Arbanasi is a village in Veliko Tarnovo Municipality, Veliko Tarnovo Province of central northern Bulgaria, set on a high plateau between the larger towns of Veliko Tarnovo (five kilometres away) and Gorna Oryahovitsa. It is known for the rich history and large number of historical monuments, such as 17th- and 18th-century churches and examples of Bulgarian National Revival architecture, which have turned it into a popular tourist destination.
The village's name comes from the word Arbanas. This is how Slavic people referred to the people living in what is present day Albania. From this word comes the Turkish arnavut, which was used to denote Albanians. However, the village did not have any Albanian population but it rather received its name in honor of Ivan Asen II's military conquest of what was then areas populated with Arbanasi people. As a result of his military victory at the battle of Klokotnitsa Bulgaria obtained access to three seas - Black, Aegean, and Adriatic. To commemorate this event, the village was named Arbanasi. As of 2005, Arbanasi has a population of 291.
The lack of other documentary material leaves different opinions and speculations about the settlement's origin, name and population. It is accepted by some scholars that the village was populated by Bulgarian boyars that came from the westernmost parts of the Second Bulgarian Empire after Ivan Asen II of Bulgaria's important victory over the Byzantines near Klokotnitsa on 9 March 1230, when the tsar conquered "the land of the Albanians".This assumption is supported by 19th century notes from Georgi Rakovski and other scholars, but by no direct evidence or contemporary source.
The earliest written document that marks the beginning of Arbanasi's history is a royal decree by the Ottoman sultan Suleiman the Magnificent from 1538, according to which the sultan offered the lands of the modern localities of Arbanasi, Lyaskovets, Gorna Oryahovitsa and Dolna Oryahovitsa to his son-in-law Grand Vizier Rustem Pasha as a gift. The four villages are united under the name Arnaud Kariyeleri ("the Albanian villages") in the document, and the first settlers may have been Albanians and Greeks from Epirus; although Albanian-sounding names could be found in the Ottoman tax registers, Orthodox and Slavic names already prevailed.
We can organize an individual transfer from Sofia Airport, your hotel or address to Arbanasi and vice versa for you and your family or friends. Уou will travel comfortably with our new cars with free WI-FI and you will be able to explore one of the most significant 100 national tourist sites of Bulgaria.
Arbanasi is an architectural and museum reserve and is among the 100 national tourist sites.
The feast of Arbanassi is on the feast of the Assumption - August 15th.
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