Bulgaria Celebrates 107th Anniversary of Declaring Independence

Bulgaria celebrates on Tuesday the 107th anniversary of its independence from the Ottoman Empire, which was declared in the medieval capital of Veliko Tarnovo on 22 September 1908.

This was the third important act towards the restoration of the independent Bulgarian state after it had fallen under Ottoman rule at the end of the fourteenth century.

The independence was preceded by the liberation of Bulgaria on 3 March 1878 and the unification of the Principality of Bulgaria and Eastern Rumelia on 6 September 1885.

The independence was proclaimed by the then Prince of Bulgaria Ferdinand, who also declared Bulgaria a kingdom and assumed the title of Tsar.

The independence was formally proclaimed at the Holy Forty Martyrs Church, which is a symbol of Bulgarian statehood and monarchy.

The declaration (manifesto) of independence was read out a second time on the Tsarevets hill, which was the main fortress of the Second Bulgarian Empire, housing the royal palace and the seat of the patriarch.

Traditionally, Veliko Tarnovo hosts the largest celebrations, which involve a liturgy at the Holy Forty Martyrs Church and a flag-raising ceremony on Tsarevets hill.

In the evening, the celebrations will continue with the Sound and Light Show at the Tsarevets fortress and fireworks.