Assenova mahala

At the skirts of the hills Tsarevets and Trapezitsa, on both sides of r.Yantra even during the dynasty of Assen there was a distinct neighborhood, which in the XIII century was mentioned in the written sources as the New Town – today’s Assenоva mahala. Fortifying this place in the XIII century, when the capital was growing and the two hills were close to the population preseserved Assenova mahala. After completion of Tsarevets and Trapezitsa from the two hills two additional cross-fortified walls to the river were built, which provided protection for this part of the medieval city.

Cross walls were discovered in archaeological excavations of Tsarevets south of the main entrance and northwest slope, east of “Sechenata skala”. Such has been and west of “Lobnata skala” of Tsarevets and in the south-west and the east slope of Trapezitsa, near the Church of “St. Dimitar of Thessaloniki”. Next to the Vladishkiya bridge were found tower bases.

With the strengthening of the city Assenova mahala was included in the general system of Tarnovgrad and became the main district of the capital, where ordinary people and not boyars, lived. In Asenova mahala today are preserved the churches “St. Dimitar of Thessaloniki”, “St. Forty martyrs“, ” St. George” and “St.Peter and Pavel”, who as monuments of culture are the subject of archaeological and historical research, conservation and restoration.