Otani (five star), 100. Anton Ivanov Street — tel. 62-41-51, with a night club — panoramic restaurant on the 19th floor, bowling alley Bulgarian restaurant and Japanese restaurant, Rodina 4, Rousski Square (four star), twenty-storeyed building with 1,053 beds, 42 single rooms, 487 double rooms and seven suites. Large and nine smaller ones, swimming pool, sauna, solarium, shops, underground garage for 220 cars, Novotel £vropay 1.31 Georgi Dimitrov Blvd. — tel. 3-12-61, (four star) sixteen-storey 586 double rooms, seven suites, restaurant, night club, shops (inch Corecom), covered parking, rent-a-car service. Grand Hotel Sofia, Narodno Sobranie Square, (three star) five-storeyed building — tel. 87-88-21. 25 single rooms, 145 double rooms, restaurant, bar, night club, tavern, Corecom shop, parking, exchange bureaux and rent-a-car service.

Park Hotel Moskva, 25 Nezabravka Street — tel. 7-12-61, eighteen-storey building with 34 single rooms, 327 double rooms, 28 suites, restaurant, bar and night club, panoramic restaurant and tavem;

Grand Hotel Balkan, 2 Lenin Square — tel. 87-65-43; Grand Hotel Bulgaria, 2 Rousski Blvd — tel. 87-19-77; Hemus,

31 Georgi Traikov Blvd. — tel. 66-14-15; Serdica, 2 Vladimir Zaimov Blvd. — tel. 44-34-11; Pliska. 87 Lenin Blvd. — tel. 72-37-21; Prostor, in Mount Vitosha — tel. 6548-81; Shtastli- vetsa, in Mount Vitosha — tel. 66-50-24; Kopito, in Mount Vitosha — tel. 57-12-56.

Tourist organizations

— Balkantourist, with the Bulgarian Tourist and Recreation Association, 1 Vitosha Blvd. — tel. 88-3141, telex — 22583, 22584. Balkantourist offers hotels, motels, camping sites, private lodgings, villas, restaurants, bars, night clubs, coffee houses and provides guides and interpreters.

Tourist Service — Balkantourist, 37 Dondukov Blvd., tel. 8844-30, telex — 22488; Shipka — travel agency, Central Council of the Union of Bulgarian Motorists, 6 St. Sophia Street — tel. 87-88-01; Orbita — Bureau for International Youth Tourism, 45a Alexander Stamboliiski Blvd. — tel. 87-95-52; Cooptourist — for domestic and foreign tourism with the Central Cooperative Council, 99 Rakovsk? Street — tel. 8441; Pirin — travel agency of the Central Council of the Bulgarian Hikers’ Union, 30 Alexander Stamboliiski Blvd. — tel. 87-06-87;

Balkan Airlines (international flights), Narodno Sobranie Square — telephones 8844-33 and 88-44-93 and 19 Legue Street — telephones 8849-89 and 87-54-51;

Motels:

Tihiyat Kut (two star) — on Mount Vitosha on the road leading to Zlatni Mostove 12 kilometres from the centre of Sofia — telephone 57-14-01; Boyana (three star) daily sofia tour, Boyana district—telephone 56-30-35; Goroublyane (three star), Goroublyane district — telephone 72-37-20, two-storey motel with 28 double rooms, restaurant, rent-a-car service and parking.

Camping sites:

Vrana — Goroublyane City District (three star), four bun-galows with one apartment each, telephone 78-12-13; Lebed — Pancharevo lake (one star). Telephone 77-3045;ChermyaKos —eleven kilometres south-west of central Sofia (two star). Te-lephone 57-11-29; Bankya — 17 kilometres west of central Sofia (one star).

Night Clubs: Vitosha New Otani; Grand Hotel Sofia; Park Hotel Moskva; Havana, Vitosha Blvd.

Christianity in the spiritual life

A profound change was wrought by Christianity in the spiritual life of Thrace and Moesia in late antiquity; this religion had penetrated into the country very early on and left its imprint on both architecture and art in these lands. After Christianity had been proclaimed as the only religion of the State in the reign of Theodosius I (379—395), the church hurled itself with unheard of fanaticism upon all that was pagan or might recall paganism.

Many monuments of art were destroyed, many shrines and temples were ruined or turned into Christian churches. However, the church soon realized the tremendous part which art was to play in disseminating and introducing her ideas among the ignorant masses. In the East, sculpture was rejected as an art closer to the real image of the original. Painting, which provided greater opportunities of passing more easily over to the abstract spiritual treatment of natural forms, remained the only permitted imitative art. A new architectural form was necessary for the Church, which had established a ritual alien to the pagan ritual. This brought the religious Christian architecture into being, which, availing itself of many of the antique pagan traditions of building, created new forms in the monumental architecture of the Middle Ages.

Early Chirstian sculpture

In the Bulgarian lands only a few examples of early Chirstian sculpture are known to us. Among them a marble 4th century statue of the Good Shepherd, found at the village of Selanovtsi, near Orya- hovo, deserves mention, as well as a big 5th century bronze lamp with a handle in the form of a cross, and a cover decorated with the head of an emperor, found at Stara Zagora guided istanbul tours. The latter belongs to one of the finest and rarest types of Early Christian lamps known to archaeology. A sculptured portrait of a man in limestone, found in a place known as Kozyak Grad near the village of Obzor, not far from Pomorie, belongs to the scultpureof that period, although it is of profane and not Christian origin. The huge wide open eyes and the simplified and schematized features of the face are typical of this art. The trend of abstraction from the natural primitive form has been brought to the extreme. Only the most typical elements of a human face have been presented here.

The portrait from Kozyak Grad, which dates back to the time of Justinian, is one of the latest representatives of the free scultpure, then generally dying out in the Eastern Orthodox world as a branch of art. For the present, Early Christian painting is best represented in the necropolis around the Church of St. Sophia in Sofia. Some of the masonry tombs are ornamented with mural paintings in which plant motifs or motifs taken from Christian symbolism predominate. What impresses one in the decorative system of these tombs, however, is the presence of elements of the Hellenistic decorative art as well, viz., the division of the walls into separate rectangles, imitating marble panelling.

However, Early Christian art found extensive possibilities of development in the field of architecture. One of the main centres of this art is Serdica, in which there was, at the beginning of the 4th century, such a large Christian community that an ecumenical council was even called here. One of the oldest churches with a baptistry in our lands was found when the Party House was being built; it lay outside the walls of Serdica, near the East Gate.