Editing Varna, Bulgaria (section)

=== Bulgarian conquest ===
It has been suggested that the 681 AD peace treaty with the [[Byzantine Empire]] that established the new Bulgarian state was concluded at Varna and the first Bulgarian capital south of the Danube may have been provisionally located in its vicinity—possibly in an ancient city near Lake Varna's north shore named Theodorias (Θεοδωριάς) by Justinian I—before it moved to [[Pliska]] {{convert|70|km|0|abbr=off}} to the west.<ref>{{cite web |author=Standartnews Ltd. |url=http://paper.standartnews.com/archive/2006/01/28/supplement/s4689_9.htm |title=Дървен град предхожда каменната Плиска |language=bg |publisher=Paper.standartnews.com |access-date=8 June 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120213102029/http://paper.standartnews.com/archive/2006/01/28/supplement/s4689_9.htm |archive-date=13 February 2012  }}</ref> [[Asparuh of Bulgaria|Asparukh]] fortified the Varna river lowland by a [[Rampart (fortification)|rampart]] against a possible Byzantine landing; the ''Asparuhov val'' (Asparukh's Wall) is still standing. Numerous 7th-century [[Bulgars|Bulgar]] settlements have been excavated across the city and further west; the Varna lakes north shores, of all regions, were arguably most densely populated by Bulgars. It has been suggested that Asparukh was aware of the importance of the Roman military camp (''campus tribunalis'') established by Justinian I outside Odessos and considered it (or its remnants) as the legitimate seat of power for both Lower Moesia and Scythia.