Ruschuk is on the southern shore of the Danube River 139 miles north of the Black Sea. Its chief importance lies in its manufacture of cigars, soap and pottery. One of the most interesting places in the city is the market here shown. Here you can study the people and the products of Bulgaria. The people of Bulgaria are made up chiefly of Bulgarians but there are many Turks, Jews and Armenians. The people here shown are native Bulgarians. You will note that the dress of the men is strikingly like that of the Turks. The round, turban-like cap, the pleated waistcoat with its box-shaped collar, the blouse pantaloons-these suggest the Turkish garb. The women are even more interesting than the men. Most of the Bulgarians are farmers. You see in the view some of the products of their fields. There is a pile of onions in the center of the scene, and some potatoes are near at hand. The people raise many cattle, and those along the coast of the Black Sea engage in fishing. The people are of Slavic (släv´ k) descent. Bulgaria is one of the prominent Balkan countries. For many years it was under Turkish rule. In 1908 Bulgaria became an independent kingdom under the rulership of Czar Ferdinand. In 1912 the country led the other Balkan states, excepting Roumania, in war against Turkey. This was called the First Balkan War. Turkey was defeated and then the Balkan states fell to quarreling among themselves. Serbia, Montenegro, and Greece, backed by Roumania, defeated Bulgaria in the Second Balkan War. During the European War, following 1914, Bulgaria took the side of Germany, Austria, and Turkey, and helped to invade Serbia, Greece, and Roumania. Keystone ID: 17218 Note: All titles, descriptions, and location coordinates are from the original Keystone Slide documentation as supplied by the Keystone View Company. No text has been edited or changed.