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Pazardzhik is a city in southern Bulgaria, serving as the administrative center of Pazardzhik Province and Pazardzhik Municipality. Situated along the banks of the Maritsa River in the Upper Thracian Plain, it lies approximately 37 km west of Plovdiv, 112 km southeast of Sofia, and 288 km from Burgas. As of 2022, the city's population was 55,220, with an urban area population of around 90,309, though estimates for 2025 suggest a decline to approximately 63,348 due to ongoing emigration trends. The city has experienced population growth from the late 19th century until peaking at over 80,000 in the late 20th century, followed by a decline linked to Bulgaria's economic challenges in the 1990s and 2000s. Residents are known as Pazardzhiklia. The city operates in the Eastern European Time zone (UTC+2, with UTC+3 during daylight saving time), has a postal code of 4400, an area code of 034, and a license plate prefix of PA. Its official website is https://www.pazardzhik.bg/.
Pazardzhik is rich in culture, with landmarks reflecting its Revival
heritage. Key sites include:
Church of the Dormition: Built
1836-1837, a UNESCO-protected wood-carved iconostasis; half-buried with
Bulgarian carvings.
Regional Historical Museum: Houses over 75,000
artifacts; ethnographic exhibition in a 1850 Baroque house.
Stanislav
Dospevski Art Gallery: Features Revival art.
House-Museum of
Stanislav Dospevski: Art gallery in a Revival house.
House-Museum of
Konstantin Velichkov: Showcases 19th-20th century urban life.
Ethnographic Museum: In the largest Revival house, illustrating regional
traditions.
Clock Tower and Old Post Office: Historic structures.
Varosha Quarter: Revival-era neighborhood with museums and churches.
Pliocene Park: Natural history site.
Ostrova "Svoboda" (Freedom
Island): Riverside park.
Attractions include the Yunatsite
excavations (Neolithic site) and nearby Thracian treasures like
Panagyurishte. The 2025 architectural competition revitalized the
historic market, emphasizing its trade heritage. Cultural events feature
puppet festivals and fairs. The city's Revival architecture and museums
make it a cultural hub.
The name "Pazardzhik" derives from the Persian word "bāzār" (market) combined with the Turkic diminutive suffix "-cık," meaning "small market" in Turkish (Pazarcık). Historically, it was called Tatar Pazardzhik due to early settlement by the Qarā Tātārs, translating to "small Tatar market." From the 15th to 19th centuries, foreign travelers referred to it as Pazardzhik, Bazardzhik, or Tatar Pazardzhik, while 19th-century Bulgarian documents favored Pazardzhik. It was nicknamed "The City of Rice" before Bulgaria's Liberation in 1878. The name was unofficially standardized to Pazardzhik after 1934. Pazardzhik Point on Snow Island in Antarctica's South Shetland Islands is named after the city.
Pazardzhik is located in the Pazardzhik-Plovdiv Field subregion of the Upper Thracian Plain, a fertile area along the Maritsa River. It lies between the Rhodope Mountains to the south and the Sredna Gora Mountains to the north, at an elevation of about 205 meters above sea level. The region is characterized by flat lowlands ideal for agriculture, with surrounding hills and mountains providing natural boundaries. The climate is humid subtropical (Cfa) according to the Köppen classification, with continental and Mediterranean influences. Winters are cold, with temperatures dropping to as low as -29.5°C (-21.1°F) in February, while summers are hot, reaching up to 40.6°C (105.1°F) in July. The average annual temperature is around 12.3°C (54.1°F), with significant rainfall year-round (annual average of 628 mm or 24.7 inches). May and June are the wettest months (around 67 mm or 2.6 inches each), while August is the driest (27 mm or 1.1 inch). The area receives about 3,112 hours of sunshine annually, peaking in July at 425 hours. This favorable climate supports intensive agriculture, including vegetables, fruits, and historically rice cultivation.
Pazardzhik's history dates back to the 7th millennium BC, with early Neolithic settlements by Asia-Minor agro-pastoralists near the Maritsa River, including sites at Sinitovo and Pazardzhik. The Rakitovo settlement mound aligns with the Karanovo I culture. Chalcolithic finds from the 5th millennium BC, such as the Pazardzhik Venus (a clay idol now in Vienna's Natural History Museum), were discovered near the modern railway station. The area was inhabited by the Bessi tribe during the Iron Age, with their main city, Bessapara, near Sinitovo. The Roman road Via Militaris passed through, and Thracian artifacts, including a tombstone and annular well, have been found. The Eneolithic Yunatsite settlement mound (Karanovo VI culture) was disrupted around 3700–3300 BC, with some populations retreating to the Rhodopes and Sredna Gora mountains.
In the early Middle Ages, the Drougoubitai tribe settled the area, which was incorporated into the First Bulgarian Empire under Omurtag and Malamir. Archaeological evidence from the Second Bulgarian Empire includes sgraffito ceramics, an iron shovel, and a sword near the Topolnitsa River. The city's founding is debated: theories include establishment in 1395 by Saruhan nomads under Bayezid I; 1398 by Tatar migration from Actav; 1418 by Minnet Bey and Tatars from Isquilip; or 1485 by resettled Crimean Tatars under Bayezid II. By 1472, it had 105 Muslim homes, indicating rapid growth, with rice cultivation intensifying in the 1530s.
Pazardzhik emerged as a commercial center in the 15th century on the Singidunum (Belgrade) road linking Europe and Asia Minor. By the 16th century, it became an administrative district (kaza), a status it held until 1878. It developed into a key trade and craft hub in the Ottoman Empire, with practices like leatherworking and metal forging. In the 17th-18th centuries, it was a primary craft center. Large buildings like the Eski Mosque, Pasha Haram, and Kurshum Inn were constructed. The Bulgarian Revival shaped its architecture, with the Church of the Mother of God (1837) as a national monument known for its woodcarving. By the mid-19th century, it was a major cultural and craft center with about 25,000 residents, 33 mahallas (neighborhoods), and 3,420 houses. The Bratsigovo Architectural School designed notable house-museums.
During the Bulgarian National Revival, architecture flourished with squares like Vasil Levski and public buildings. The Church of the Dormition (1836-1837) and Church of St. Constantine and Helena (1868-1870) were built. Pazardzhik supported the April Uprising of 1876, though nearby Panagyurishte was the epicenter. Ottoman atrocities included the Batak massacre. During the Russo-Turkish War (1877-1878), Russian General Iosif Gurko liberated the city, and Ovanes Sovadzhian prevented its destruction. Turks fled, abandoning or demolishing buildings. Post-Liberation, the region joined Eastern Rumelia under the Treaty of Berlin (1878), incorporating into the Principality of Bulgaria in 1885. Agriculture dominated, with rice and cereals key, and factories for tiles (1908) and pottery (1914) emerged.
The early 20th century saw a 1904 fire destroying over 300 buildings, but handicrafts like aba production and tobacco factories thrived. Electrification occurred in 1922, with industrial enterprises growing from 18 in 1938 to 54 in 1944. During World War II, Bulgaria's participation led to Red Army entry on September 23, 1944. Post-1944, Pazardzhik became an industrial center with nationalization in 1947. Demonstrations in 1989 demanded democracy. The economy slowed post-1989, with GDP per capita at 9,101 BGN in 2012, average salary 635 BGN, and unemployment 5.2% in 2015. Emigration caused population decline from over 80,000 in 1989 to 55,220 in 2022. Today, agriculture (fruits, vegetables, animal breeding) and industry persist. In 2025, an international architectural competition revitalized the historic market, enhancing its cultural role.
As of 2022, Pazardzhik had 55,220 residents, down from a peak of over 80,000 in 1989 due to emigration. The 2011 census showed ethnic distribution: 71,979 total, with Bulgarians dominant. Provinces with large Roma populations have higher fertility, but overall, Bulgaria's fertility rate is 1.58 (2021), contributing to decline. In 2023, Bulgaria's population was 6,445,481, decreasing by 2,229 from 2022. Projections for 2025 estimate Pazardzhik at 63,348, though national trends suggest continued shrinkage. The median age is 44.8 years nationally, with an ageing population (23% over 60 in 2022). Emigration of working-age Bulgarians exacerbates labor shortages.
Pazardzhik's economy originated as a 15th-century market and Ottoman trade center, evolving into a craft hub by the 17th-18th centuries. Post-Liberation, agriculture (rice, cereals) dominated, with factories emerging. Growth in 1920-1944 included electrification (1922) and industrial expansion. Nationalization in 1947 consolidated industries. Today, it's an industrial center specializing in textiles, rubber, furniture, engineering, and agricultural processing. GDP per capita was 9,101 BGN in 2012, with average salary 635 BGN and unemployment 5.2% in 2015. Agriculture remains key in the fertile Upper Thracian Plain, though rice cultivation declined post-1989 due to global competition. In 2025, the economy is projected to slow with Bulgaria's GDP growth at 2%, affected by trade uncertainty, but EU funds support public investment.
Stanislav Dospevski: Revival artist and portrait pioneer.
Konstantin Velichkov: Writer, Revival activist, and education minister.
Stefan Zahariev: Historian.
Atanas Dalchev: Poet.
Ivan Sokolov:
Physician.
Ivan Batakliev: Geographer.
Pazardzhik is twinned with cities like Chekhov (Russia), Corvallis (USA), and Tatabánya (Hungary), fostering cultural and economic ties.