Sehingga tahun 1256, Empayar Bulgaria Kedua merupakan kuasa dominan di rantau Balkan, yang mana berjaya mengalahkan Empayar Byzantine dalam beberapa pertempuran penting. Pada tahun 1205, Maharaja Kaloyan mengalahkan Empayar Latin yang baru diasaskan dalam Pertempuran Adrianople. Anak saudara beliau, Ivan Asen II mengalahkan Despotate Epiros dan menjadikan Bulgaria sebuah kuasa wilayah sekali lagi. Semasa zaman pemerintahan beliau, wilayah Bulgaria meluas daripada Adriatik ke Laut Hitam dan ekonomi yang makmur. Bagaimanapun pada akhir kurun ke-13, kekuatan empayar ini mula jatuh di sebabkan serbuan berterusan oleh Mongol, Byzantines, Hungary, dan Serbia, selain kekacauan dan pemberontakan dalam negara. Kurun ke-14 menyaksikan kestabilan dan pemulihan sementara, serta kemuncak feudalisme Balkan sebagai pusat kekuasaan mula hilang di kebanyakan wilayah. Bulgaria kemudian dibahagikan kepada tiga bahagian menjelang permulaan serangan Uthmaniyah.
Meskipun dipengaruhi kuat oleh Byzantine, para artis dan arkitek Bulgaria mencipta gaya mereka tersendiri. Pada kurun ke-14, di mana zaman ini dikenali sebagai Zaman Emas Kebudayaan Bulgaria Kedua, kesusasteraan dan kesenian berkembang pesat.[5] Ibu negara, Tarnovo, yang mana dianggap sebagai sebuah "Constantinople Baru", menjadi hub kebudayaan utama dan pusat dunia Ortodoks Timur untuk orang Bulgaria sezamannya.[6] Selepas penaklukan oleh Uthmaniyah, ramai sarjanawan dan alim Bulgaria berhijrah ke prinsipaliti Serbia, Wallachia, Moldavia, dan Rusia, di mana mereka memperkenalkan budaya, buku dan idea hesychastik Bulgaria.[7]
Petikan
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