Preslav

Preslav is in a beautiful location at the foot of the Balkan Mountains. The city was chosen to be the capital of Bulgaria at the end of the 9th century by the greatest Bulgarian Tsar, Simeon I, instead of the nearby Pliska, where the priests of the old gods—led by the priests of the Slavic god of thunder, “Fhiron”—held too much power. Simeon was a devout Christian, but many of his people were inclined toward paganism or apostasy, and he wanted to create a fortress for Christianity, a “New Jerusalem,” a city that could compete with Constantinople in its exclusivity and its churches. For this reason, he built and decorated Preslav. A large gilded church was constructed in its center, with a special concentric structure unparalleled in the Balkans, surrounded by magnificent streets and buildings.

Preslav was at its peak between the years 893–972. The school of writing and literature of St. Nahum moved to the city, and it became a center of culture and education. In 972, it was destroyed by the Russian prince Vladimir of Kiev, and later by the Byzantines. It was resettled during the Second Bulgarian Empire but eventually lost its greatness following the Tatar invasions and was abandoned.

Remains of impressive walls and gates, parts of the palaces and churches, arches and segments of the round golden church, roads, and buildings can be seen at the site. There is also an important archaeological museum with interesting finds.

preslav church Bulgaria