Vidin [key], city (1993 pop. 64,029), extreme NW Bulgaria, a port on the Danube River. The city is a market for the outlying farms and is known for its wine and ceramics. It is linked to Calafat, Romania, by a bridge (completed 2013) across the Danube. Founded in the 1st cent. a.d. as the Roman fortress of Bononia, Vidin became (14th cent.) the capital of the independent West Bulgarian kingdom under Ivan Sratsimir. It was captured by the Turks in 1396. Under Turkish rule it served (1794–1807) as the residence of the pasha Osman Pazvantoğlu. Vidin has several mosques, old churches, synagogues, a bazaar, and ruins of a medieval fortress.
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