Troyan was founded in the 15th century as a transit settlement located near the Troyan Pass. Its name was derived from the ancient Roman road, Via Traiana, which linked the Danube to the White Sea as early as the 1st – 2nd century AD. At the beginning of the Turkish domination, Bulgarians from the Danube hilly plain, Chiprovsko, Berkovsko, Razlozhko and Ohridsko settled in this area. Crafts thrived in Troyan during the first half of the 19th century, with pottery taking the lead. This craft gradually gave rise to the Troyan ceramic school, which remains unique to this day. Troyan was designated a city in 1868, and in 1911, it became the third electrified city in Bulgaria after Sofia and Plovdiv with the advent of its first light bulb. Today, Troyan is one of the member of B40 Balkan Cities Network.