Kostinbrod (Obshtina Kostinbrod)
Kostinbrod (Костинброд ) is a town in western Bulgaria. It is the seat of Kostinbrod Municipality. It is located 15 km west of the capital city of Sofia. It is located on two important transport corridors: Lom — Sofia — Thessaloniki and Sofia — Belgrade. The international railway line to Western Europe passes through the municipality, with a train stop at Kostinbrod Station.
The town is crossed by two rivers, the Blato in the north and the Belitsa in the south, both tributaries of the Iskar River.
According to the legends, the town was founded by a certain Georgi, who settled near the crossing (брод, brod) of the Belitsa, thus giving the name to the town (Kostinbrod means "Georgi's ford"). There he opened a pub that became popular among the merchants arriving in the capital, some of them settling and organizing a village, whose centre of the time is now located west of the road between Sofia and Lom. Historically, an early reference to the locality (as Георги Ъ БРОДЪ ) can be found in Tsar Ivan Alexander of Bulgaria's Oryahov Charter of 1 December 1348.
The economy of Kostinbrod was largely based on poultry farming and stock breeding during the Communist period, but a number of factories, including a 120,000 m² Coca-Cola one, have emerged in democratic times due to the town's favourable position and the liberal zoning policy of the municipality.
Kostinbrod is also known for the mineral waters in the area. Thermae were built in the Izvoro country in Roman times.
Kostinbrod has been known for its mineral waters since Roman times. To the south of it, on its outskirts, passed an ancient Roman road to Constantinople. In the Izvoro area, opposite today's Coca-Cola plant, there was a Roman bath, the remains of which are still visible today.
In Kostinbrod there are two unique ancient monuments - the late Roman Residence Skretiska (palatium Scretisca) of Constantine the Great and the Road Station Skretiska (Mutatio Scretisca) (the first stop west of Serdica on the ancient trans-Balkan diagonal road), as well as the early Byzantine settlement Krati. In antiquity, this area was fertile, near a hot mineral spring and an important road to the right bank of the Belitsa River, a tributary of the Blato River. -Important periods: Residence Skretiska (IV-V century AD), Unfortified village, Early Byzantine fortified settlement Kratiskara.
There are many reasons why researchers refer to the fact that the Residence Skretiska was the preferred place of residence of Constantine the Great during his visits to Serdica and that it originated as an imperial residence, among which is that the years of its construction coincide with the beginning of his long stays in Serdica, and his famous phrase "Serdica is my Rome!" is well known. Among the materials from the end of the 3rd - beginning of the 4th century, discovered during the archeological research in 1973 - 1978 under the direction of arch. Violeta Bozhilova paleoornithologist Prof. Zlatozar Boev has found a well-preserved skull of a Great white pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus. Probably the residence was maintained by the governor of the province of Serdica. It is also possible that the palatium / praetorium Scretisca was used by the bishops-delegates of the Council of Serdica (343).
The main architectural complex of the residence - palatium Scretisca, is one of the most impressive examples of representative late Roman residential architecture (141/110 m) - the most remarkable country residence in the province of Inner Dacia or Mediterranean Dacia (Inner Dacia or Dacia Mediterranea) in hinterland of its capital Serdica and the largest, among the known peristyle residential complexes from the Antiquity of the Balkans with a large hall (aula), dining room (triclinum) with a complicated, probably triconch plan, numerous living quarters (cubicula), bathhouse ( balneum), a huge yard (peristylium) with an area of 4.5 decares, with a garden (hortus) and monumental entrances. The total area of the floor mosaics found in the northern peristyle exceeds 1000 m², and the total length of the peristyle and the outer southern portico is more than 400 m. The residence is the core of an impressive villa complex and the center of an impressive mansion (fundus dominium). A round plan (diameter 32 m), tentatively called "Rotunda" (Bozhilova / Vitski, 1985), probably with memorial or cult functions, located 100 m south of the residence, as well as a necropolis, were also studied. A strong ubiquitous fire destroyed the residence, which coincided with the time for which, according to written sources, during the Hun invasions in the 1940s, Serdica was also damaged.
The road station Sretisca ("Mutatio per / ad Scretisca") - "for the residence" is located 1000 m south of the residence, it was probably built for its service with the main purpose taberna - inn with several rooms and a courtyard. Scretisca is mentioned in the guidebook Hinerarium Burdigalense (333). The earliest coins found here date from the time of Emperor Constantine the Great.
The town is crossed by two rivers, the Blato in the north and the Belitsa in the south, both tributaries of the Iskar River.
According to the legends, the town was founded by a certain Georgi, who settled near the crossing (брод, brod) of the Belitsa, thus giving the name to the town (Kostinbrod means "Georgi's ford"). There he opened a pub that became popular among the merchants arriving in the capital, some of them settling and organizing a village, whose centre of the time is now located west of the road between Sofia and Lom. Historically, an early reference to the locality (as Георги Ъ БРОДЪ ) can be found in Tsar Ivan Alexander of Bulgaria's Oryahov Charter of 1 December 1348.
The economy of Kostinbrod was largely based on poultry farming and stock breeding during the Communist period, but a number of factories, including a 120,000 m² Coca-Cola one, have emerged in democratic times due to the town's favourable position and the liberal zoning policy of the municipality.
Kostinbrod is also known for the mineral waters in the area. Thermae were built in the Izvoro country in Roman times.
Kostinbrod has been known for its mineral waters since Roman times. To the south of it, on its outskirts, passed an ancient Roman road to Constantinople. In the Izvoro area, opposite today's Coca-Cola plant, there was a Roman bath, the remains of which are still visible today.
In Kostinbrod there are two unique ancient monuments - the late Roman Residence Skretiska (palatium Scretisca) of Constantine the Great and the Road Station Skretiska (Mutatio Scretisca) (the first stop west of Serdica on the ancient trans-Balkan diagonal road), as well as the early Byzantine settlement Krati. In antiquity, this area was fertile, near a hot mineral spring and an important road to the right bank of the Belitsa River, a tributary of the Blato River. -Important periods: Residence Skretiska (IV-V century AD), Unfortified village, Early Byzantine fortified settlement Kratiskara.
There are many reasons why researchers refer to the fact that the Residence Skretiska was the preferred place of residence of Constantine the Great during his visits to Serdica and that it originated as an imperial residence, among which is that the years of its construction coincide with the beginning of his long stays in Serdica, and his famous phrase "Serdica is my Rome!" is well known. Among the materials from the end of the 3rd - beginning of the 4th century, discovered during the archeological research in 1973 - 1978 under the direction of arch. Violeta Bozhilova paleoornithologist Prof. Zlatozar Boev has found a well-preserved skull of a Great white pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus. Probably the residence was maintained by the governor of the province of Serdica. It is also possible that the palatium / praetorium Scretisca was used by the bishops-delegates of the Council of Serdica (343).
The main architectural complex of the residence - palatium Scretisca, is one of the most impressive examples of representative late Roman residential architecture (141/110 m) - the most remarkable country residence in the province of Inner Dacia or Mediterranean Dacia (Inner Dacia or Dacia Mediterranea) in hinterland of its capital Serdica and the largest, among the known peristyle residential complexes from the Antiquity of the Balkans with a large hall (aula), dining room (triclinum) with a complicated, probably triconch plan, numerous living quarters (cubicula), bathhouse ( balneum), a huge yard (peristylium) with an area of 4.5 decares, with a garden (hortus) and monumental entrances. The total area of the floor mosaics found in the northern peristyle exceeds 1000 m², and the total length of the peristyle and the outer southern portico is more than 400 m. The residence is the core of an impressive villa complex and the center of an impressive mansion (fundus dominium). A round plan (diameter 32 m), tentatively called "Rotunda" (Bozhilova / Vitski, 1985), probably with memorial or cult functions, located 100 m south of the residence, as well as a necropolis, were also studied. A strong ubiquitous fire destroyed the residence, which coincided with the time for which, according to written sources, during the Hun invasions in the 1940s, Serdica was also damaged.
The road station Sretisca ("Mutatio per / ad Scretisca") - "for the residence" is located 1000 m south of the residence, it was probably built for its service with the main purpose taberna - inn with several rooms and a courtyard. Scretisca is mentioned in the guidebook Hinerarium Burdigalense (333). The earliest coins found here date from the time of Emperor Constantine the Great.
Map - Kostinbrod (Obshtina Kostinbrod)
Map
Country - Bulgaria
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| Flag of Bulgaria | |
One of the earliest societies in the lands of modern-day Bulgaria was the Neolithic Karanovo culture, which dates back to 6,500 BC. In the 6th to 3rd century BC the region was a battleground for ancient Thracians, Persians, Celts and Macedonians; stability came when the Roman Empire conquered the region in AD 45. After the Roman state splintered, tribal invasions in the region resumed. Around the 6th century, these territories were settled by the early Slavs. The Bulgars, led by Asparuh, attacked from the lands of Old Great Bulgaria and permanently invaded the Balkans in the late 7th century. They established the First Bulgarian Empire, victoriously recognised by treaty in 681 AD by the Eastern Roman Empire. It dominated most of the Balkans and significantly influenced Slavic cultures by developing the Cyrillic script. The First Bulgarian Empire lasted until the early 11th century, when Byzantine emperor Basil II conquered and dismantled it. A successful Bulgarian revolt in 1185 established a Second Bulgarian Empire, which reached its apex under Ivan Asen II (1218–1241). After numerous exhausting wars and feudal strife, the empire disintegrated and in 1396 fell under Ottoman rule for nearly five centuries.
Currency / Language
| ISO | Currency | Symbol | Significant figures |
|---|---|---|---|
| BGN | Bulgarian lev | лв | 2 |
| ISO | Language |
|---|---|
| BG | Bulgarian language |
| TR | Turkish language |