Varna

During the 18^th and the early 19^th century, the city of Varna belonged administratively to the district (sancak) of Silistra in the Ottoman Empire. Varna was the administrative center of one of the nahiyas (subdistricts) of the sancak. In 1840 the District (sancak) of Varna and the subdistrict (kaza) of Varna, managed by a mudir, were included in the eyalet of Silistra.

As a result of the administrative reform in the Ottoman Empire in 1864 Varna was included in the newly created Danube (“Tuna”) Province, which covered the whole of present day Northern Bulgaria (the territories between the Balkan Mountains and the Danube River together with the regions of Sofia and Nish). At the same time Varna was a center of a sancak and a kaza. The sancak of Varna included also the following coastal kazas: Varna, Balchik, and Mangalia^[1].

During the Provisional Russian Government (1878-1879) and the following year (until June 25, 1880) Varna was the administrative center of the Province (gubernija) of Varna. The Province of Varna was established on May 11, 1878. Initially it included Varna, Balchik, Hadjioglu Pazardzhik (with center the town of Hadjioglu Pazardzhik, present-day Dobrich), the districts of Provadiya and Silistra, and later the district of Shumen, which initially belonged to the Province of Ruse. The Province of Varna existed until June 25, 1880, when a special law provided the provinces to be abolished and the counties (okrăži) to become the basic administrative unit^[2].

[1] Русев, И. Варна през Късното Средновековие и Възраждането (края на XІV в. – 1878 г.) [Roussev, I. The town of Varna in the Late Middle Ages and the National Revival Period (from the late 14^th c. to the 1878). – in: Русев, И., В. Плетньов. История на Варна. [Roussev, I., V. Pletniov. History of Varna] Т. ІІ (VII в. – 1878 г.). Изд. „Славена” – Варна, 2012, с. 380–381.

[2] Дряновски, Б. Варна през 1878–1944 г. – История на Варна. Т. III, Изд. „Славена“, Варна, 2015, с. 13–18.

References

Archival sources:

Bibliography:

Roussev Iv., “Варна през Късното Средновековие и Възраждането (края на XІV в. – 1878 г.)” – В: Русев, И., В. Плетньов, История на Варна, Т. ІІ (VII в. – 1878 г.). Изд. „Славена” – Варна, 2012, 380–381.

Дряновски, Б., Варна през 1878–1944 г. – История на Варна. Т. III, Изд. „Славена“, Варна /под печат/.