This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.
This web site reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
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History of Religions
History of the 3 Monotheistic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) and of the main different Christianity confessions (Roman Catholicism, Eastern Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy, Anglicanism and Protestantism)
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Pedagogical Approaches
New pedagogical approaches to teach history of religion
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Role of Religions in Civilization
How to didactically promote among students of different confessions, the capacity of a critical analysis and understanding of the role played by religions in the history of mankind
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Interreligious Students’ Competences
Set of teaching contents, to be used by teachers to highlight and valorize the universal values of tolerance and universalisms that all Monotheistic religions and religious texts contain to promote and sustain mutual understanding among students
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Managing Multi-Religious Classes
Teaching Sources to help teachers dealing with multicultural and multi-religious classes
Map
An interactive didactical map interactive didactical map giving access to sites with a religious relevance.-
Introduction
A comparative review of the liturgical celebrations, ceremonies and dietary rules existing in the different religions.
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Celebrations
Description and comparative analysis of the celebrations of different religions and confessions
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Ceremonies
Description and comparative analysis of the ceremonies of different religions and confessions
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Dietary Rules
Description and comparative analysis of the dietary rules of different religions and confessions
Events
The Pathway through Religions project has been promoted trough conferences and articles.
Conferences
The Pathway through Religions project was presented in a number of events in order to report about the activities carried out and the results achieved
Press Review
The Pathway through Religions project partnership made contacts with web sites focusing on the fields of educationPartnership
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Contractual Partners
From this section it is possible to access to a description of each contractual partner of the Pathway through Religions project.
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Schools
From this section it is possible to access to the information about the schools involved in the Pathway through Religions Project in the European countries involved.
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Associated Partners
As a result of the exploitation activity a number of associated partners officially joined the project in order to contribute to the improvement of the project impact on their target groups and to ensure the project sustainability by continuing using the project deliverables in the next years.
This section of the Pathway through Religions portal provides administrative information for the project contractual partners and for the European Commission and it is password protected.
Map
Homepage > ReligiousSite Map > Map
An interactive didactical map interactive didactical map giving access to sites with a religious relevance.
Back to the Religious Sites List
The fortress of Assen
4230 Assenovgrad
RELIGIONS Catholic, Islam, Orthodox
DESCRIPTION OF THE RELIGIOUS SITE
DESCRIPTION
The fortress as well as the neighbouring town itself (Assenovgrad - meaning Assen`s Town) are both bearing te name of one of the greatest rulers Bulgaria ever had - Tsar Ivan Asen II.
HISTORICAL RELEVANCE
It was under the reign of the Bulgarian Tsar Ivan Asen II (1218-1241, son of Tsar Assen I and a nephew to Tsar Kaloyan), that the Second Bulgarian Kingdom reached its peak. Bulgaria expanded to three Seas and extended over Thrace, Macedonia and part of Albania.
INTER-RELIGIOUS RELEVANCE
Ivan Assen II signed a peace treaty with the Kingdom of the Magyars (i.e. Hungary) and married the Magyar princess. In 1230, he was victorious in the battle against the Byzantines led by Theodorus Komnin near the village of Klokotnitza, destroying the enemys army. The captured soldiers were set free, and this generous act made a favourable impression to everyone.
Tsar Ivan Assen II ruled with a significant statesmanship and diplomacy, successfully marrying all of his sisters, daughters and female cousins to the strong rulers of all the neighbouring lands, thus guaranteeing peace to his country.
In 1204 the fortress fell into the hands of the Crusaders and was under the possession of the Belgian Knight René de Tri. The Knight endured a thirteen-month siege by the troops of the Bulgarian Tsar Kaloyan (ruled between 1197 and 1207) and was saved by the chronicler of the fourth crusade, Joffre de Villarreal. The fortress was in the possession of Thracians, Romans, Byzantines, Crusaders, Bulgarians and Ottomans.
RELIGIOUS INFLUENCE
Under the feudal castle is the so-called church courtyard with well preserved two-storey church "St. Virgin Mary Petrich ". Written sources reported that after the death of Sultan Bayazid in 1402, a war for the throne broke out between his two sons Suleiman and Musa Kesedji. Musa was fortified in the Petrich fortress, but he didn`t endure the siege and surrendered to the mercy of his brother. After Musa's capitulation, the fortress was destroyed to the ground so as not to cause any further breakthrough appetite, and because it no longer had any strategic significance. For unknown reasons, only the fortress church "St. Virgin Mary Petrich " remained intact, which is one of the most remarkable examples of medieval Christian architecture.
HOW TO USE WITH THE STUDENTS
The students should visit this remarkable fortress in oder to get closer to the history.
CONNECTION WITH OTHER RELIGIOUS SITES
Fortress Misionis, Turgovishte - 7 km away from the town of Targovishte in Preslavska mountain.
The “Tsari Mali Grad” fortress - village of Belchin, Samokov municipality
REFERENCE TO THE GUIDELINE
- History and Philosophy of Religions - Christianity
- Building Students’ Interreligious Competences in Communication and Adaptation in a Cross-Cultural Environment - Making Judgements – The Role of Religion and Cultural Traditions
- Managing Multicultural and Multi-Religious Classes - Family Involvement
MEDIA RESOURCES
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JPG
Church of the Holy Mother of God, Assen's FortressThe Church of the Holy Mother of God is the popular name of a medieval Eastern Orthodox church located in Assen's Fortress.
VIDEOS
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The fortress of Assen
The video shows the fortress in details.
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THE FORTRESS OF ASSEN
THE FORTRESS OF ASSEN
LINKS
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The fortress of Assen
The website provides more interesting facts about the story of the fortress.
