The town of Shumen is the centre of the district and has a population of 87 000 inhabitants. It lies at a distance of 360 km northeast of Sofia. It is located at the southeastern foot of Shumen Plateau at an altitude of 200 m. The town is a crossroad of major roads connecting Danube and Eastern Stara Planina with the Black Sea. Life has existed in the town of Shumen for more than 3 200 years. The first settlers of the town were the Thracians. A whole settlement from the early Iron Age of XII-XI c. B. C. was archaeologically researched. In V-I c. B.C. the Getty tribe fortified the settlement with two walls. In I-IV c. the Thracian fortification was turned into a Roman fortress which survived the devastating invasions of the Goths in III and IV c. In V and VI c. the Shumen fortress was one of the strongest Byzantine fortresses. During the First Bulgarian Kingdom Shumen entered the system of old Bulgarian fortresses which guarded the roads towards the capitals Pliska and Preslav. In XII-XIV c. Shumen became a significant economic, trade, agricultural and cultural centre with well-developed crafts. The town was a very active cultural and educational centre during the Golden Age of Bulgaria when it was also called Simeonis. There are two versions about this name of the town. The first is that the name comes from the name of Tzar Simeon the Great - Simeonis - Shimeonis-Shumen. The second version is that the name comes from the word "shuma" - or this is the Bulgarian word for foliage. The town fell under the Ottoman yoke after a long siege. During the period of the Ottoman domination Shumen is a big administrative and military centre with public buildings and numerous workshops. From the period of the Ottoman yoke is preserved the Tombul Mosque.
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During the Revival period Shumen was a leading cultural centre. It was here that the first Bulgarian orchestra was established in 1851 and the first theatrical performance was staged in 1856. The Revival-period houses, the fountains from XVII-XVIII c. and the clock tower from XVII c. have an impressive architecture. The leader of the Hungarian revolution Layosh Koshut lived in one of the revival period houses. From the Revival period are also the churches "Sveto Vaznesenie"/Holy Ascension/ from 1829 and "Saint tri svetiteli" from 1857.
After the Liberation Shumen developed as a big administrative, economic, cultural and educational centre.
The tourist sights of the town are: the history museum, the house-museums of Dobri Voinikov and Layosh Koshut, Revival houses, Tombul Mosque, the church "Saint Vaznesenie" /Holy Ascension/ and others.
On the territory of the Shumen District are located the following cultural-historic monuments: the Madarski Konnik/ Madara Horseman/ - included in the UNESCO Cultural Heritage List, the historic reserve "Shumen fortress", the national historic reserve Pliska and the national reserve and museum of Veliki Preslav.
On the territory of Shumen District are located the following natural landmarks: the "Shumen Plateau" natural park, the "Bukata" reserve, the "Patleyna" and "Dervisha" tended reserves. Important ornithological sites are the "Ticha" dam-lake and the Provadiya-Royak Plateau.
The region is known for its wineries - Shumen, Veliki Preslav, Osmar and Novi Pazar.
Tourist sights
The archaeological reserve "Madara" in Shumen is situated at a distance of 16 km from the district centre. The reserve consists of different objects of high historic value. The Madarski konnik /Madara Horseman/ is the most remarkable early Middle Ages monument of the Bulgarian monumental art. It is hewn at a height of 23 m from the base of a big rocky wreath in the Shumen Plateau at the beginning of VIII c. The monument represents a horse rider in almost natural size piercing a lion with his lance and a dog running behind him. The whole area of the monument together with the inscriptions is 40 m2. Around the image there are several inscriptions in Greek representing the chronology of the events that occurred between 705 and 831, symbolizing the victorious actions of the Bulgarian rulers from the period of the First Bulgarian State. The Madarski Konnik is the only rocky bas-relief in Europe and is included in the UNESCO Cultural Heritage List.
At the foot of the rocky wreath with the Madarski Konnik life has existed since 3 500 B.C. In the I-st millennia B.C. a Thracian sanctuary of the three nymphs existed under the rocks near a karst spring in the "Big Cave". In the late ancient times there existed a settlement at the foot of the rocks and in the early Middle Ages here was located the Madara - the most important cult centre of the Bulgarian State. Madara preserved its role of a cult settlement until the period of XII-XIV c. In the protruding rocks are hewn out more than 170 cells and rocky churches. On the plateau above the rocks is situated the Bulgarian fortress of Matora.
Tombul Masque in Shumen is the biggest preserved Muslim cult complex on the Bulgarian lands. The complex consists of a main building, a yard and an annex building. The mosque is surrounded by four yards separated by walls or buildings. The mosque is decorated with mural paintings, woodcarvings and has a refined minaret. In the yard of the mosque there is a fountain formed like an octagonal pavilion. The dome of the mosque is at a height of 25 m. The chamber is decorated with floral ornaments, geometrical figures and inscriptions in Arabic. The minaret of the mosque is of a height of 40 m.
National historic reserve Pliska
The town of Pliska lies at a distance of 28 km northeast of Shumen and 6 m from Kaspichan. It is situated in a field at an altitude of 140 m. 3 km away from the present-day town is located the archaeological reserve "Pliska". The ancient settlement originates as a military fortification.
Tourist sights:
The archaeological reserve "Pliska" lies at a distance of 2 km north of the present-day town. The town was a residence of the Bulgarian khans. Pliska was the first Bulgarian capital for a period of two centuries from 681 until 893. The capital was the political military, cultural and economic centre of the Bulgarian state. The town is among the most impressive monuments of the medieval European town planning. Over an area of 23 000 m2 one can see remarkable architectural objects. The defense system was built in the following sequence: an external defensive girdle of deep pits, the second girdle of thick stone walls reaching a height of 12 m and the third girdle of clay bricks.
In the external town lived the common people and here was erected the biggest monumental church of Middle Age Bulgaria - The Great Basilica. It was of 99 m length and 29,5 m width. It was built by Prince Boris. The walls are of ashlars. With its 2 920 m2 this was the biggest Christian church on the Balkan Peninsula. In the internal town was situated the Big Palace (the Throne Palace). Pliska is the town where the Bulgarians took the Christian religion. The town had a huge water reservoir and modern for the time baths. In 886 Prince Boris I welcomed in the town the students of the founders of the Bulgarian alphabet -the brothers Cyril and Methodius.
National reserve and museum Veliki Preslav - mosaics
The town of Veliki Preslav has a population of 9 400 inhabitants and lies at a distance of 19 km southwest of Shumen. Veliki Preslav is the municipal centre of 11 component settlements. It is situated in the valley of the Golyama Kamchiya River at an altitude of 120 m. 2 km from the present-day town are located the remains of the ancient town. Veliki Preslav was the capital of Bulgaria from 893 until 969.
The tourist sights of the town are: the church "St. Peter and Pavel" (1874), the building of the community centre(1874), the ethnographic house, the archaeological reserve "Veliki Preslav", the Monastery "St. Panteleymon", the reserve "Patleyna".
In the region of Veliki Preslav was discovered a medieval gold treasure. It consists of a large number of refined women's jewelry for which manufacture have been used all goldsmith's techniques typical for the middle Ages.
Tourist sights
The archaeological reserve "Veliki Preslav" occupies an area of 500 hectares. Preslav was designed and built as a magnificent town measurable to the Byzantine capital of Constantinople. On the territory of the reserve were discovered dozens of monuments and in the exhibition can be seen original works of the Bulgarian and Byzantine arts. The palace and the Golden Church are unique examples of the ancient Bulgarian architecture. In Veliki Preslav were discovered the fortifications of the external and the internal town as well as the palace complex. Outside the fortified walls are the mansions, the monasteries and the churches. Near the complex of Veliki Preslav was discovered a medieval gold treasure dating from X c. It has was discovered by accident in 1978 at the Kastana site. The treasure consists of more than 120 ornaments - necklaces, ear-rings, rings, medallions, buttons, applications and Byzantine coins. The objects are made of gold and silver-plated gold in several jewelry-making techniques. The decoration is of enamels, precious metals, pearls, scenes from the Christian religious symbolism, flower and animal ornaments. It is believed that some of the jewels were made in Veliki Preslav while others were imported from Byzantine.
The Patleyna Monastery was built in IX -X c. Scientists believe that it was here where Prince Boris I retreated after giving the throne to his son. The monastery was active during the Second Bulgarian State as well. It is one of the centres for the manufacture of the typical Preslav painted ceramics and glassware. The monastery is known for its icon of Teodor Stratilat made of separate ceramic slates.
Delicacy Smyadovska Lukanka (flat sausage), town of Smyadovo
The town of Smyadovo has a population of 4 000 inhabitants and lies at a distance of 28 km south of Shumen. The town is the municipal administrative centre of 9 settlements. During the Ottoman yoke the town had the name of Simadava and is described in the Ottoman documents from 1573.To the west of the town there is a prehistoric settlement mound and to the south - a late-ancient-times fortress which was also used during the Middle Ages. The tourist sight of the town is the church "Saint sabor Archangelov" from 1869. The region is specialized in the production of grains, vines, tobacco, fruit and technical cultures.
The town of Novi Pazar
The town of Novi Pazar lies at a distance of 25 km northeast of the district town and has a population of 14 000 inhabitants. Novi Pazar is the municipal centre of 15 component settlements. The town was known under the name of Enipazar until 1878.
In the region of Novi Pazar there are remains of an ancient Bulgarian ground fortification from VII c. and a pre-Bulgarian necropolis from VIII c. During XVIII-XIX c. the town was an administrative and trade centre of the region. The town was described in the Ottoman tax registry books in 1622. The tourist sight of the town is the clock tower from 1826. The municipality is specialized in the production of porcelain, grains, vines, tobacco and technical cultures.
The town of Kaspichan
The town of Kaspichan has a population of 3 600 inhabitants and lies at a distance of 22 km northeast of Shumen. Kaspichan is the municipal centre of 8 settlements. The town was known under the name of Shumla Road until 1880. The first evidence for the town was found in the Ottoman documents from 1573. Kaspichan is a junction station of the railway lines Rousse-Varna and Sofia-Varna. The municipality is specialized in the production of grains, fruits, vegetables and the faience industry.
The village of Nikola Kozlevo is the administrative municipal centre of 10 settlements. It has a population of 900 inhabitants and lies at a distance of 55 km northeast of Shumen. The region is specialized in the production of grains, tobacco and technical cultures. On the territory of the municipality were discovered archaeological findings from the Halcolith, the ancient times and the Middle Ages.
The village of Venetz is the municipal centre of 12 settlements. It has a population of 800 inhabitants and lies at a distance of 35 km north of Shumen. The first evidence for the village is found in the Ottoman documents from 1573. On the territory of the village is situated the hunting area of Palamara. The region is specialized in the production of grains and tobacco.
Church "St. Dimiter", town of Varbitza
The town of Varbitza has a population of about 4 000 inhabitants and lies at a distance of 60 km southeast of Shumen. Varbitza is the municipal centre of 15 component settlements. The municipal centre is specialized in the production of grains, tobacco and the canning industry. Near the town of Varbitza there are Thracian mounds, remains of an ancient and a medieval town. The town is described in the Ottoman documents from 1573 under the name of Varbitza. The tourist sights of the town are: the churches "St. Dimiter Solunski" from XIX c., "Sarai na Geraite" from XIX c., Revival period houses and shops. 5 km away from the town there is a mineral spring with a temperature of 13o C.
The town of Kaolinovo has a population of 1 500 inhabitants and lies at a distance of 48 km northeast of Shumen. Kaolinovo is the municipal administrative centre of 15 settlements. The town was known under the name of Shumnu Bohchalar until 1934. On the territory of the town there are deposits of kaolin clays and flint-stone. The town is described in the Ottoman documents from 1573. The municipality is specialized in the production of grains, tobacco and technical cultures.
The village of Hitrino is the municipal centre of 20 settlements. It has a population of 800 inhabitants and lies at a distance of 20 km northwest of the district town of Shumen on the southern slopes of the Samuil Hills. The region is specialized in the production of grains, vines, fruits and cattle breeding.
