Quick facts about City of Varna
In Bulgarian Alphabets: Варна
Location: North-East Bulgaria
Distance to capital city: 379 km from Sofia
Latitude: 43.21667 N
Longitude: 27.91667 E
Altitude: 0 - 49 m above the sea level
Province: Varna District
Municipality: Varna Municipality
Area size of City of Varna: 168.692 sq km
Population: 311 465 inhabitants (to 01/01/2007)
Post code (ZIP): 9000
Phone code: 052 from Bulgaria; 0035952 from outside.

History
Varna has a history that could be traced back for thousand years. Due ti its favourable location and visibility of almost 270 degrees the small cape, which now hosts the sea station, was inhabited by an ancient Thracian tribe - Corbisy in their small fishermen's settlement.
In 6ht century BC a Greek polis (settlement) inhabited by colonists and settlers from Millet emerged here under the name of Odessos. The town became a fishing and farming colony and later on in the 5th century BC it turned into a real centre of commerce.
Up to the Roman domination the Thracian god Darzalas was worshipped rather than the common gods Apollo and Dionyssus. Old Greek and Roman sources evidence that in Darzalas' honour processions, mysteries, games and competitions were organised.
The town had been under the siege of the troops of Alexander of Macedonia in the middle of 4th century BC but after the siege was put down the town was given autonomy within the limits of his Empire. After the uprising and its liberation during the rule of Lisimah the town re-established its supermacy at the north Black Sea coast. Up to the 1st century BC it was an independent polis and minted coins with the effigy of its patron god. Conquered by Mark Lukulus' legions, it became a Roman regional centre of great importance. There the great epic poet of Rome Ovidii stayed in his way to the town of Tommy (nowasays Kyustendzha, Romania) where he was sent on exile.
Gradually Odessos lost its supermacy in the region, which was then gained by the town of Martsianopolis (nowadays Devnya) founded by the Emperor Trayan. Being conquered and devastated several times during the barbarian invasions it was for some time within the Byzantine Empire then out of its territories.
In 9th century it was already called Varna. It is supposed that the name originates from the horse people in Central Asia - toponymy (name of an area) and hydronymy (name of a water basin) in India (the river that runs into the Ganges at Varanassi) and from the concept of caste (colour). After the numerous wars between Bulgaria and Byzantine, the town was included in the territory of Bulgaria in the beginning of the 13th century during the reign of King Kaloyan. Its defence system consisted of three strongholds: one - at the Cape Galata; other - at Cape St. Dimitar and the third, called Petrich was near the lake Beloslav.
Despite its reliable defence system, the town was conquered by the Turks in 1391 and it soon declined. In 1444, during the crusade of the Polish king Vladislav Yagello (Varnenchik) and the Hungarian leader Yanosh Huniady, the town was under the siege of the knights. Despite the fact that the troops of the Christian coalition fought bravely they suffered a complete defeat. The young king Vladislav was killed. The citizens of Varna built a mausoleum in his honour.