Ivan Asen II in the context of "Theodore II Laskaris"

The Second Bulgarian Empire (Middle Bulgarian: Ц(а)рьство бл(ъ)гарское; Modern Bulgarian: Второ българско царство, romanized: Vtoro Balgarsko Tsarstvo) was a medieval Bulgarian state that existed between 1185 and 1422. A successor to the First Bulgarian Empire, it reached the peak of its power under Tsars Kaloyan and Ivan Asen II before gradually being conquered by the Ottomans in the late 14th century.

Until 1256, the Second Bulgarian Empire was the dominant power in the Balkans, defeating the Byzantine Empire in several major battles. In 1205, Emperor Kaloyan defeated the newly established Latin Empire in the Battle of Adrianople. His nephew Ivan Asen II defeated the Despotate of Epiros and made Bulgaria a regional power again. During his reign, Bulgaria spread from the Adriatic to the Black Sea and the economy flourished. In the late 13th century, however, the Empire declined under constant invasions by Mongols, Byzantines, Hungarians, and Serbs, as well as internal unrest and revolts. The 14th century saw a temporary recovery and stability, but also the peak of Balkan feudalism as central authorities gradually lost power in many regions. Bulgaria was divided into three parts on the eve of the Ottoman invasion.

The House of Asen, also Asen dynasty or the Asenids (Bulgarian: Асеневци, romanized: Asenevtsi), founded and ruled a medieval Bulgarian state, called in modern historiography the Second Bulgarian Empire, between 1185 and 1280.

The Asen dynasty rose as the leaders of Bulgaria after a rebellion against the Byzantine Empire at the turn of the year 1185/1186 caused by the increase in the Imperial taxes.

Asenovgrad (Bulgarian: Асеновград [ɐˈsɛnovˌɡrat]) is a town in central southern Bulgaria, part of Plovdiv Province. It is the largest town in Bulgaria that is not a province center. Previously known as Stanimaka (Станимака; Greek: Στενήμαχος), it was renamed in 1934 after the 13th-century tsar Ivan Asen II.

Asenovgrad also includes the districts of Gorni Voden and Dolni Voden, which until 1986 were separate villages. According to the census data of 2021, the population of the city is 47 815 people.

Klokotnitsa (Bulgarian: Клокотница) is a village in southern Bulgaria in the Haskovo Municipality. It has a population of 619 people (as of June, 2005).

The village is famous for the great battle on 9 March 1230 between the Bulgarian tsar Ivan Asen II and the Byzantine Greek ruler Theodore Komnenos Doukas. After the battle, Bulgaria became for a time the largest power in the Balkan peninsula, stretching between the Black Sea, the Aegean Sea and the Adriatic Sea.