1185-1396: The era of the Second Bulgarian kingdom, which came to being after a successful uprising by the Bulgarian aristocracy. The reign started of the Assen dynasty. They proclaimed the town of Turnovo as capital. Ivan-Assen II (1218 – 1241) was the best-known and powerful ruler of the period of the Second Bulgarian kingdom.

1396: Bulgaria fell entirely under Ottoman domination. In the course of long 5 centuries Bulgaria was a province of the Ottoman Empire. In the process of conquering the aristocracy was destroyed, the Bulgarian administration was done away with, the Bulgarian Church was deprived of autocephality and partriarchical rang and was placed under the Constantinople patriarchy.

1652: The beginning of the Bulgarian National Revival. Monk Paissii of the Hilendar monastery (on Mount Athos) wrote the “Slav-Bulgarian History” book.

1870: Start of the organised national-liberation movement.

1876: The April uprising of the enslaved Bulgarian people burst out — it was smothered in a sea of blood but caused a big international response of indignation at the Turkish tyranny.

1877-1878: The Russian-Turkish Liberation war in which Bulgaria gave many lives for its freedom.