Kustendil

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Kustendil is a town in the very west ofBulgaria, the capital of Kustendil Province. The lands of the contemporary town in ancient times were settled by the Dentelets Thracian tribe. Later Dentelets' lands were incorporated into the Roman strategies (roman administrative regions). In the I-II Centuries the region (named Pautalia, that means “a town of springs”) grew into one of the most important administrative, commercial and cultural centers in this lands. The road through its territory favored the development of ore-mining, crafts, agriculture and intensive external relations with other ancient centers. Pautalia was unique for its religious life: the Asclepius (Roman God of Medicine) temple was a sanctuary of regional importance. At the village of Kopilovtsi, ancient temples of Hera and Zeus have been discovered. Apart from the deities from the Roman Pantheon, several other Eastern religious cults were also professed, of which Mitra was the most-widely revered deity. During the period of feudalism, the town occupied a prominent place in the commerce of Western Bulgaria, maintaining relations with Dubrovnik, Venice and others. In the XV C. the name of the town was changed to Kyustendil (a literal translation of the phrase "Konstantine's Land"). At that time it finally became an integral part of the Turkish Balkan Empire. In the period 1944-1980 (times of communism), Kyustendil region developed a predominantly industrial structure Now the town l is a national balneological resort, with more than 40 mineral springs. The waters of the springs are used for treatment of the locomotory system, gynaecological and other kinds of diseases. The resort region includes several baths, balneological complexes and others.