Tsarevets is a medieval stronghold located on a hill with the same name in Veliko Tarnovo in northern Bulgaria. It served as the Second Bulgarian Empire's primary fortress and strongest bulwark between 1185 and 1393, housing the royal and the patriarchal palaces, and it is also a popular tourist attraction.
The hill has evidence of human presence from the 2nd millennium BC and was settled in the 4th century. After the Bulgarian Rebellion, it became the empire's key fortress, comparable to Rome and Constantinople. In 1393, it fell to Ottoman forces, marking the Bulgarian Empire's demise.
The fortress has three entrances, with a central complex featuring a throne hall, castle church, and king's chamber. Restoration started in 1930 and was completed in 1981. The stronghold, surrounded by thick walls and three gates, housed kings Petar, Asen, Kaloyan, and Ivan Asen II. The palace complex included a fortified wall, towers, and entrances. The patriarchate, at the hill's top, has the Cathedral of the Ascension of the Lord.
Baldwin's Tower, a modern reconstruction in the southeastern part, commemorates Latin Emperor Baldwin I's death. During the Middle Ages, the hill had residential buildings, workshops, churches, and monasteries. Archaeologists found 400 buildings, 22 churches, and 4 monasteries. Execution Rock, where traitors were pushed into the Yantra River, is also located here; Patriarch Joachim was executed in 1300.
References:Visby Cathedral (also known as St. Mary’s Church) is the only survived medieval church in Visby. It was originally built for German merchants and inaugurated in 1225. Around the year 1350 the church was enlarged and converted into a basilica. The two-storey magazine was also added then above the nave as a warehouse for merchants.
Following the Reformation, the church was transformed into a parish church for the town of Visby. All other churches were abandoned. Shortly after the Reformation, in 1572, Gotland was made into its own Diocese, and the church designated its cathedral.
There is not much left of the original interior. The font is made of local red marble in the 13th century. The pulpit was made in Lübeck in 1684. There are 400 graves under the church floor.