Pliska is the name of both the first capital of the First Bulgarian Empire and a small town situated 20 km northeast of the provincial capital Shumen. Under Ottoman rule, the village was called Aboba until 1925, when the name was changed to Pliskov - a variant of the current name. Pliska is an archaeological site in Bulgaria - housing the ruins of what was the country’s first capital. The ruins of the city of Pliska lie 3 km north of the modern village. The site of the city is currently a National Archaeological Reserve. Pliska was an impressive early medieval city. The stone architecture and the buildings from this era show a clear Byzantine influence in their design and function. It acted as the main city of the First Bulgarian Empire from 681 until 893, when the capital was moved to Preslav by Tsar Simeon I. Ruins of the Great and the Small Palace, the strong stone fortifications and the Great Basilica, used both as a royal church and as a national patriarchal cathedral, can be seen in Pliska.
Opening times: Open daily 9am-5pm. Entry: 5BG
