The holiday of the town of Omurtag

On June 7 the citizens of Omurtag celebrate the holiday of their town. It is situated on the important roads Sofia–Varna and from Istanbul and Odrin to the Danube River. The town population is about 11 000 citizens. The first historical data about settlements in the region date back to some 7 millennia ago. The ancient town’s name was Osman Pazar. Thanks to the favourable location on important roads, crafts and trade rapidly developed here. During the Russian-Turkish war the town played a role of significance. The Christian temple of St. Dimitar built by the citizens in 1837 as a dug-in church was used by the Turkish army as a foodstuffs and military supplies warehouse. On the Ottoman army’s retreat the town was burned down. Due to the features of the town history, a mosque built in 1804 lies here next to the church. On each Moslem holiday it gathers a lot of Islam believers from the region. In 1934 the town was given its current name – Omurtag, named after one of the greatest Bulgarian rulers.