Debelets

The town of Debelets is located 6 km southwest of Veliko Tarnovo. It is situated in a small basin formed by the pre-Balkan hilly zone. The nearby towns of Kilifarevo and Dryanovo are in proximity to it. Debelets serves as a gateway to the Stara Planina mountain passes of Shipka and the Republic Pass (Hainboaz). The town is also traversed by the route of the Pre-Balkan railway line from Ruse to Podkova. 

It is likely that Debelets existed during the time of the Second Bulgarian Empire. The settlement is first mentioned in an Ottoman register from the 1480s under the name "Debeleche" as the timar of Yunus, son of Kara Hazar. In another register from 1579, the village is referred to as "derventdzhiysko" (meaning related to the fortress). Its inhabitants were obligated to repair and maintain the bridge over the Beliche (Belitsa) River and to guard the dangerous places along the road passing through it.