Preslav (Civ6)/Vikings, Traders, and Raiders!/Civilopedia

A minor Slavic settlement, Preslav began its rise in status when it was fortified in the early 9th Century AD; and its proximity to the Bulgarian capital of Pliska led to its expansion and prosperity under the khans Krum and Omurtag. Moreover, when the Bulgars converted to Christianity in 864, a number of churches and monasteries were built in and around the town walls. Being an important strategic and religious center, however, proved Preslav’s undoing. In the 960s and for several decades thereafter, the wars between the Byzantines and the Kievan Rus saw it ravaged and burnt several times. The cycle of conquerors looted the treasury, carried off the crown regalia, and even stole a large part of the famed library of Simeon. The outskirts and monasteries were largely abandoned. Although it regained some significance during the Second Bulgarian Empire, it soon after slipped even further into the shadows.