Bulgaria - Eastern Europe - page 112

Once you've explored the Tsarevets Fortress, stroll down to the view the Churches
of Assenova or “Assen's Quarter,” the medieval-era part of town that straddles the
banks of the Yantra as it winds through the saddle between Tsarevets and Trapezitsa
hills. A tranquil place, the area was pretty much destroyed by an earthquake in 1913,
but a few of the churches have been restored, the most impressive being the Sveti
Dimitrius of Thessalonike , where the bolyari Assen and his brother Peter
declared war on their Byzantine oppressors. The beautiful brickwork—alternating
bands of color, using two kinds of brick, mortar, and stone, with ceramic inlay for
additional texture—is typical of the church construction during medieval times (heav-
ily influenced by the Byzantine style), and you'll see plenty more of this if you are
pushing on to UNESCO-listed Nessebar on the Black Sea coast. Located on the other
side of the river is the recently restored Church of the 40 Martyrs . Frescoes here
date from the 12th and 14th century, but the two pillars with inscriptions are what
fascinate historians: One has an 8th-century inscription that reads: “Man dies, even
though he lives nobly, and another is born. Let the latest born, when he examines
these records, remember he who made them. The name of the Prince is Omurtag, the
Sublime Khan.” Four hundred years later, czar Ivan Assen—inspired by the Khan's
column—ordered that his many victories be inscribed on one similar, citing here how
his “benevolence” spared many.
Heading back into town, you could stop to photograph the pretty facade of the
Museum of the National Revival and Constituent Assembly. Built in 1872 by the
prolific master builder Kolyu Ficheto, who left an indelible imprint on the region (the
statue in front is of him), it was ironically enough originally a Turkish police station,
where the 1876 April Uprising rebels were tried. A mere 3 years later the Ottomans
were finally defeated, and the First Bulgarian Constitution was proclaimed by the Bul-
garia's newborn parliament in these halls. As exhibits are in Bulgarian, there is no real
reason to enter; even less so the adjacent Archaeological Museum. Either take a look
at the Church of SS Konstantin I Elena (also built by Kolyu Ficheto), or wander pic-
turesque Gurko Street. Besides admiring the tall, narrow 18th- and 19th-century
homes (you can enter the Sarafkina House at no 88; Wed-Mon 9am-6pm,
4lev/$3/£1.40), the street has wonderful river views. On the opposite bank, perched
in front of its own tiny hillock, is the Monument of the Assens —symbol of the city,
this phallic sculpture commemorates the powerful kings of the Second Kingdom:
Assen I, Peter, Kaloyan, and Ivan Assen II, under whose reign the Bulgarian Medieval
State reached its zenith. Behind it is the 19th-century building that houses the City
Art Museum; the latter not really worth visiting. The other street worth wandering is
Rakovski Street —almost as pretty as Gurko, this was once the main trading street
and is today still lined with well-preserved shops, now touting tourist souvenirs and
various artworks of dubious quality. A short stroll farther is the House of the Little
Monkey, so named for the stone “monkey” attached to the facade of the first floor
(centered between the arches), and another building by Kolyu Ficheto featuring his
trademark “Fichevska kobilitsa”—the undulating wave that characterizes the roofline
of his domestic architecture.
DAY TRIPS FROM VELIKO TARNOVO
With the exception the Madara Horseman and Zheravna, which can be seen on route
to Varna, most of the following can be combined into one day trip (though you'll have
to choose one monastery). Note that if you're traveling from Plovdiv, you will be