Bulgaria’s Heyday

The average person’s knowledge of Bulgaria seems to be restricted to a few facts: it was formerly part of the Soviet Union and it joined the European Union at the start of 2007, after the reincarnation of its former king as Prime Minister. So why do we know so little? Perhaps because the Bulgarian State was long overshadowed, or because of a more contemporary lack of understanding. And yet it was here that the brilliant civilisation of the Thracians flourished, and that, in the Middle Ages, the Bulgarians established one of the greatest powers in Europe, which rivalled Byzantium and the Frankish, and was able to fend off all but the Ottomans… Here is a retrospective on a turbulent, exciting and tragic history.