Atlas of Battles

battle, major, medieval

Battle of Pliska

Battle of Pliska was a battle fought on 26 July AD 811 at Pliska, in what is now Bulgaria. It was part of the Byzantine–Bulgarian Wars, which ran from AD 680 to 1355. The recorded result: Bulgarian victory. Recorded strength: 15,000–18,000 against 22,000; 60,000–70,000 (paper strength); 25,000–30,000 (actual strength).

See it on the globe Read the article

Battle of Vărbitsa Pass
Battle of Vărbitsa Pass. Kandi, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought26 July AD 811
WherePliska, Bulgaria42.928N, 26.668E
OutcomeBulgarian victory
BelligerentsBulgarian EmpireagainstByzantine Empire
Casualties and lossesUnknownandMost of the army
Part ofByzantine–Bulgarian WarsAD 680 to 1355

Where it sits in the Byzantine–Bulgarian Wars

Battle of Ongal, AD 680Battle of Anchialus, AD 708Battle of Marcellae, AD 756Bulgarian campaigns of Constantine V, AD 756Battle of the Rishki Pass, AD 759Battle of Anchialus, AD 763Battle of Berzitia, AD 774Battle of Marcellae, AD 792Siege of Serdica (809), AD 809Battle of Pliska, AD 811Siege of Adrianople (813), AD 813Battle of Versinikia, AD 813Battle of Mesembria, AD 814Battle of Adrianople, AD 914Fall of Great Preslav, AD 971Battle of Spercheios, AD 997Battle of Thessalonica, 1004Battle of Kreta, 1009Battle of Thessalonica, 1014Battle of Strumica, 1014Battle of Bitola, 1015Battle of Setina, 1017Battle of Dyrrhachium, 1018Battle of Thessalonica, 1040Battle of Thessalonica, 1040Siege of Lovech, 1187Battle of Arcadiopolis, 1194Battle of Serres, 1196Siege of Varna (1201), 1201Battle of Adrianople, 1205Battle of Klokotnitsa, 1230Siege of Constantinople, 1235Battle of Adrianople, 1254Battle of Rhoupelion, 1255Battle of Bizye, 1256Battle of Devina, 1279Battle of Skafida, 1304Battle of Adrianople, 1331Battle of Rusokastro, 1332Battle of Adrianople, 1341AD 6801341Battle of Pliska, AD 811
40 placed engagements of the Byzantine–Bulgarian Wars in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date26 July AD 811
PlacePliska, Bulgaria
42.928N, 26.668E
KindBattle, medieval
Strength15,000–18,00022,000; 60,000–70,000 (paper strength); 25,000–30,000 (actual strength)
Casualties and lossesUnknownMost of the army
Commanders
  • Nikephoros I
  • Stauracius
Battle of PliskaBattle of PliskaBattle of DevinaBattle of the Rishki PassBattle of MarcellaeBattle of MarcellaeSiege of ChoumenBattle of DevinaBattle of MarcellaeBattle of MarcellaeSiege of ChoumenBurgasRuseStara ZagoraPlevenDobrichKhaskovoTurnovoPlovdiv100 km42.928N, 26.668E
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

The ground today

Relief of the ground around the site of Battle of Pliska
Relief within about 10.0 km of the site, contours every 50 m. Copernicus DEM GLO-30, ESA.
Satellite view of the site of Battle of Pliska today
The same ground from Sentinel-2 on 2023-09-09. Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data 2023.

The recorded site stands at about 891 m; within 10.0 km the ground runs from 271 to 919 m, 647 m of relief, steep country and today it is 98% tree cover.

tree cover: 98%tree cover 98%
west to east, 10.0 km555 to 906 mnorth to south, 10.0 km404 to 909 m
Elevation from the Copernicus DEM GLO-30 (ESA, Airbus); land cover from ESA WorldCover 2021 (CC BY 4.0), within about 5 km of the recorded site. Computed, not recorded.

Nearest engagements

In the same war

Elsewhere in AD 811

Battle of Pliska is one of 193 engagements of the 9th century in the atlas and one of 126 in present-day Bulgaria.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q403416, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Battle of Pliska, revision 1380959686, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.