Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles
available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. Pliska
(Bulgarian: ¿¿¿¿¿¿, Old Bulgarian: ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿) is the name of both the
first capital of Danubian Bulgaria (the First Bulgarian Empire) and a
small town (a former village known as Aboba) which was renamed after the
historical Pliska after its site was determined and excavations began.
Pliska was the capital of Bulgaria between 681 and 893 AD. According to
a Bulgarian chronicle, it was founded by Khan Asparukh. It is called
Pliskusa by Georgios Kedrenos and Anna Comnena. It had an area of 23 km²
and was surrounded by a moat and earthwork ramparts. The walls of the
inner fortress were 2.6 meters thick and about 12 meters high. Pliska
was sacked by the Byzantine army in 811, but the invaders were soon
driven out by Khan Krum (see Battle of Pliska). Khan Asparukh brought in
artisans and craftsmen to improve the city. In 886, Boris I founded the
Pliska Literary School (after 893 Preslav Literary School), which was
headed by Naum of Preslav.
