The area around Gabrovo, inhabited since the
Neolithic, gained
economic importance after
Veliko Tarnovo became
capital of the
Second Bulgarian Empire in the 12th century.
Craftsmanship and
trade prospered due to the proximity to both the capital and the
Balkan passes.
Medieval Gabrovo was a small pass village of about 100 houses. After the
Ottoman invasion of the
Balkans in the 14th century, the demographic position of Gabrovo changed significantly, as it was the only settlement in a considerably large geographic area and an attractive place for
Bulgarians fleeing from the conquered capital and neighbouring fortresses. It turned from a village into a small town (
palanka) and began to develop as an economic, cultural and spiritual centre.
Theophany Crucession in Gabrovo. The
priests are going to throw a wooden cross in the
Yantra. Believers will then jump into the icy waters to "save" the cross. During
Ottoman rule, the rich tradesmen spent plenty of resources for the small town's public planning. The first Bulgarian secular school, the
Aprilov National High School, was founded in Gabrovo in 1835 with the aid of
Vasil Aprilov and
Nikolay Palauzov. Gabrovo was officially proclaimed a
town by the Ottoman authority in May 1860. In the 1870s
Felix Kanitz said that Gabrovo is "a big workshop" and that it is a "city that lives from the water," referring to widely used water power. The glory of the goods of Gabrovo became known throughout the Ottoman Empire, and beyond that, in
Bucharest even nowadays there is a street named "Gabroveni". Shortly before and after the
Liberation of Bulgaria in 1878, Gabrovo developed as a centre of
industry on the basis of its economic traditions. Joint-stock companies emerged,
factories were constructed and connections to the large
stock exchanges were created, prompting some to label the town "The Bulgarian
Manchester". ==Population==