Stara Zagora

 Stara Zagora is one of the oldest towns on the territory of present-day Bulgaria, famous equally for its rich history and fertile lands. The town lies in the geographical centre of the country. Its origin can be traced back to Thracian times (5-6nd century BC), when the town was known under the name of Beroe. Later on, after the Romans settled in (2nd century AC), the town was rebuilt and renamed into Augusta Trayana, after the then-emperor Trayan. With the arrival of Slavic tribes in those areas (6th century AC), the town appears in annals as Vereya, while under the rule of Byzantium (8th c.), it was renamed into Irinopolis.

   Its present-day name comes from the Turkish “Eski Zagra” (‘old fortress’, after the remains of the Roman settlement), given to the town by the Ottoman troops after their invasion in Bulgarian lands at the end of the 14th century. Later, the Ottomans renamed the town into Eski Zaara – zaara meaning fertile land. The latter is nothing occasional as the town’s surrounding areas are famous for their tasty produce of vegetables (especially tomatoes) and fruit trees such as apricots and peaches.

   Today, Stara Zagora is poetically nicknamed as the Town of Limes for the numerous lime trees planted along the main streets of the town and enchanting visitors with their marvelous scent in springtime. As the town was ruined to the ground during the Russian-Turkish Liberation war, after the Liberation in 1878 it was rebuilt in the fashion of the straight geometrical system. The town plan, designed by the Czech Loubor Bayer, strikes visitors with its perfectly straight and perpendicular streets and makes Stara Zagora unique in Bulgaria. Yet despite its through reconstruction, the town keeps the remains of the Augusta Trayana fortress and other sights of interest, such as Roman mosaics in 20 different places in the town. The Eski Mosk (Eski Dzamiya), built during the 15th century by the Ottoman authorities, is another place of tourist interest.



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Introducing Zagora

Introducing Zagora

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The modern town of Zagora is largely a French creation, although the oasis has always been inhabited. It was from here that the Saadians launched their expedition to conquer Timbuktu in 1591. The now famous, somewhat battered sign still reads ‘Tombouctou 52 jours’ (by camel caravan), although it took the Saadian army 135 days to get there.


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Zagora feels very much like a border town, fighting back the encroaching desert with its lush palmeraie. Though modern and largely unappealing, it does have its moments, particularly when a dust storm blows up out of the desert and the light becomes totally surreal. The spectacular Jebel Zagora, which rises up across the other side of the river Drâa, is worth climbing for the views.

Last updated: Sep 24, 2008

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Heading to Morocco? The tourism outlook.

Heading to Morocco? The tourism outlook for 2011.


When it comes to tourist hotspots, Morocco is one of the big hitters. Just a few hours’ flight away from Europe’s major cities, it plays a strong hand to city-breakers, and adventure- and sun-seekers alike. At nine million foreign visitors a year, it’s second only to Egypt as a North African holiday destination.
But Morocco isn’t immune to international events, and as North Africa and the Middle East experience the turmoil of the Arab Spring, many would-be visitors to Morocco are giving pause to wonder whether a holiday is still safe, feasible or appropriate. Admittedly, Morocco hasn’t seen the same upheavals that Tunisia or Egypt have experienced, let alone the violence in Libya,  but confidence in tourism did take a knock with a bombing in a Marrakesh café in May, which was ascribed to Islamist militants, the first such attack in the country since 2003.
Tourism accounts for around 10% of Morocco’s GDP, but taken together, the bombing and headlines from the wider region look like making 2011 a quiet year for the Moroccan tourist industry. That said, none of this should necessarily have you reaching for your guidebooks to France or Italy instead. Morocco remains a safe holiday destination, and no governmental travel warnings currently advise against travel. The flipside of dropping visitor numbers means those heading to Morocco can find themselves some great guesthouse and hotel deals.
Let’s go!
Well-served by both budget and scheduled airlines, the main entry points to Morocco are Marrakesh, Casablanca, Fès and Tangier – the latter also being an important ferry point for visitors from Spain. In the summer, head for the cooling sea breezes of Essaouira and Asilah. The latter holds a three-week art festival in July, overlapping with Marrakesh’s Festival of Popular Arts.
Best time to go
If you’re free with your travel dates, you might want to consider avoiding visiting Morocco in August. Not only is this the hottest time of the year (Marrakesh is particularly scorching), but this year it coincides with Ramadan, the Muslim month of fasting. Restaurants catering to tourists aren’t affected, but it’s hot work on the tourist trail when you can’t just pop into the first café you see for a refreshing drink.
With autumn, Morocco is once again prime travelling territory. Accommodation prices rise, but everyone’s in high spirits after Ramadan. The beaches empty and even the desert benefits from gentle breezes. Now is the time to dive into the winding streets of the Fès medina (which celebrates its founder in a huge moussem or religious festival in September) or even snag yourself a wife at Imilchil’s Berber Marriage festival.
What to see
The warm days and cool nights of autumn are also ideal for seeing the best of natural Morocco. The High Atlas Mountains are the most popular destination for trekking – most notably for those wanting to tackle Jebel Toubkal, north Africa’s highest mountain, but there are plenty of lesser known areas, such as the gorgeous Ameln Valley in the Anti-Atlas. The more heavily wooded Rif Mountains in the north also offer good hiking opportunities, and an excuse to base yourself in the blue-washed town of Chefchaouen.
Tourism in Morocco might be taking a slight knock at the current moment, but there’s still plenty on offer for those ready to make the trip.





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