Early history The first settlement in the area dates back to the second half of the 5th millennium BC (
Middle Neolithic Age). There are traces of a later
Thracian settlement between the Kamaka (
The Stone) Hill and the
Arbanasi Plateau 439,8 m altitude. Its inhabitants were from the tribe of
Krobizi. They erected the
Kamaka Fortress 412 m altitude that existed from the 5th century BC to the 1st century BC, when the
Romans built up their own fortified settlement over its ruins. It gradually acquired economic power mainly through cultivating grapes and producing wine. The life of that settlement continued up to the coming of the
Slavs (6th–7th century). There is no substantial evidence of settled life between the 7th and the 12th century.
Middle Ages After the restoration of the Bulgarian State at the end of the 12th century, a need arose for protection of the new metropolis
Tarnovgrad. Several fortresses were built, including
Rachovets ( northwest of the modern town). The main purpose of the strongholds was to protect the roads leading to the Bulgarian capital Tarnovgrad. The name
Rahovets means 'road fortress' (from
Persian rah, meaning 'road'). The medieval fortress gave its name to the modern town, even though with some Slavic twist. They were well known for their mushroom farming at the time. This proved to be a good method of income for the town. During the
Ottoman invasion, the fortress was conquered by the Ottomans after its water pipeline was cut off (without destroying the fortress). Rahovets existed up to the year 1444 when King
Władysław Warneńczyk during his campaign against the Ottomans destroyed it. Three individual small villages existed during the first centuries of Ottoman rule there—Mala (Little), Sredna (Middle) and Golyama (Greater) Rahovitsa. It was known as "Yukarı Rahova" ("Upper Rahovets" in Turkish) during Ottoman rule.
Development and growth During the
Bulgarian National Revival, Gorna Oryahovitsa gradually turned into an economically strong settlement. Crafts prospered and trade was among the most active in Northern Bulgaria. Every Friday there was a big market for cattle, agricultural production, timber, and charcoal. As early as 1822, a monastery school was opened here and in 1827 a private school that became public in 1835 began functioning. In 1850, the first girls' school opened gates and in 1859 the first intermediate high school was founded. A
chitalishte (library and community centre) was opened in 1869. Gorna Oryahovitsa was proclaimed a town in 1870, when it numbered 4,700 inhabitants and had 1,200 houses and 5 churches.
Revolutionary struggles The population of the town took part in the struggle for national liberation.
Vasil Levski organised a revolutionary committee in Gorna Oryahovitsa during the first half of 1869 and later visited the town two more times. During the preparation of the
April uprising Gorna Oryahovitsa was designated as a centre of the First Revolutionary District with
Stefan Stambolov as Chief Apostle. After the failure of the April Uprising,
Georgi Izmirliev "Makedoncheto" (the Macedonian), one of the local leaders, was hanged in the centre of Gorna Oryahovitsa. His last words were: "How good it is to die for the freedom of the Fatherland!" Three citizens of Gorna Oryahovitsa fought in
Hristo Botev's detachment of armed volunteers and 132 people joined the Bulgarian volunteer forces during the
Russo-Turkish War of Liberation. The
Imperial Russian Army liberated Gorna Oryahovitsa from Ottoman rule on 26 June 1877.
Liberated Bulgaria After the Liberation, the town developed as a significant transport (predominantly railway) centre as it is nowadays. Its proximity with the old metropolitan town of Veliko Tarnovo, tourist centre Arbanasi, the monasteries around and a great number of other sites of interest makes it a known tourist destination. ==Population==