Kyustendil
Kyustendil (
Bulgarian: Кюстендил, historically 'елбъжд,
Velbazhd) is a town in the very west of
Bulgaria, the capital of
Kyustendil Province, with a population of 47,196 (2005 calculation). In recent years a large portion of the population have moved to the capital Sofia or abroad in search for better life. Lack of employment and low salaries have been driving people out of town. The Roma population is increasing steadily living from hand to mouth and relying mainly on welfare benefits. Local authorities are struggling to get some people back but so far to no avail.
Kyustendil is located at the foot of the
Osogovo mountain, on both banks of the Banska River, and is a well-known centre of
balneology and fruit growing. The town is 80 km southwest of
Sofia, 69 km northwest of
Blagoevgrad and 22 km from the border with the
Republic of Macedonia.
A
Thracian settlement emerged at the place of the modern town in the
5th-
4th century BC, which was turned into an improtant stronghold, balneological resort and trade junction called
Pautalia by the
Romans in the
1st century AD.
The
Hisarlaka fortress was built in the
4th century and the town was mentioned under the
Slavic name of
Velbazhd ('елбъжд) in a
1019 charter by Byzantine emperor
Basil II. During the reign of
Kaloyan, the town became part of the
Second Bulgarian Empire, acquiring its modern name after the local feudal lord
Konstantin Dragash in the
16th century.
The residents of Kyustendil took an active part in the
Bulgarian National Revival. The town was liberated from
Ottoman rule on
29 January 1878.
*
KnCity.info, a website about Kyustendil*
Kyustendil at Journey.bg*
Kyustendil at BGGlobe*
Regional History Museum
