Razgrad ( ) is a

city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...

in Northeastern Bulgaria in the valley of the

Beli Lom Beli may refer to: People * Beli ap Rhun (c. 580–c. 599), king of Gwynedd * Beli I of Alt Clut (perhaps died ''c''. 627), Brittonic king * Beli II of Alt Clut (died ''c''. died 722), Brittonic king * Ljubiša Preletačević Beli (bo ...

river that falls within the historical and geographical region of Ludogorie (Deliorman). It is an administrative center of

Razgrad Province Razgrad Province ( (''Oblast Razgrad''), former name Razgrad okrug) is a province in Northeastern Bulgaria, geographically part of the Ludogorie region. It is named after its administrative and industrial centre: the town of Razgrad. As of De ...

Etymology

The suffix "grad" means city in Bulgarian, while the origin and the meaning of the first part "raz" is obscure. During the

Second Bulgarian Empire The Second Bulgarian Empire (; ) was a medieval Bulgarians, Bulgarian state that existed between 1185 and 1422. A successor to the First Bulgarian Empire, it reached the peak of its power under Tsars Kaloyan of Bulgaria, Kaloyan and Ivan Asen II ...

, around the present city there was a settlement, mentioned by the names of ''Hrasgrad'', ''Hrazgrad,'' and ''Hrizgrad. These names come from the name of the

Bulgar Bulgar may refer to: *Bulgars, a historical Turkic group *Bulgar language, the extinct language of the Bulgars *Oghur languages Bulgar may also refer to: *Bolghar, the capital city of Volga Bulgaria *Bulgur, a wheat product * Bulgar, an Ashkenazi ...

and Slavic god Hors.

History

Razgrad was built upon the ruins of the Ancient Roman town of

Abritus Abritus (Abrittus) was an impressive Roman walled city and one of the biggest urban centres in the province of Moesia Inferior. Its remains are in the Archaeological Park of Razgrad. History A Thracian settlement of the 3rd–4th century B ...

on the banks of the

river. Abritus was built on a

Thracian The Thracians (; ; ) were an Indo-European speaking people who inhabited large parts of Southeast Europe in ancient history.. "The Thracians were an Indo-European people who occupied the area that today is shared between north-eastern Greece, ...

settlement of the 4th-5th century BC of unknown name. Several bronze coins of the Thracian king

Seuthes III Seuthes III (, Seuthēs) was a Thracian king of Odrysia, a part of Thrace, during the late 4th century BC (securely attested between 324 and 312 BC). Historical background Following the campaigns of Philip II in 347–342 BC a significant part ...

(330-300 BC) and pottery were found, as well as artifacts from other rulers and a sacrificial altar of

Hercules Hercules (, ) is the Roman equivalent of the Greek divine hero Heracles, son of Jupiter and the mortal Alcmena. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures. The Romans adapted the Gr ...

. In 251, the town was the site of the

Battle of Abrittus The Battle of Abritus also known as the Battle of Forum Terebronii occurred near Abritus (modern Razgrad) in the Roman province of Moesia Inferior in the summer of 251. It was fought between the Romans and a federation of Gothic and Scythian t ...

, during which the

Goths The Goths were a Germanic people who played a major role in the fall of the Western Roman Empire and the emergence of medieval Europe. They were first reported by Graeco-Roman authors in the 3rd century AD, living north of the Danube in what is ...

defeated a

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...

army under the emperors

Trajan Decius Gaius Messius Quintus Trajanus Decius ( 201June 251), known as Trajan Decius or simply Decius (), was Roman emperor from 249 to 251. A distinguished politician during the reign of Philip the Arab, Decius was proclaimed emperor by his troops ...

and

Herennius Etruscus Quintus Herennius Etruscus Messius Decius (died c. June 251), known simply as Herennius Etruscus, was briefly Roman emperor in 251, ruling jointly under his father Decius. His father was proclaimed emperor by his troops in September 249 while ...

. The battle is notable for being the first occasion of a Roman emperor being killed in a battle with barbarians. Some of Razgrad's landmarks include the Varosha architectural complex from the 19th century, the ethnographic museum and several other museums, the distinctive Razgrad clock tower in the centre built in 1864, the

St Nicholas Saint Nicholas of Myra (traditionally 15 March 270 – 6 December 343), also known as Nicholas of Bari, was an early Christian bishop of Greeks, Greek descent from the maritime city of Patara (Lycia), Patara in Anatolia (in modern-day Antalya ...

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 one of the largest in the Balkans. In 1933 the Turkish cemetery in the city was attacked and the dead bodies were exhumed.

Razgrad Peak Razgrad Peak (, ) is an ice-covered peak rising to 550 m in Breznik Heights, Greenwich Island, Antarctica. The peak is located 740 m southeast of Terter Peak, 1.7 km southwest of Momchil Peak, 2.7 km west of the summit of Viskyar Rid ...

Greenwich Island Greenwich Island (variant historical names ''Sartorius Island'', ''Berezina Island'') is an island long and from (average ) wide, lying between Robert Island and Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica. The island's surface ...

in the

South Shetland Islands The South Shetland Islands are a group of List of Antarctic and subantarctic islands, Antarctic islands located in the Drake Passage with a total area of . They lie about north of the Antarctic Peninsula, and between southwest of the n ...

Antarctica Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean (also known as the Antarctic Ocean), it contains the geographic South Pole. ...

is named after Razgrad.

Population

In January 2012, Razgrad was inhabited by 33,416 people within the city limits, while the

Razgrad Municipality Razgrad Municipality () is a Municipalities of Bulgaria, municipality (''obshtina'') in Razgrad Province, Northeastern Bulgaria, located in the Ludogorie geographical region part of the Danubian Plain (Bulgaria), Danubian Plain. It is named after ...

with the legally affiliated adjacent villages had 50,457 inhabitants. The number of the residents of the city (not the municipality) reached its peak in the period 1988-1991 when exceeded 55,000. The following table presents the change of the population after 1887.

Ethnic composition

According to the latest 2011 census data, the individuals declared their ethnic identity were distributed as follows: *

Bulgarians Bulgarians (, ) are a nation and South Slavs, South Slavic ethnic group native to Bulgaria and its neighbouring region, who share a common Bulgarian ancestry, culture, history and language. They form the majority of the population in Bulgaria, ...

: 24,701 (79.1%) *

Turks Turk or Turks may refer to: Communities and ethnic groups * Turkish people, or the Turks, a Turkic ethnic group and nation * Turkish citizen, a citizen of the Republic of Turkey * Turkic peoples, a collection of ethnic groups who speak Turkic lang ...

: 5,902 (18.9%) *

Roma Roma or ROMA may refer to: People, characters, figures, names * Roma or Romani people, an ethnic group living mostly in Europe and the Americas. * Roma called Roy, ancient Egyptian High Priest of Amun * Roma (footballer, born 1979), born ''Paul ...

: 288 (0.9%) * Others: 140 (0.4%) * Indefinable: 195 (0.6%) ** Undeclared: 2,654 (7.8%) Total: 33,880 The

has the second largest Turkish population in Bulgaria behind the

Kardzhali Province Kardzhali Province () is a province of southern Bulgaria, neighbouring Greece with the Greek regional units of Xanthi, Rhodope, and Evros to the south and east. It is 3209.1 km2 in area. Its main city is Kardzhali. It is Bulgaria's sout ...

, though the municipality and the city of Razgrad have a lower proportion of Turks than the rest of the province.

Sport

Razgrad is widely recognizable for being home to the association football club

Ludogorets Razgrad Professional Football Club Ludogorets 1945 (), commonly known as Ludogorets Razgrad or simply Ludogorets, is a Bulgarian professional association football club based in Razgrad, which currently competes in the First Professional Football League ...

, who in recent years have become the dominant force in Bulgarian football after winning thirteen consecutive

Bulgarian First League The First Professional Football League (), commonly known as Parva Liga or Bulgarian First League (currently known as the efbet League for sponsorship reasons), is a professional association football league in Bulgaria and the highest level of t ...

titles between 2012 and 2024. After reaching the

UEFA Europa League The UEFA Europa League (UEL), usually known simply as the Europa League, is an annual association football, football club competition organised since 1971 by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European footb ...

round of 16 during the 2013–14 season, the club also made their

UEFA Champions League The UEFA Champions League (UCL) is an annual club association football competition organised by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) that is contested by List of top-division football clubs in UEFA countries, top-divisio ...

debut appearance a season later. Ludogorets play their home matches at Ludogorets Arena, a venue with a capacity for 10,500 people.

Geography

Climate

Notable people

Sofu Mehmed Pasha Sofu Mehmed Pasha (died August 1649), also known as Mevlevi Mehmed Pasha, was an Ottoman statesman who served as grand vizier and defterdar (finance minister). Early years He was a chamberlain/deputy (''kethüda'') of a '' defterdar'' (t ...

(died 1626), Ottoman administrator *

Ivan Ivanov Bagryanov Ivan Ivanov Bagryanov (; 17 October 1891 – 1 February 1945) was a leading Bulgarian politician who briefly served as List of Prime Ministers of Bulgaria, Prime Minister during the Second World War. Biography After a career as a diplomat, he was ...

(1891–1945), Bulgarian politician who briefly served as Prime Minister *

Petar Gabrovski Petar Dimitrov Gabrovski () (9 July 1898 – 1 February 1945) was a Bulgarian politician who briefly served as Prime Minister during the Second World War. Gabrovski was a lawyer by profession. He was also a member of the Grand Masonic Lodge of ...

(1898–1945), Bulgarian politician who briefly served as Prime Minister *

Dimitar Nenov Dimitar Nenov (; December 19, 1901 in Razgrad – August 30, 1953 in Sofia) was a Bulgarian classical pianist, composer, music pedagogue and architect. Dimitar Nenov belongs to the Interwar period generation of Bulgarian composers, the so-called ' ...

(1901–1953), Bulgarian classical pianist, composer, music pedagogue and architect * Boncho Novakov (born 1935), Bulgarian former cyclist *

Osman Duraliev Osman Duraliev (; 15 January 1939 – 25 April 2011) was a Bulgarian freestyle wrestler with Turkish origin. Between 1967 and 1972 he won ten silver medals at major international competitions, including the 1968 and 1972 Summer Olympics. In eig ...

(1939–2011), Bulgarian freestyle wrestler *

Ali Dinçer Ali Dinçer (1945 – 18 April 2007) was a Turkish mechanical engineer, politician, former mayor of Ankara and former government minister. Ali Dinçer was born in Razgrad, Bulgaria to a family of Turkish ancestry in 1945. While he was four ye ...

(1945–2007), Turkish politician, former mayor of Ankara and former government minister *

Emanuil Dyulgerov Emanuil Atanasov Dyulgerov (; 7 February 1955 – 26 June 2023) was a hammer thrower from Bulgaria, who competed for his native country at the 1980 Summer Olympics. He set his personal best (80.64 metres) in 1984. He lived in Sofia Sofia is ...

(1955–2023), Bulgarian former athlete *

Stoycho Stoev Stoycho Zahariev Stoev (; born 15 July 1962) is a Bulgarian former footballer and manager. Managerial career On 23 July 2013, Bulgaria champions Ludogorets Razgrad replaced coach Ivaylo Petev with Stoycho Stoev, following a 1–0 defeat by L ...

(born 1962), Bulgarian former footballer and manager * Diyan Angelov (born 1964), Bulgarian former football player * Mecnur Çolak (1967–2021), Turkish former footballer *

Nikolay Antonov Nikolay Antonov (, born 17 August 1968 in Razgrad) is a retired Bulgarian athlete. He started as a 200 metres sprinter, and won the 1991 World Indoor Championships and 1992 European Athletics Indoor Championships. In 1993 he switched to long jum ...

(born 1968), Bulgarian former athlete *

Şoray Uzun Şoray Uzun (born 9 June 1967) is a Turkish comedian, writer and television host. He is best known for hit period comedy series Seksenler and travel programming Şoray Uzun Yolda. Early life He is the one of Turk minority in Bulgaria. When h ...

(born 1968), Turkish comedian, writer and television host *

Neriman Özsoy Neriman Özsoy (born 13 July 1988 in Razgrad, Bulgaria) is a Turkish volleyball player. She is tall who recently last played as an outside hitter in Turkey for Türk Hava Yolları. Career She started her career in Eczacıbaşı Zentiva, a ...

(born 1988), Turkish female volleyball player

Twin towns and sister cities

Razgrad is twinned with: *

Oryol Oryol ( rus, Орёл, , ɐˈrʲɵl, a=ru-Орёл.ogg, links=y, ), also transliterated as Orel or Oriol, is a Classification of inhabited localities in Russia, city and the administrative center of Oryol Oblast, Russia, situated on the Oka Rive ...

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

(since 1968) *

Szombathely } Szombathely (; ; also see #Etymology, names) is the 10th largest city in Hungary. It is the administrative centre of Vas County in the west of the country, located near the border with Austria. Szombathely lies by the streams ''Perint'' and '' ...

Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...

(since 1992) *

Wittenberge Wittenberge (; ) is a town of eighteen thousand people on the middle Elbe in the district of Prignitz, Brandenburg, Germany. Geography Wittenberge is situated at the right (north-eastern) bank of the middle Elbe at its confluence with the Step ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

(since 2001) *

Armagh Armagh ( ; , , " Macha's height") is a city and the county town of County Armagh, in Northern Ireland, as well as a civil parish. It is the ecclesiastical capital of Ireland – the seat of the Archbishops of Armagh, the Primates of All ...

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United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

(since 1995) *

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(since 2000) *

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(since 2000) *

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(since 1998) *

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(since 2006) *

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(since 2008)

References

External links

the news from Razgrad and Razgrad district

Razgrad municipality website

Actual photos of Razgrad
{{Authority control Populated places in Razgrad Province