About Targovishte
History
First mentioned in 1573 in Ottoman tax registers, it was already an administrative centre in 1658. In the 18th and 19th centuries it became a famous market for animals and craft products called Eski Cuma (“old bazaar”). A monastical school was opened in the 18th century and a secular one, called the Slaveykov School and situated in the old Varosha Quarter was established in 1846, with Petko Slaveykov being a teacher there; a chitalishte was also built.
Economy
Industrial development began after the Second World War. Factories producing car batteries and machines for the food industry were opened; later, furniture and textile industries developed. One of Bulgaria’s largest wine production factories is located there. Targovishte is home to one of the largest glass factories in Europe. The investment in the factory was $380,000,000 and employs 1,500 people.
Geography
Targovishte is a city in Bulgaria, capital of Targovishte Province. It is situated at the northern foot of the low mountain of Preslav on both banks of the Vrana River. The town is 335 km away to the north-east from the capital Sofia and about 125 km to the west from the city of Varna and Bulgarian Black Sea Coast. As of February 2011, it has a population of 36,969 inhabitants.
Targovishte is known as an old market settlement.
Culture
The town is a cultural centre. In 2000, ruins of an Ancient Roman town called Missionis were unearthed near Targovishte. The town art gallery named after the eminent Bulgarian artist Nikola Marinov, who was born here, has a considerable collection of his works.
It is a multiethnic city which has predominant Bulgarian population (~70% according to census 2001) with sizeable Turkish and Roma minorities. There are two Bulgarian Orthodox churches: St. Uspenie Bogorodichno (Dormition of the Theotokos Church) (1847) and St. John of Rila and one mosque.
The local football team is called PFC Svetkavitsa (“lightning”) and plays in the B PFG. The city is also noted for its shooting sports traditions. There is also a drama theatre and a puppet theatre.
