In the
medieval history of
Europe,
Bulgaria's status as the
Bulgarian Empire (,
Balgarsko tsarstvo ), wherein it acted as a key regional power (particularly rivaling
Byzantium in
Southeastern Europe) occurred in two distinct periods: between the seventh and eleventh centuries, and again between the twelfth and fourteenth centuries. The two "Bulgarian Empires" are not treated as separate entities, but rather as one state restored after a period of Byzantine rule over its territory.