Tsarevo

Tsarevo Царево
Tsarevo Location of Tsarevo
Coordinates: 42°10′15.16″N 27°51′4.58″E / 42.1708778°N 27.8512722°E / 42.1708778; 27.8512722Coordinates: 42°10′15.16″N 27°51′4.58″E / 42.1708778°N 27.8512722°E / 42.1708778; 27.8512722
Country	Bulgaria
Provinces (Oblast)	Burgas
Government
• Mayor	Georgi Lapchev (GERB)
Elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Population (December 2009)[1]
• Total	5,884
Time zone	EET (UTC+2)
• Summer (DST)	EEST (UTC+3)
Postal Code	8260
Area code(s)	0550

Tsarevo (Bulgarian: Царево, also transliterated Carevo or Tzarevo) is a town and seaside resort in southeastern Bulgaria, an administrative centre of the homonymous Municipality of Tsarevo in Burgas Province. In the past, it was known as Vasiliko (Greek: Βασιλικόν) and Michurin (Bulgarian: Мичурин). It lies on a cove 70 km southeast of Burgas, on the southern Bulgarian Black Sea Coast at the eastern foot of Strandzha mountain, at a few kilometers from Strandzha Nature Park. As of December 2009, the town has a population of 5,884 inhabitants.^[1]

History

Underwater archaeological surveys have discovered amphoras from the Late Antiquity (4th–6th century) and import red-polished pottery made in Constantinople, Syria and North Africa, which indicates prospering trade in the area at the time. The city's southern peninsula has remains of a medieval fortress.

The town was first mentioned as Vasiliko by the 12th-century Arab geographer Muhammad al-Idrisi. Whether it existed during the First Bulgarian Empire is unknown. In the 15th and 16th century, Vasilikoz was an Ottoman port. According to 17th-century traveller Evliya Çelebi, in 1662 the town Vasilikoz Burgas comprised a square fortress on a ridge overlooking the Black Sea surrounded by plenty of vineyards. Although its cove was suitable even for the largest of ships, it was usually avoided by the seamen because it offered little protection from the powerful eastern winds.

Vasilikoz was featured in the Ottoman tax registers in the late 17th and the 18th century, as part of the kaza of Anchialos (Pomorie). According to the Austrian ambassador in Constantinople, in 1787 it was a town of 200 houses and a lively port. In 1829, another western traveller mentioned Vasiliko as a town of 220 houses, the main occupation of its residents being ship building and fishing. Another source lists its population in 1831 as 1,800 (with 434 houses).

The old town was located in the southern part of the cove, where the modern quarter of Tsarevo called Vasiliko is. In the first half of the 19th century, Vasiliko had a marine of 42 ships. There were 10 windmills and a watermill in the vicinity, and the nearby vineyards produced up to 6,000 pails of wine a year. There was a Greek school which was also visited by many Bulgarians, contributing to their partial Hellenization.

In 1882, a fire destroyed almost the entire town, forcing the locals to re-establish the city on a new site, on the peninsula of the northern cove called Limnos. In 1903, the new Vasiliko had 150 houses, but other statistics list 460 houses in 1898 (160 Bulgarian and 300 Greek) and 240 Greek-only houses in 1900.

After the village was ceded to Bulgaria in 1913, following the Balkan Wars, its Greek population moved to Greece and was replaced by Bulgarians from Eastern Thrace. In 1926, Vasiliko had 409 households. After a new wharf was constructed 1927–1937 with the financial aid of Tsar Boris III of Bulgaria, the town was renamed to Tsarevo (a literal Bulgarian translation of Vasiliko, "royal place") in his honour.

Between 1950 and 1991, it was known as Michurin, in honour of the Soviet botanist Ivan Vladimirovich Michurin.

Climate

Tsarevo has a mediterranean climate with very limited continental effects.

Gallery

• 
  Church in the Vasiliko quarter of Tsarevo
• 
  The Black Sea at Tsarevo
• 
  The Georgi Kondolov community centre (chitalishte)
• 
  Traditional wooden houses in Vasiliko
• 
  Church "St. Boris-Mihail"
• 
  Remains of "Goryanin", the largest wooden schooner produced in Bulgaria in Tsarevo.

Twin cities

• Wolgast, Germany

References

• Rajčevski, Stojan (2001). "Carevo". Krajbrežna Strandža: Toponimi i hidronimi. Sofia: Universitetsko izdatelstvo "Sv. Kliment Ohridski". pp. 59–66. ISBN 954-07-1541-5. 

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tsarevo.

• Official website of Tsarevo municipality
• Hoteli carevo

Cities and towns of Bulgaria (2011 census)
1,000,000+	Sofia (capital)
300,000+	Plovdiv Varna
200,000+	Burgas
100,000+	Pleven Ruse Stara Zagora
50,000+	Asenovgrad Blagoevgrad Dobrich Gabrovo Haskovo Pazardzhik Pernik Shumen Sliven Veliko Tarnovo Vratsa Yambol
20,000+	Aytos Botevgrad Dimitrovgrad Dupnitsa Gorna Oryahovitsa Kardzhali Karlovo Kazanlak Kyustendil Lom Lovech Montana Nova Zagora Petrich Razgrad Samokov Sandanski Sevlievo Silistra Smolyan Svishtov Targovishte Troyan Velingrad Vidin
10,000+	Balchik Bankya Berkovitsa Byala Slatina Cherven Bryag Chirpan Elhovo Etropole Gotse Delchev Harmanli Ihtiman Karnobat Kavarna Knezha Kostinbrod Kozloduy Mezdra Nesebar Novi Iskar Novi Pazar Panagyurishte Parvomay Pavlikeni Peshtera Pomorie Popovo Provadia Radnevo Radomir Rakovski Razlog Stamboliyski Svilengrad
5,000+	Aksakovo Bansko Belene Belogradchik Beloslav Bobov Dol Bozhurishte Byala, Ruse Province Chepelare Devin Devnya Dolni Chiflik Dryanovo Dulovo Elena Elin Pelin Galabovo General Toshevo Hisarya Isperih Kostenets Kotel Krichim Krumovgrad Kubrat Kuklen Levski Lukovit Lyaskovets Lyubimets Madan Momchilgrad Omurtag Oryahovo Perushtitsa Pirdop Rakitovo Saedinenie Septemvri Simeonovgrad Simitli Slivnitsa Sopot, Plovdiv Province Sredets Straldzha Svoge Tervel Teteven Topolovgrad Tryavna Tsarevo Tutrakan Tvarditsa Varshets Veliki Preslav Yakoruda Zlatitsa Zlatograd
2,000+	Aheloy Apriltsi Ardino Batak Batanovtsi Belitsa Belovo Borovo Bratsigovo Bregovo Breznik Byala Chernomorets Dalgopol Debelets Dobrinishte Dolna Banya Dolna Mitropoliya Dolna Oryahovitsa Dolni Dabnik Dospat Dragoman Dunavtsi Dve Mogili Dzhebel Glodzhevo Godech Gulyantsi Gurkovo Hadzhidimovo Ignatievo* Iskar Ivaylovgrad Kableshkovo Kalofer Kameno Kaspichan Kilifarevo Klisura Kocherinovo Koprivshtitsa Kostandovo Koynare Kresna Kran Krivodol Kula Laki Letnitsa Loznitsa Maglizh Malko Tarnovo Marten Мizia Nedelino Nikolaevo Nikopol Obzor Opaka Pavel Banya Polski Trambesh Pordim Pravets Primorsko Rila Roman Rudozem Sadovo Sapareva Banya Sarnitsa Shabla Shivachevo Slavyanovo Slivo Pole Smyadovo Sozopol Strazhitsa Strelcha Sungurlare Suvorovo Sveti Vlas Tran Trastenik Tsar Kaloyan Ugarchin Valchedram Valchi Dol Varbitsa Vetovo Vetren Yablanitsa Zavet Zlataritsa
1,000+	Ahtopol Alfatar Antonovo Balgarovo Boboshevo Bolyarovo Boychinovtsi Brusartsi Byala Cherkva Chiprovtsi Dimovo Glavinitsa Gramada Kaolinovo Kermen Merichleri Momin Prohod Plachkovtsi Senovo Shipka Suhindol Zemen
500+	Kiten Madzharovo Pliska
499-	Melnik
Notes	city status after the census of 01.02.2011: Ignatievo, Kran

Tsarevo Municipality
Capital: Tsarevo
Villages	Ahtopol (town) Balgari Brodilovo Fazanovo Izgrev Kondolovo Kosti Lozenets Rezovo Sinemorets Varvara Velika
Landmarks	Strandzha Nature Park Karaagach River Veleka Rezovo River Silistar Silkosiya Reserve Tisovitsa Reserve
Culture	Nestinarstvo
Notable people