PAZARDZHIK

also spelled Pazardjik, or Pazardzik town, west-central Bulgaria. It lies along the upper Maritsa River, between the Rhodope Mountains to the south and the Sredna Mountains to the north. It is a rail junction and an industrial centre, specializing in textiles, rubber, furniture, engineering, and the processing of agricultural produce. The National Museum in Pazardzhik has artifacts dating the settlement from 2000 BC. The present town was founded by Russian Tatars, was under Turkish rule from the 15th to the 19th century, and until 1934 was called Tatar Pazardzhik. The Church of the Virgin Mary, which is half buried in the ground, contains masterpieces of Bulgarian carvings. Pop. (1989 est.) 83,451.