(Redirected from Bourgas)
'Burgas' (, sometimes transliterated as ''Bourgas'') is the second-largest city on the
Bulgarian Black Sea Coast with population 205,821. It is also the fourth-largest by population in the country, after
Sofia,
Plovdiv and
Varna. It is the capital of
Burgas Province and an industrial and tourist centre.
Surrounded by the coastal
Burgas Lakes and located at the westernmost point of the
Black Sea, the large
Burgas Bay, Burgas has the largest and most important Bulgarian port. Today, it is a key economic, cultural and tourist centre of southeastern Bulgaria, with the
Burgas Airport serving the resorts of the southern Bulgarian coast.
History
Bourgas is a successor of the
Ancient Greek city of ''Pyrgos'' (Πύργος), founded by colonists from
Apolonia as a military and observational post against the other important settlement in the region —
Mesembria. Besides Pirgos, the present-day city expands over the area of three other ancient settlements: Castrition, Skafida and Rossokastron.
During the rule of the
Ancient Romans, Burgas was known as ''Deultum'', and was established as a military colony for veterans by
Vespasian. In the
Middle Ages, a small fortress called ''Pirgos'' (Πύργος being
Greek for "tower") was erected on the place and was most probably used as a watchtower. It was only in the 17th century that a settlement named ''Ahelo-Pirgas'' grew in the modern area of the city. It was later renamed to ''Bourgas'' and had only about 3,000 inhabitants, most of them
Greeks at the time of the
Liberation.
Later, it became a major centre on the southern
Bulgarian Black Sea Coast and a city of well-developed industry and trade. A number of oil and chemical companies were gradually built. Salt and iron are also mined and traded abroad.

Street scene from the centre of Burgas

Architecture of Burgas

Burgas

View of Alexandrovska Street from Hotel Bulgaria

City Hall
In 1903, the railway station in Burgas opened, giving an additional boost to the city's expansion. Burgas, unlike many other Bulgarian cities, was not much affected by Communist-type urbanization and has kept many of its 19th and early 20th century architecture.
Today the local port is the largest in Bulgaria adding significantly to the regional economy. Burgas also holds annual national exhibitions and international festivals and has a vibrant student population of over 6,000 that add to the city's appeal.
Several countries have consulates in Burgas, among them
Turkey,
Belarus,
Romania,
Russia and
Ukraine.
Burgas Peninsula on
Livingston Island in the
South Shetland Islands,
Antarctica is named after the city of Burgas.
Institutions of higher education
★
Prof. Dr. Assen Zlatarov University
★
★
School of Technology
★
★
Aleko Konstantinov School of Hospitality
★
★
School of Medicine
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Bourgas Free University
Attractions
★ Burgas Regional Historical Museum
★ Ethnographic Museum
★ Museum of Nature and Science
★ Art Gallery
★ Opera House
★ International Folklore Festival
★ "Geo Milev" English Language Medium School
Notable natives
★
Emil Tchakarov (1948–1991), conductor
★
Georgi Chilikov (b. 1978), footballer
★
Toni Dimitrova (b. 1963), singer
★
Petya Dubarova (1962–1979), poetess
★
Rayna Kabaivanska (b. 1934), opera singer
★
Georgi Kaloyanchev (b. 1925), actor
★
Apostol Karamitev (1923–1973), actor
★
Radostin Kishishev (b. 1974), footballer
★
Rumen Ovcharov (b. 1952), politician
★
Toncho Tokmakchiev (b. 1963), actor
★
Kostas Varnalis (1884–1974), Greek writer
★
Nedyalko Yordanov (b. 1940), writer
Notable buildings and architectural structures
The building of the TV Centre Burgas ( РРТС Бургас ) loos like a highrise with 6 floors with a tower looking like "Eiffel Tower with concrete legs" on its roof
[1].
Sister cities
★
San Francisco, California,
United States
★
Rotterdam,
Netherlands
★
Yantai,
People's Republic of China
★
Krasnodar,
Russia
★
Alexandroupolis,
Greece
Climate table
'Climate table' | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|
| Mean daily maximum temperature (°C) | 5.9 | 8.9 | 14.8 | 19.7 | 25.3 | 27.4 | 28.9 | 28.6 | 26.4 | 19.6 | 11.6 | 6.1 | |
|---|
| Mean minimum night time temperature (°C) | -2.1 | 0.9 | 3.3 | 6.8 | 10.0 | 15.9 | 20.8 | 21.4 | 19.4 | 14.7 | 8.2 | −1.4 | |
|---|
| Mean total rainfall (mm) | 11 | 14 | 32 | 51 | 40 | 44 | 21 | 9 | 8 | 13 | 28 | 31 | |
|---|
| Mean number of rain days | 10 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 9 | 11 | |
|---|
| 'Source:' World Weather Information Service |
See also
★
List of cities in Bulgaria
★
Bulgarian Black Sea Coast
★
Lake Burgas
★
Burgas Airport
External links
★
Bourgas city directory
★
Airport Burgas
★
Photos from Burgas
★
Nikola Gruev's gallery of Burgas
★
Burgas City Official Website
★
Burgas Regional Administration
★
Hotels in Burgas
★
Port of Burgas Website
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Bourgas resort guide
★
Burgas Bulgaria — Travel Guide
★
Internet radio HitNet
★
City Art Gallery
★
Photos of Burgas
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Promotional film about Bourgas
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BurgasNews.com - Online News from Burgas