Pazardzhik 2404835 210489464 2008-05-06T03:23:47Z 69.196.141.222 /* Culture and pedestrian areas */ {{Infobox Settlement <!--more fields are available for this Infobox--See Template:Infobox Settlement--> |official_name = {{PAGENAME}} |subdivision_type = [[Countries of the world|Country]] |subdivision_name = {{BUL}} |subdivision_type1 = [[Provinces of Bulgaria|Provinces]]<br><small>(Oblast)</small> |timezone=[[Eastern European Time|EET]] |utc_offset=+2 |timezone_DST=[[Eastern European Summer Time|EEST]] |utc_offset_DST=+3 |map_caption = Location of Pazardzhik| |pushpin_map =Bulgaria <!-- the name of a location map as per http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Location_map --> |pushpin_label_position = <!-- the position of the pushpin label: left, right, top, bottom, none --> |pushpin_map_caption =Location of Pazardzhik |pushpin_mapsize = |leader_title =Mayor |postal_code_type =[[List of postal codes in Bulgaria|Postal Code]] | | native_name=Пазарджик| image_shield=Pazardzhik-coat-of-arms.svg| | subdivision_name1=[[Pazardzhik Province|Pazardzhik]]| population_total=81485|population_footnotes=| |population_metro = 161847[http://www.eufunds.bg/docs/OPRD_29August_FINAL_Revised.pdf]| population_as_of=2005-09-13| elevation_m=205| postal_code=4400| area_code=034| blank_info=PA|blank_name= [[Bulgarian car number plates|License plate]]|| latd=42|latm=12|lats=|latNS=N|longd=24|longm=20|longs=|longEW=E|leader_name=Todor Popov| }} '''Pazardzhik''' ({{lang-bg|Пазарджик}}, also spelled as ''Pazardjik'' or ''Pazarjik'') is a town situated along the banks of the [[Maritsa]] river in [[Bulgaria]] with a population of 81485. It is the capital of [[Pazardzhik Province]] and centre for the [[Pazardzhik municipality]]. ==History== Pazardzhik was founded by [[Tatars]] from what is today [[Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi]] in 1485 on the left bank of the river [[Maritsa]], near the market of the region, an important crossroad at the middle of this productive region, and named Tatar Pazardzhik ([[Turkish language|Turkish]] ''Tatar Pazarcιk'', "small Tatar market"). Thanks to this favourable location, the settlement quickly developed. While it was very small at the beginning of the 19th century, it became the administrative centre for the region at the end of the century and remained so until the Liberation from [[Ottoman Empire|Turkish]] occupation. [[Image:Pz chasovnika.jpg|left|thumb|150px|The clock tower is one of the symbols of Pazardzhik]] During the following centuries the town continued to grow and strengthened its position. Trade in iron, leather and rice prospered. The town impressed visitors with its beautiful houses and clean streets. In 1718 Gerard Kornelius Drish visited Pazardzhik and wrote "the buildings here according to construction, size and beauty stand higher than those of [[Niš]], [[Sofia]] and all other places". The Russians under Count [[Nikolay Kamensky]] took the city after a brief siege in 1810. By the mid-19th century Pazardzhik was a big, important centre of crafts and trade, with a population of about 25,000 people. It hosted two big annual fairs, and a big market Tuesdays and Wednesdays. There was a post office with a telegraph. In 1837 the Church of the [[Mother of God]] was built &mdash; an important national monument, famous for its architecture and woodcarving. In the mid-19th century Pazardzhik became an important cultural centre: a school was opened in 1847, a girls' school in 1848, a community centre in 1868, the women's union "Prosveta" in 1870. During the [[Russo-Turkish War, 1877-1878|Liberation War in 1877-1878]], the town was burned by retreating Turkish troops. It was liberated on [[2 January]] [[1878]] by General [[Joseph Vladimirovich Gourko]]'s platoon. Pazardzhik grew and spread to the right bank of Maritsa river; barracks and an agricultural school were built. From the early 20th century on people built factories, stores and houses, and thus the industrial quarter of the town. From 1959 to 1987 Pazardzhik was again an administrative centre for the region, and is again since the 1999 administrative division of Bulgaria. ==Culture and pedestrian areas== [[Image:Pazardzhik 110.JPG|right|thumb|270px|Videlina cultural centre (''[[chitalishte]]'')]] The Church of the Theotokos preserves the most impressive icons in Bulgaria by master artists of the [[Debar]] School, [[wood-carving]]s of [[New Testament|New]] and [[Old Testament]] scenes, and icons by [[Stanislav Dospevski]]. Among the town's landmarks are also the clock tower, the ethnographic and history museums. As with most Bulgarian cities, Pazardzhik has developed a significant [[Pedestrian street|pedestrian center]], in which several central squares typify the European café society and pedestrian culture. In Bulgaria the [[Cafe Culture|café culture]] is particularly prominent, with many downtown squares easily providing up to a half dozen cafés, with ample outside seating. Pazardzhik has a level of pedestrian streets (or network of [[List of car-free places|carfree areas]]) even above the relatively high Bulgarian standard. There are several longer pedestrian streets, and at one point there is even an intersection where five different pedestrian streets converge. A few of these do not continue for very long, but most do, or are connected to the rest of the pedestrian areas of the city, and thus could be said to form the pedestrian network of the city. During the warmer seasons, most afternoons of the week and especially weekends find a large number of people strolling about or sitting in cafés. There are both tourist and shopping attractions in this area as well. Most people who live in Pazardjik are proud of their city. It is an attraction that brings many villagers to the malls, cinemas and even discos. Villagers could be oftenly seen at the Pazardjik Downtown disco "Largo". ==Sister cities== * {{flagicon|USA}} [[West Bend, Wisconsin]], [[USA]] * {{flagicon|Russia}} [[Image:Coat of Arms of Stavropol (1994).png|25px]] [[Stavropol]], [[Russia]] * {{flagicon|Russia}} [[Chekhov, Moscow Oblast]], [[Russia]] * {{flagicon|Belarus}} [[Image:Coat of Arms of Barysaŭ, Belarus.png|25px]] [[Barysaw]], [[Belarus]] ==Gallery== <gallery> Image:Pazardzhik 002.JPG|Old building Image:Pazardzhik 032.JPG|Street scene Image:Pazardzhik-street-gruev.JPG|Street scene Image:Pazardzhik Stanislav Dospevski House.jpg|Stanislav Dospevski's house </gallery> ==External links== {{commonscat|Pazardzhik}} *[http://www.pazardjik.bg/ Pazardzhik municipality] *[http://pzforum.net Web Forum of Pazardzhik Town] {{Cities in Bulgaria}} {{Pazardzhik Province}} {{coor title dm|42|12|N|24|20|E|region:BG_type:city}} [[Category:Cities and towns in Bulgaria]] [[Category:Pazardzhik Province]] [[Category:100 Tourist Sites of Bulgaria]] [[Category:1485 establishments]] [[Category:Settlements established in the 1480s]] [[bg:Пазарджик]] [[cs:Pazardžik]] [[de:Pasardschik]] [[es:Pazardzhik]] [[mk:Пазарџик]] [[nl:Pazardzjik (stad)]] [[pl:Pazardżik]] [[pt:Pazardzhik]] [[ru:Пазарджик]] [[sr:Пазарџик]]