statute of an autonomous city of the �polis' type (i.e. city-state). From the time of Emperor Marcus Aurelius(161-180 AD) to the Emperor Galienus (253-268 AD) it had the right to mint its own bronze coins, which were in circulation all over the Balkan Peninsula.
Beroe
Between 4th and 7th centuries as part of the Byzantine Empire the city had the name of Beroe. It was a religious centre of the earlyChristians on these lands and the residence of an archbishop.
rinopolis
For a short period it was named after the Byzantine Empress Irina who visited the city in 784 AD.
Vereya
In 812 AD the city became part of the First Bulgarian State under the name of Vereya or also found as Bereya, Beroya.
Boruy
During the Second Bulgarian Empire (12th through 14th centuries) the city had the name of Boruy. It became the centre of an administrative region within Medieval Bulgaria. Some of the most remarkable Medieval stone plastic arts date back from this period - five bas-reliefs featuring animals. One of them, a lioness with its cub, became the symbol of Stara Zagora.
Eski Zagra
In 1364 the medieval city was captured by the Turks who called it Eski (Hissar) Zagra (the Old fortress Zagora). During the Bulgarian Revival it evolved into an important centre of crafts and trade.
Zheleznik
At the end of the 1850s, the Turkish name was replaced by the Bulgarian name Zheleznik.
Stara Zagora
The city's current name, Stara Zagora, appeared for the first time in documents from the Church Council of Tsarigrad in 1875.
July 31, 1877 is a tragic date in the city's history. On that day, the first major clash between the two belligerent armies of the Russian-Turkish Liberation War took place near Stara Zagora. The large Turkish army consisting of several thousand soldiers was launched on the town, which was merely defended by a small Russian detachment and a small
