Shipka ( , ''"

Rosa canina ''Rosa canina'', the dog rose, is a variable climbing, wild rose species native to Europe, northwest Africa, and western Asia. Description The dog rose is a deciduous shrub normally ranging in height from , though it can scramble higher into the ...

"'') is a town in central

Bulgaria Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...

, part of

Kazanlak Municipality Kazanlak ( , known as Seuthopolis () in ancient times, is a town in Stara Zagora Province, Bulgaria. It is located in the middle of the plain of the same name, at the foot of the Balkan mountain range, at the eastern end of the Rose Valley. I ...

Stara Zagora Province Stara Zagora (), formerly known as the Stara Zagora okrug, is a province of south-central Bulgaria. It is named after its administrative and industrial centre—the city of Stara Zagora—the sixth-biggest town in the country. The provin ...

. It lies in the Central Balkan Mountains, at , 650 metres above sea level. As of 2005, Shipka had a population of 1,398 and the mayor was Stoyan Ivanov. The town is known for being located near the historic

Shipka Pass Shipka Pass (, ) (el. 1150 m./3820 ft.) is a scenic mountain pass through the Balkan Mountains in Bulgaria. It marks the border between Stara Zagora province and Gabrovo province. The pass connects the towns of Gabrovo and Kazanlak. The ...

, the location of several key battles in the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78. Local sights include the Shipka Memorial (1934) on Stoletov Peak, the Buzludzha Monument, the Russian-style Shipka Memorial Church (1885–1902) and the recently discovered Thracian tomb Golyamata Kosmatka. The population is overwhelmingly

Eastern Orthodox Eastern Orthodoxy, otherwise known as Eastern Orthodox Christianity or Byzantine Christianity, is one of the three main Branches of Christianity, branches of Chalcedonian Christianity, alongside Catholic Church, Catholicism and Protestantism ...

and ethnically Bulgarian, with a notable minority of Karakachans (a Greek-speaking

transhumant Transhumance is a type of pastoralism or nomadism, a seasonal movement of livestock between fixed summer and winter pastures. In montane regions (''vertical transhumance''), it implies movement between higher pastures in summer and lower ...

people of obscure origin).

Shipka Pass

(, ''Shipchenski prohod'') (el. 1150 m./3820 ft.) is from the town, and connects the town with

Gabrovo Gabrovo ( ) is a city in central northern Bulgaria, the Local government, administrative centre of Gabrovo Province.It is situated at the foot of the central Balkan Mountains, in the valley of the Yantra River, and is known as an international ca ...

. During the

Russo-Turkish War The Russo-Turkish wars ( ), or the Russo-Ottoman wars (), began in 1568 and continued intermittently until 1918. They consisted of twelve conflicts in total, making them one of the longest series of wars in the history of Europe. All but four of ...

, Shipka Pass was the scene of a series of conflicts collectively named the

Battle of Shipka Pass The Battle of Shipka Pass consisted of four battles that were fought between the Russian Empire, aided by Bulgarian volunteers known as opalchentsi, and the Ottoman Empire for control over the vital Shipka Pass during the Russo-Turkish War (18 ...

. The

Shipka Memorial The Liberty Memorial, also known as the Shipka Monument (Паметник на Шипка), is а symbol of modern Bulgaria and the liberation of Bulgaria. The monument is the heart of the Shipka National Park-Museum and is located on Shipka Pea ...

(), a memorial to those who died for the

Liberation of Bulgaria The Liberation of Bulgaria is the historical process as a result of the Bulgarian Revival. In Bulgarian historiography, the liberation of Bulgaria refers to those events of the Tenth Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878) that led to the re-establishme ...

during the Battles of Shipka Pass, stands near the pass.

Notable buildings

* Shipka Memorial Church

References

External links

Shipka – The Pass, Monument, Village and Monastery
{{Authority control Towns in Bulgaria Populated places in Stara Zagora Province