Oryahovo ( bg, Оряхово ) is a
port city
A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ham ...
in northwestern
Bulgaria
Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedon ...
, part of
Vratsa Province
Vratsa Province ( bg, Област Враца ''Oblast Vraca'', former name Okrug, Vraca okrug) is a Bulgarian province located in the northwestern part of the country, between Danube river in the north and Stara Planina mountain in the south. I ...
. It is located in a hilly area on the right bank of the
Danube
The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , pa ...
, just east of the mouth of the river
Ogosta
The Ogosta ( bg, Огоста , Latin: ''Augusta''), is the largest river in Northwestern Bulgaria, a right tributary of the Danube. It originates at Chiprovska Mountain, 2,168 meters high section of the Western Balkan Mountains, at about an altitu ...
, a few more kilometres downstream from where the
Jiu flows into the Danube on
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
n territory. The town is known for the ferry service that connects it to the Romanian town of
Bechet
Bechet is a town in Dolj County, Oltenia, Romania, on the river Danube, opposite the Bulgarian city of Oryahovo.
Demographics
In 2011, it had a population of 3,363.
Gallery
Image:Dunarea la Bechet 1.jpg, Danube at Bechet
Image:Dunarea la Bec ...
across the river. There are also plans by local private companies for a bridge across the Danube.
History
![BASA-746K-1-84-18 a Bulgarian town as seen from the air 1930s](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/94/BASA-746K-1-84-18_a_Bulgarian_town_as_seen_from_the_air_1930s.jpg)
Ancient history and Middle Ages
The town's name has evolved through the course of history, with names such as ''Vrhov'', ''Orezov'', ''Oreov'' and ''Rahovo'' being mentioned in documents until the current one was officially established in 1886. The area around Oryahovo has been inhabited since ancient times, as archaeological research has proven with findings from the early
Neolithic
The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several parts ...
to the
Late Middle Ages
The Late Middle Ages or Late Medieval Period was the Periodization, period of European history lasting from AD 1300 to 1500. The Late Middle Ages followed the High Middle Ages and preceded the onset of the early modern period (and in much of Eur ...
. A fortress called ''Kamaka'' (), which existed from the 9th to the 14th century, is located east of Oryahovo. In 1396, the city, already controlled by the
Ottoman Turks
The Ottoman Turks ( tr, Osmanlı Türkleri), were the Turkic founding and sociopolitically the most dominant ethnic group of the Ottoman Empire ( 1299/1302–1922).
Reliable information about the early history of Ottoman Turks remains scarce, ...
, was sacked and its Ottoman civilian inhabitants killed while the prisoners were massacred by
French crusaders
The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and sometimes directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The best known of these Crusades are those to the Holy Land in the period between 1095 and 1291 that were in ...
heading towards
Nicopolis
Nicopolis ( grc-gre, Νικόπολις, Nikópolis, City of Victory) or Actia Nicopolis was the capital city of the Roman province of Epirus Vetus. It was located in the western part of the modern state of Greece. The city was founded in 29 ...
. The troops of Holy Roman Emperor
Sigismund Sigismund (variants: Sigmund, Siegmund) is a German proper name, meaning "protection through victory", from Old High German ''sigu'' "victory" + ''munt'' "hand, protection". Tacitus latinises it ''Segimundus''. There appears to be an older form of ...
and Polish King
Władysław III of Varna Władysław is a Polish given male name, cognate with Vladislav. The feminine form is Władysława, archaic forms are Włodzisław (male) and Włodzisława (female), and Wladislaw is a variation. These names may refer to:
Famous people Mononym
* W ...
passed through the fortress during their unsuccessful crusades (the
Battle of Nicopolis
The Battle of Nicopolis took place on 25 September 1396 and resulted in the rout of an allied crusader army of Hungarian, Croatian, Bulgarian, Wallachian, French, Burgundian, German, and assorted troops (assisted by the Venetian navy) at ...
in 1396 and the
Battle of Varna
The Battle of Varna took place on 10 November 1444 near Varna in eastern Bulgaria. The Ottoman Army under Sultan Murad II (who did not actually rule the sultanate at the time) defeated the Hungarian–Polish and Wallachian armies commanded by ...
in 1444, respectively) against the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
.
Bulgarian National Revival
During the
Bulgarian National Revival
The Bulgarian National Revival ( bg, Българско национално възраждане, ''Balgarsko natsionalno vazrazhdane'' or simply: Възраждане, ''Vazrazhdane'', and tr, Bulgar ulus canlanması) sometimes called the Bu ...
, Oryahovo established itself as an economic and industrial centre and a key point for the supply of the Ottoman Empire with goods through the Danube. The town was mentioned as an important Danube port in a 1762 book printed in
Brussels
Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
. The St George Church was opened in 1837, a secular school was built in the town in 1857 and a community centre (, ) followed in 1871. During the
Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878, the town was liberated on 21 November 1877 by Romanian forces after three-day fighting. A memorial by
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
sculptor
Arnaldo Zocchi
Arnaldo Zocchi (20 September 1862 – 17 July 1940) was a noted Italian sculptor of the late 19th and early 20th century. He was born in Florence and died in Rome. He studied sculpture in Florence under his father Emilio Zocchi.
Works
Italy ...
was erected in their honour.
Liberated Bulgaria
After the liberation, Oryahovo was known for the lively trade and rich cultural life. A provincial centre for three months, it became the centre of an
''okrag'', an administrative division, for 10 years (1877–1882 and 1884–1889). The architecture from the period is typically influenced by that of
Western Europe
Western Europe is the western region of Europe. The region's countries and territories vary depending on context.
The concept of "the West" appeared in Europe in juxtaposition to "the East" and originally applied to the ancient Mediterranean ...
, with many such buildings preserved today.
A railway line linking Oryahovo with
Cherven Bryag
Cherven bryag ( bg, Червен бряг, also translated , ) is a town in northern Bulgaria, a capital of the Cherven Bryag municipality, Pleven Province. It is situated on the right shore of the Zlatna Panega in river Iskar, 137 km n ...
was constructed in 1926; a new church, the Assumption of Mary Church, opened in 1930, and a new building for the community centre was built in 1936 after a project by two
Vidin
Vidin ( bg, Видин, ; Old Romanian: Diiu) is a port city on the southern bank of the Danube in north-western Bulgaria. It is close to the borders with Romania and Serbia, and is also the administrative centre of Vidin Province, as well as o ...
architects.
Some of the first industrial companies in the city – a spare parts factory and a metalworking company – were opened in 1961.
Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant
The Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant is a nuclear power plant in Bulgaria situated north of Sofia and east of Kozloduy, a town on the Danube river, near the border with Romania. It is the country's only nuclear power plant and the largest in the r ...
, a short drive west of town, is also a major employer.
The Oryahovo–Beckett ferry, crossing the Danube, is one of the main transport corridors from Bulgaria to Romania. This is the most direct route from Sofia to Romania, Ukraine and other countries.
Sport
Badminton
Badminton has been developed in Oryahovo since 1980. This sport has brought considerable fame to the city in
Bulgaria
Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedon ...
, but also in
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
, the former
USSR
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nationa ...
,
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
,
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...
,
Moldova
Moldova ( , ; ), officially the Republic of Moldova ( ro, Republica Moldova), is a Landlocked country, landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. The List of states ...
,
Hungary
Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the 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 a ...
and
Northern Macedonia
North Macedonia, ; sq, Maqedonia e Veriut, (Macedonia before February 2019), officially the Republic of North Macedonia,, is a country in Southeast Europe. It gained independence in 1991 as one of the successor states of Yugoslavia. It ...
. The badminton coach is
Koycho Stanev and his wife
Nikulina Staneva. From 1981 to 1991, when the workers' badminton was closed, the men's team at the Post Office in Oryahovo was the undisputed republican champion. The team was composed of Koycho Stanev,
Ventsislav Stanev,
Boyko Angelov and
Yani Kirilov. Many children practice badminton in the renovated city hall. The 5th–7th and 8th–10th-grade badminton teams from
Hristo Botev
Hristo Botev ( bg, Христо Ботев, ), born Hristo Botyov Petkov (Христо Ботьов Петков; – ), was a Bulgarian revolutionary and poet. Botev is considered by Bulgarians to be a symbolic historical figure and nationa ...
High School are regular participants in the finals of school games, invariably ranking among the top six teams in the country. The teams are entirely made up of players from the
Oryahovo 80 Badminton Club with chairman and coach Stanev and Staneva.
Today, many children train, with an emphasis on children's and youth badminton – up to 17 years inclusive. From the badminton school in Oryahovo is the national athlete
Vladimir Metodiev
Vladimir may refer to:
Names
* Vladimir (name) for the Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Macedonian, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Slovak and Slovenian spellings of a Slavic name
* Uladzimir for the Belarusian version of the name
* Volodymyr for the Ukr ...
, who competes in men's badminton. Children from the 2nd to 10th grades practice badminton. In 2010, coach Stanev participated in a national tournament for veterans in Varna, where at the age of 55+ in the men's doubles discipline he became a national champion with partner
Radi Nikolov from
Stara Zagora
Stara Zagora ( bg, Стара Загора, ) is the sixth-largest city in Bulgaria, and the administrative capital of the homonymous Stara Zagora Province.
Name
The name comes from the Slavic root ''star'' ("old") and the name of the medieva ...
.
In 2010, the under-19 youth team of the Oryahovo-80 Badminton Club won fourth place nationally at the State Team Championship for youth under 19, and the girls 9th place. The teams were composed of
Alexander Valeriev,
Devin Slavov,
Kristian Petrov and
Dean Genov on the boys' team and
Janet Borisova,
Gloria Simova,
Tsvetelina Vasileva and
Dalia Tosheva. Coach Stanev participates in the course for second-level coaches of the
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee (IOC; french: link=no, Comité international olympique, ''CIO'') is a non-governmental sports organisation based in Lausanne, Switzerland. It is constituted in the form of an association under the Swiss ...
and the
Bulgarian Olympic Committee
The Bulgarian Olympic Committee ( bg, Български олимпийски комитет, ''Balgarski olimpiyski komitet''; abbreviated as БОК, BOC) is a non-profit organization serving as the National Olympic Committee of Bulgaria and a pa ...
.
Notable people
![Aleksandar Tsankov](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f1/Aleksandar_Tsankov.png)
Born in Oryahovo
*
Aleksandar Tsankov
Aleksandar Tsolov Tsankov ( bg, Александър Цолов Цанков; June 29, 1879 – July 27, 1959) was a leading Bulgarian politician during the interwar period between the two world wars.
Biography
A professor of political econom ...
(1879–1959), economist and politician
*
Andrej Chaprazov (1920–1999), actor
*
Boris Spasov (1912–2002), jurist
*
Venelin Venkov (born 1982), wrestler
*
Dimitar Efremov, revolutionary
*
Dimitar Tsolov (1896–1970), architect
*
Zahari Todorov
Rimlan-e Vosta ( fa, ريملان وسطي (زهرئ ), also Romanized as Rīmlān-e Vosţá; also known as Zahary, Jahlī Rīmdān, Rameh Dān, Remdān, Remīdān, Rīmdān, and Rīmdān-e Avval) is a village in Sand-e Mir Suiyan Rural District, ...
, revolutionary
*
Ivan Vasiljov (1893–1979), architect
*
Kosta Lulchev (1882–1965), politician
*
Ljuben Genov, painter
*
Ljuben Dikov (1895–1973), politician
*
Ljuben Telcharov (1907–1995), pathologist and alpinist
*
Marin Varbanov (1932–1989), painter
*
Temenuzhka Radulova (born 1951), journalist
*
Todor Panitsa
Todor Nikolov Panitsa ( bg, Тодор Николов Паница) (July 2, 1879 Oryahovo, Bulgaria – May 7, 1925 Vienna, Austria) was a Bulgarian revolutionary figure, active in the region of Macedonia. He was one of the leaders of the left w ...
(1879–1925), revolutionary
*
Tsveti Ivanov (1914–1950), politician
*
Tseko Tsorbov (1899–1987), jurist and translator
*
Juksel Kadriev (born 1973), TV host
Others connected to Oryahovo
*
Diko Iliev (1898–1984), composer
*
Naum Torbov (1880–1952), architect
Annual events
* Every year around August 18, the traditional fair days are held in the town of Oryahovo.
* Every year around August 19–23, during the traditional fair days, a badminton tournament is held for children, teenagers and veterans.
* Every year from August 9 to 18 an art plein air dedicated to
Marin Varbanov is held.
* Swimming on the
Danube River
The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , pa ...
around August 20 from the Romanian coast to the Bulgarian coast.
* Every year around August 20, a
chess tournament
A chess tournament is a series of chess games played competitively to determine a winning individual or team. Since the first international chess tournament in London, 1851, chess tournaments have become the standard form of chess competition amo ...
is held at the Kamaka Hotel.
Gallery Monuments
Оряхово.jpg,
Kosta Lulchev memorial plaque, Oryahovo.jpg, Kosta Lulchev memorial plaque
Todor Panitsa monument in Oriahovo.jpg, Todor Panitsa's monument
Honour
Oryahovo Heights on
Livingston Island
Livingston Island (Russian name ''Smolensk'', ) is an Antarctic island in the Southern Ocean, part of the South Shetlands Archipelago, a group of Antarctic islands north of the Antarctic Peninsula. It was the first land discovered south of 60 ...
in the
South Shetland Islands
The South Shetland Islands are a group of Antarctic islands with a total area of . They lie about north of the Antarctic Peninsula, and between southwest of the nearest point of the South Orkney Islands. By the Antarctic Treaty of 195 ...
,
Antarctica
Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean, it contains the geographic South Pole. Antarctica is the fifth-largest contine ...
, is named after Oryahovo.
References
External links
360 degree virtual panoramas from Oryahovo
{{Authority control
Towns in Bulgaria
Populated places on the Danube
Populated places in Vratsa Province
Bulgaria–Romania border crossings