Haskovo

About the town

Haskovo is a town in Southern Bulgaria and the administrative centre of the province and municipality of the same name. It lies in the Upper Thracian Plain at the foot of the Eastern Rhodopes, close to the borders with Greece and Turkey. Important roads linking Europe with the Middle East pass through the town.

The area has been inhabited since prehistoric times. The Thracians lived here, as shown by the world-famous Aleksandrovo Tomb from the 4th century BC with its unique wall paintings. In the Middle Ages a fortress stood near the town, and under Ottoman rule the settlement was known as Hasköy. The town is home to the Eski Mosque from the late 14th century – one of the oldest in Bulgaria – and the Clock Tower built in 1763.

Haskovo was a centre of the Bulgarian National Revival in the region: the “Zarya” community centre (chitalishte), founded here in 1858, was the first in Southern Bulgaria. Today the symbol of the town is the Monument of the Virgin Mary on Yamacha Hill, listed in the Guinness World Records as the tallest statue of the Virgin Mary with the Child in the world. The town celebrates its holiday on 8 September, the Nativity of the Virgin.

Around the town there are many places for walks and recreation – Kenana forest park, the mineral springs of Mineralni Bani, the “Thracian Art in the Eastern Rhodopes” museum centre near Aleksandrovo and the picturesque villages of the Eastern Rhodopes.