Vidin (, also spelled as
Widdin in English) is
a port town on the southern bank of the
Danube in northwestern
Bulgaria. It is close to the borders with
Serbia and
Romania, and is also the administrative centre of
Vidin Province, as well as of the Metropolitan of Vidin (since 870). An agricultural and trade centre, Vidin has a fertile hinterland renowned for its wines.
Geography and population
Vidin is the westernmost important Bulgarian Danube port and is situated on one of the southernmost sections of the river. A ferryboat complex, linking Vidin with
Calafat on the opposite side of the river, is located 2 km from the town. The complex is to be replaced by the
Calafat-Vidin Bridge.
Vidin is the 19th town by population in Bulgaria, but serious demographic problems have been experienced in the area since
World War II.
There are also some
Vlachs (
Romanians) who live in Vidin and to the north of it. The old
Romanian name of the town is
Diiu.
History
Vidin emerged at the place of an old
Celtic settlement known as
Dunonia. The name itself meant "fortified hill" with the typically
Celtic dun found frequenty in Celtic place names. The settlement evolved into an
Roman fortified town called
Bononia. The town grew into one of the important centres of the province of Upper
Moesia, encompassing the territory of modern northwestern Bulgaria and eastern
Serbia. Roman rule lasted until 46 AD.
When
Slavs settled in the area, they called the town
Badin or
Bdin, where the modern name comes from.
right|thumb|220px|The central streets of Vidinright|thumb|220px|Orthodox Cathedral of St DemetriusVidin's main landmark, the
Baba Vida fortress, was built in the period from the 10th to the 14th century. In the
Middle Ages Vidin used to be an important Bulgarian city, a bishop seat and capital of a large province. Between 971 and 976 the town was the center of
Samuil's possessions while his brothers ruled to the south. In 1003 Vidin was seized by
Basil II after an eight month siege because of the betrayal of the local bishop. Its importance once again rose during the
Second Bulgarian Empire (1185–1396) and its
despots were influential figures in the Empire and were on several occasions chosen for Emperors. From the mid 13th century it was ruled by the
Shishman family. In 1356, Bulgarian
Tsar Ivan Alexander isolated Vidin from the Bulgarian monarchy and appointed his son
Ivan Stratsimir (1356–1396) as absolute ruler of Vidin's new
city-state - the
Tsardom of Vidin (Bdin / Badin).
Hungarian occupation of Vidin
In 1365, the
Tsardom of Vidin was occupied by
Magyar crusaders. Under
Hungarian rule, the city became known as
Bodony, but the occupation was short-lived. In 1369, a united Slavic Bulgarian empire drove out the Hungarian military, but in 1393 the whole of Bulgaria, along with the rest of the surrounding region, fell to the
Ottoman Empire. This brought an end to Bulgaria's medieval state empire.
The Ottomans
The Ottomans went on to conquer the despotates of
Dobrudzha,
Prilep and
Velbazhd as well. Vidin's independence did not last long. In 1396, Stratsimir contributed soldiers to assist the Slavic nations' bid to overturn the Ottoman Empire. Following defeat at the hands of the Ottomans outside the city of
Nicopolis, Vidin finally fell under the sphere of the Ottomans, led by
Bayezid I, as a punishment for their role in the hostilities.
In the late years of
Ottoman rule, Vidin was the centre of Turkish rebel
Osman Pazvantoğlu's breakaway state.
Modern rule
During the
Serbo-Bulgarian War (1885), the town was besieged by a Serbian army. Although vastly outnumbered, the Bulgarians defeated the enemy who suffered a humiliating defeat.
Tourism
Vidin boasts two well-preserved medieval fortresses,
Baba Vida and
Kaleto, as well as many old Orthodox churches such as St Pantaleimon, St Petka (both 17th century), and St Greatmartyr Demetrius (19th century), a Jewish
synagogue (1894), a mosque and a library of
Osman Pazvantoğlu, the late 18th century Turkish ruler of northwestern Bulgaria, the
Krastata Kazarma of 1798, and a number of old Renaissance buildings.
Another tourist attraction in the Vidin area is the town of
Belogradchik, famous for its unique and impressive rock formations, the
Belogradchik Rocks and the medieval
Belogradchik Fortress and also the nearby
Magura Cave with its beautiful prehistoric cave paintings.
Landmarks
Near Vidin, there is since 1973 a powerful mediumwave broadcasting station, whose signals can be easily received in the whole of Europe. It works on 576 kHz and on 1224 kHz with a power of 500 kW. For transmission on 576 kHz a 259 metres tall guyed mast equipped with a cage antenna at its lower part is used. For the transmission on 1224 kHz 4 guyed masts, insulated against ground, which are each equipped with a cage antenna are used, which allows a switchable directional pattern.
Honour
Vidin Heights on
Livingston Island in the
South Shetland Islands,
Antarctica is named after Vidin.
Gallery
International relations==
Twin towns — Sister cities====
Partner towns
