| Shipka Pass | |
|---|---|
 View from Shipka | |
| Elevation | 1,190 m (3,904 ft) |
| Traversed by |   I-5 /E85 |
| Location | Bulgaria |
| Range | Balkan Mountains |
| Coordinates | 42°45′18″N25°19′8″E / 42.75500°N 25.31889°E /42.75500; 25.31889 |
Shipka Pass (Bulgarian:Шипченски проход,Shipchenski prohod) (el. 1150 m./3820 ft.) is a scenic mountain pass through theBalkan Mountains inBulgaria. It marks the border betweenStara Zagora province andGabrovo province. The pass connects the towns ofGabrovo andKazanlak. The pass is part of theBulgarka Nature Park.
The pass is 13 km by road north of the small town ofShipka. It is crossed by anational road I-5, which runs between theDanube on theRuseborder crossing withRomania in north and theMakaza border crossing withGreece.
A road also leads from the pass to the summit ofBuzludzha, 12 km to the east.
During theRusso-Turkish War in 1877 and 1878, Shipka Pass was the scene of a series of conflicts collectively named theBattle of Shipka Pass, fought between the Russians, aided byBulgarian volunteers, and theOttoman Empire.[1]
It was opened with a ceremony in 1934 and designed by architect Atanas Donkov and sculptor Aleksandar Andreev.[2] An important influence was theMonument to the Battle of the Nations in Germany.
The monument is a 31.5-metre (98-foot) high stone tower in the form of atruncated pyramid. A giant bronze lion, 8 m (26 feet) long and 4 m (13 feet) high, stands above the entrance to the tower, and a figure of a woman represents the victory over theOttoman forces. A marblesarcophagus housing some of the remains of theRussian and Bulgarian casualties is on the first floor. There are four other floors where one can find replicas of Bulgarian military flags and other relics. The top of the tower reveals a panorama of Shipka Peak and the surrounding area.[2]
_-_central_Monument.JPG)
...a pass in the Balkans, celebrated as the scene of fierce fighting in the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–78
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