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The Church of St George in
the centre of Dobrich, to the left is the statue of Vasil Levski by
Kolyo Bogdanov |
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Dobrich (Bulgarian:
Добрич) is a town in
northeastern Bulgaria, the administrative centre of Dobrich Province. With
89,472 inhabitants, as of February 2011, Dobrich is the ninth most populated
town in Bulgaria, being the centre of the historical region of Southern
Dobruja. It is located 30 km west of the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast, not far
from resorts such as Albena, Balchik, and Golden Sands.
The first evidence of settlement in what is now Dobrich date
from 4th-3rd centuries BC. Ruins from 2nd-4th century and 7th-11th century
have also been found, including a Bulgar necropolis featuring pagan graves
in the centre of the city.
During the 11th century, Pecheneg invasions devastated the interior of
Dobruja, leaving many settlements in the region uninhabited at the time of
the Second Bulgarian Empire.
The settlement was founded for a second time in the 16th century by the
Turkish merchant Hacıoğlu Pazarcık, whose name it bore until 1882. According
to Turkish data from 1646–1650, there were over 1000 houses in the city,
about 100 shops, 3 inns, 3 Turkish baths, twelve mosques and twelve schools.
From the 17th to the 19th century, the city developed as a handicraft, trade
and agricultural centre, being famous for its weaving, homespun tailoring,
coppersmith's trade, leather-work and agricultural products, such as wheat,
linseed, wool and cheese.
At the beginning of the 19th century, the city's population reached 12,000,
many of whom refugees from eastern Bulgaria after the Russo-Turkish Wars.
The cultural appearance of the city was also formed. The first Orthodox
church was built in 1843.
The city was liberated from the Ottoman Empire on 27 January 1878 and
renamed Dobrich on 19 February 1882 after Dobrotitsa, a medieval ruler of
Dobruja. This was done by means of a decree issued by knyaz Alexander I.
After the Treaty of Bucharest of 1913 (confirmed by the Treaty of Neuilly of
1919), Dobrich and the whole of Southern Dobruja were incorporated in
Romania for a period until 1940. During that time, the city bore the name
Bazargic and was centre of Caliacra County (judeţ in Romanian). On 25
September 1940, the Bulgarian army marched into the city after signing
Treaty of Craiova on September 7, 1940; that date is celebrated as the
city's holiday.
During the period of Communist rule, Dobrich was renamed Tolbukhin (Толбухин)
after Marshal of the Soviet Union Fyodor Tolbukhin. On 19 September 1990, a
presidential decree restored the city's old name of Dobrich.