Pavlikeni

This article is about a town in Bulgaria. For the Christian sect, see Paulicianism.

Pavlikeni (Павликени) is a town in northern Bulgaria, part of Veliko Tarnovo Province.

History

Pavlikeni was a centre of ceramics and pottery in Antiquity as evidenced by the remains from Roman and Thracian times, the modern town emerged in the 13th-14th century as a village initially called Marinopoltsi. Since its residents were adherents of the Christian sect of Paulicianism, it soon acquired its present name.

During the Ottoman rule of Bulgaria, the demographics of the village changed significantly, as many Turks settled to make it a purely Turkish village. After the Liberation of Bulgaria from Ottoman rule in 1877-1878, the Turks left to be replaced by Bulgarians from the Balkan Mountains and the villages of the plains. After the Liberation Pavlikeni developed as a centre of craftsmanship and trade, with many new buildings being constructed. Pavlikeni acquired town status in 1943 owing much to its position on the Sofia-Varna railway line.