The siege of Varna (Bulgarian: Обсада на Варна) took place between 21 and 24 March 1201 at Varna, on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast between the Bulgarians and the Byzantines. The Bulgarians were victorious and captured the city.
After the youngest of the three Asen brothers, Kaloyan was crowned Emperor in early 1197 he immediately showed his resolution to continue the war with the Byzantines with all means and liberate all Bulgarian lands. In the ...
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The siege of Varna (Bulgarian: Обсада на Варна) took place between 21 and 24 March 1201 at Varna, on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast between the Bulgarians and the Byzantines. The Bulgarians were victorious and captured the city.
After the youngest of the three Asen brothers, Kaloyan was crowned Emperor in early 1197 he immediately showed his resolution to continue the war with the Byzantines with all means and liberate all Bulgarian lands. In the next year Kaloyan even allied with Ivanko, the murderer of his eldest brother Ivan Asen.
At the turn of the new century he seized the strong castle of Constancia (near modern Simeonovgrad) and then stroke on an opposite direction and besieged the last Byzantine stronghold to the north of the Balkan mountains, Varna. Varna was defended by a large garrison including western mercenaries who were known to be the bravest soldiers in the Byzantine army. To take the fortress the Bulgarian engineers constructed an enormous siege tower which was wider...
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