Middle Ages
Bulgarian Empire
681 AD – 1396 AD · peak 927 AD
The First (681–1018) and Second (1185–1396) Bulgarian Empires were significant medieval powers in the Balkans that frequently challenged Byzantine authority. During the reign of Simeon I (r. 893–927), the state became a center of Slavic literacy through the adoption of the Cyrillic alphabet and the Preslav Literary School. The Second Empire ended following the Ottoman conquest at the turn of the 15th century.
Capital: Preslav / Tarnovo
Key figures
Battles in this period
Trade routes in use
- Silk Road (130 BC – 1450 AD)
- Trans-Saharan Gold Route (700 AD – 1500 AD)
- Route from the Varangians to the Greeks (800 AD – 1100 AD)
- Hanseatic League (1200 AD – 1600 AD)
- Indian Ocean Spice Route (800 AD – 1500 AD)