Pautalia, Velbazhd, Kyustendil . Hisarlaka Fortress The modern name of the city derives from the name of its medieval ruler, whose grandson was the last emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire, with Konstantin Dragash appearing through Sophia Palaeologina and the great-great-great-grandfather of the creator of modern Russia - Ivan the Terrible Kyustendil is one of the most ancient cities in the Bulgarian lands and has an incredibly significant and rich history. In ancient times, during the time of the Thracians, there was a sanctuary on the Hisarlaka hill. The first mention of the ancient name is found in an inscription from 135 AD about the basilica built in honor of Emperor Hadrian. Pautalia received city rights in 106 AD together with Serdica, Philippopolis and Augusta Traiana. During the reign of the so-called five good emperors, Pautalia grew as an administrative, economic and cultural center of the Upper Struma region. From the time of the emperors Antoninus Pius to Caracalla, the city minted its own bronze coins. The fortress was built in the late 4th - early 5th centuries. It was repaired in the 6th century by Justinian I the Great (527-565) and became one of the largest Byzantine fortresses. In 809 it entered the borders of Bulgaria, annexed by Khan Krum (803-814). The fortress was a border post until the Battle of Versinikia in 813, when the troops of Michael I Rangave (812-813) were defeated. Additional walls, buildings and barracks were built during the time of Tsar Simeon the Great.