Aytos

History

Aytos has a rich and long history dating back to antiquity. Founded by Thracian tribes, archaeological finds near the town testify that its existence dates back to the 5th century BC. Throughout the centuries, the town has been known under different names including Aetòs (in Greek Αετός meaning eagle), Astòs (Αστός), Eidos (Είδος), Aquilia, Tchengis, etc. During the reign of Khan Tervel, the region was incorporated in the Bulgarian Empire for the first time. The fortress Aetos took an important part in the defensive system of the Bulgarian lands against the sudden attacks of the Tatars, the Avars and the Crusaders. In 1206, Aytos together with many cities in Bulgarian province of Thrace was destroyed by the Crusaders, led by Henry of Flanders. Henry of Flanders was a brother of Baldwin I, emperor of Latin Empire of Constantinople. A fortified city was rebuilt at 1488. In 1378 the town was conquered by the armies of the Ottoman Empire under Murad I. During the Russian-Turkish War (1828–1829), General Hans Karl von Diebitsch turned the town into a strategic strong point. After the Treaty of Edirne in 1829, many of the town's citizens fled to Bessarabia to join the Bessarabian Bulgarians. During the Bulgarian National Revival the population participated in the Bulgarian struggles for liberation. Vasil Levski organized a revolutionary committee in the town. After the Liberation, Aytos became a commercial center, reputedly more important than Burgas. The first girls' agricultural school in the country was established in Aytos during the period.

Geography

The town is located in eastern Bulgaria some 30 kilometers from the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast and belonging to the administrative boundaries of Burgas Province. It is situated in the Aytos Valley, enclosed between the Balkan Mountains, the Hisar Heights and the Burgas Plain.

Most-observed species

• Common Buzzard

  Buteo buteo (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  649
• Eurasian Marsh-Harrier

  Circus aeruginosus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  583
• Eurasian Kestrel

  Falco tinnunculus Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  518
• Eurasian Magpie

  Pica pica (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  452
• European Starling

  Sturnus vulgaris Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  435
• Barn Swallow

  Hirundo rustica Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  430
• Common Shelduck

  Tadorna tadorna (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  401
• White Stork

  Ciconia ciconia (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  394

Most recent

• M 4.6 — 2022-04-04
  14 km SE of Provadia, Bulgaria
• M 4 — 2015-04-02
  11 km N of Topolovgrad, Bulgaria
• M 4.2 — 2015-02-05
  12 km ENE of Tvarditsa, Bulgaria
• M 3.9 — 2013-08-13
  8 km SE of Provadia, Bulgaria
• M 4.1 — 2013-07-09
  14 km N of Topolovgrad, Bulgaria
• M 4.4 — 2010-10-07
  14 km NW of Dolni Chiflik, Bulgaria