July 20 – The Fearsome Times in Karlovo
During the Russo-Turkish War of Liberation (1877-1878), Karlovo had the most dramatic six-month period in its history, called The Fearsome Times. The city and many settlements in the valley were plundered, ruined or burned down. More than 800 people from Karlovo, including the intellectuals: teachers, priests, doctors, merchants were slaughtered and hanged in Karlovo and Plovdiv by regular Turkish troops and bashibozouk.
To honour the memory of the innocent victims, a memorial service is held in the church of St. Nicholas and a flowers are lain at the memorial sign in the courtyard of the church.