Stara Zagora public holiday

The official holiday of Stara Zagora is celebrated on October 5. The city is situated in the southern central part of Bulgaria. It is one of the most ancient settlements in Europe, inhabited for at least 8000 years. Both the remains of Neolithic dwellings (6th century B.C.), and the various archeological excavations from Thracian and Roman times witness to its millennial history. It was established by the Thracians in VI century B.C. under the name of Beroe. Later (II-IV century A.D.) when Thrace had been included in the Roman Empire, the city was rebuilt again, next to the ancient Thracian settlement, experiencing its peak in development, when it was named Avgusta Trayana (Ulia Augusta Trayaa) in honour of Emperor Marcus Trayan. During the centuries, it has also been named Vereya (VI-ХII c.) and Irinopolis (VIII c.) – after the Byzantine Empress Irina. During the Middle Ages it was named Boruy (ХIII-ХIV c.), while after their conquest the Turks called it Eski Zaara. During the second half of the 19th century it was called, for a short period, Zheleznik. It received its present name, Stara Zagora, in 1871. During the Russo-Turkish War, in 1877, some of the most violent and intense battles took place near Stara Zagora. That year the Turks burnt the city and razed it to the ground. The city received its freedom on January 23rd 1878, but according to the Berlin Treaty, it remained within the autonomous region of Eastern Rumelia. The rebuilding of the city was started by Aleko Bogoridi on October 5th 1879, which is the day on which the municipality celebrates its official holiday.