Velbazhd

Velbazhd is the name of the medieval town on the site of today's Kyustendil. The name is found in numerous versions, including Velbuzhd, Velvuzdium, Velbluzhd, Velbushka Banya, Velbondzh.
The medieval city originated around ancient Pautalia. The last mention of the old town dates back to a written monument from 553. It is assumed that during slavic migrations to the Balkans the settlement was transformed.
The city is not mentioned during the First Bulgarian Empire, but undoubtedly according to archeological data it was annexed to the Bulgarian territory at the beginning of the 9th century at the latest. The connection between Danube Bulgaria and passed through it.
The first mention of the medieval city in a written monument is from the beginning of the 11th century in the charters of Basil the Bulgar Slayer for the establishment of the Ohrid Archbishopric. It is understood from them that the city was the episcopal center of the Preslav Patriarchate since the time of Tsar Peter I of Bulgaria.
The suburban territory included the towns of Sateska, Germania (native of Belisarius), Terimer, Stob, Dolna Sateska and Razlog.
Velbazhd was a typical medieval city, and the two fortifications from antiquity have been preserved and renovated. The city entered Samuil's Bulgaria, because east of it were the hereditary lands of the Comitopuli. Pechenegs settled in the suburban territory during the time of Byzantine Bulgaria. A large part of the population were Paulicians and Bogomils. The local archeological museum keeps numerous coin finds from the times of all Byzantine emperors, without exception.
During the time of Kaloyan the city became part of the Second Bulgarian Empire. Velbazhd entered the administrative unit of the people of Skopje and later of Prilep.
The famous Battle of Velbazhd took place near the town, and then the was formed around the town.
Evliya Çelebi was the first to call the medieval town by its present name — Kyustendil during the transformation of the Ottoman Empire.

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