Yambol district – Cities

The town of Yambol is the center of the district with 80 000 inhabitants. It lies at a distance of 300 km from the capital. It is situated along the banks of the Tundzha River in the eastern part of the Upper Thracian valley at an altitude of 135 m.

The fertile lands of the river valley have been populated ever since ancient times. The earliest remains of settlement life were discovered in the prehistoric mounds, such as the Rashev's and the Marchev's mounds dating from the neolith, eNeolith and the Bronze Age. Some of the findings are kept in the Louvre in Paris and the Archaeology Museum in Sofia. However, the largest part of the exhibits is owned by the History Museum of Yambol.

During III c. B.C. Yambol was known as the Thracian town of Kabile. Here was discovered an acropolis, a sanctuary and a residence of a Thracian ruler. The ancient Thracian town lies at a distance of 7 km northwest of the present-day town. It was destroyed by Philip II-the Macedonian and rebuilt again. During III-I c. it was an economic, political and cultural center of the interior of Ancient Thrace. In 72 B.C. Kabile was conquered by the Romans. In I-IV c. Roman troops settled in the town. In 293 the town was visited by emperor Diocletian who gave it the name of Diospolis meaning "The Town of Zeus". It was the biggest military camp in Thrace Province. The town had a sanctuary dedicated to Zeus. Diospolis was destroyed by the Goths in 378. In X-XIV c. the Byzantine name of Yambol is Dampolis and the Bulgarian, known from a stone inscription from 1356 - Dabilin. During the period of XI - XIV c. the town was the center of the Zagore District. After a continuous siege the town fell under the Ottoman yoke in 1373. There is evidence for the town in the Ottoman registry books from 1479 where it is mentioned with the name of Yanbol.

Tourist sights

From the period of the Ottoman yoke are preserved two magnificent architectural monuments - the Bezisten, which is a well-preserved covered market from XV c. and Eski Mosque, built in 1385. Well-preserved are also the churches "Saint Georgi" and "Saint Troitza"/Holy Trinity/. The town was liberated from the Ottoman yoke in 1878 by the Russian troops. The temple "Alexander Nevski" was built on the Bakadzhik hill near Yambol to commemorate this moment.

Yambol is the birth place of the inventor of the computer - John Atanasov and the world famous artists - George Papazov and John Popov.

On the territory of the district are situated: the reserves "Dolna Topchiya", "Balabana"; the natural landmarks - "Ormana", "Blatoto", "Ivan gyol", "Debelata koriya". Among the more important ornithological sites are: The Derventski Elevations, the dam-lakes "Malko Sharkovo" and "Ovcharitza".

The most famous wineries are Yambol, Elhovo and Straldzha.

Tourist sights

Antique town of Kabile, town of Yambol

Antique town of Kabile, town of Yambol

The archaeological reserve "Kabile" by the village of Kabile, Yambol District, preserves the remains of the ancient Thracian town. Here were discovered fortified walls, a residence of the local Thracian ruler, Roman thermal baths, a water conduit, public buildings and others. Kabile originated as a fortified Thracian settlement in IV c. B.C. In 341 B.C. it was destroyed by Philip II - The Macedonian but it was later restored in III-I c. B.C. At the time of the Roman Empire the town was modernized and widened. In IV c. the town was destroyed by the Goths and later a Bulgarian settlement emerged on the site.

The church "Saint Georgi-The Victorian" was built in 1737. During the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878 it was burned down and was later restored in 1882. The iconostasis of the church was made by masters from the Debar art school.

The Covered Bazaar ("Bezisten"), the town of Yambol

The Covered Bazaar ("Bezisten"), the town of Yambol

The covered market was built in XV c. and was restored to its original outlook in 1973.

The art gallery of Yambol is housed in the building of the synagogue. It has one of the richest collections of famous Bulgarian artists. The gallery has some of the works of George Papazov who has taken part in the first surrealistic exhibition in Paris and has contributed a lot to the modern art in global scale.

The monastery "Saint Spas" was built by an idea of the Russian general Skobelev with donations from Bulgaria and Russia. The monastery keeps a collection of icons and old-print books. The iconostasis was made in Kiev and was transported part by part to the "Alexander Nevski" temple.

The Erkesiya is the biggest defense facility on the border with Byzantine. It is 131 km long.

The Eski Mosque was built in 1385. It is a Muslim cult building.


River Tundzha, town of Elhovo

River Tundzha, town of Elhovo

The town of Elhovo has a population of 11 500 inhabitants and lies at a distance of 38 km south of Yambol. It is the center of a municipality with 21 settlements. The town is situated along the lower current of the Tundzha River at an altitude of 160 m.

The favorable location has created conditions for human settlements since the Neolith. The Bronze Age is represented by the Thracians. Remains of Thracian fortresses, a settlement and burial mounds are preserved. Among the discovered objects dominate the household ceramics, weapons and ritual slabs with the image of the Thracian horseman. The Thracians established the first settlement near the site of the present-day town and gave it the name of Oruditza. The Romans later fortified the settlement and renamed it to Oruditza ad Burgum. The town was a road station between Kabile and Adrianopol. During the early Middle Ages the settlement was known under the name of Yoanitza. After the settlement of the Slavs in VII c. the name of the town was pronounced as Yanitza. The town entered the limits of the Bulgarian State in 802-814. Evidence of that is the famous Hambaritza inscription, found in the vicinities of the village of Malomir. In 1373 the town was conquered by the troops of Timurtash Bey. As part of the Ottoman Empire the town was known under the name of Kazal agach. After the Liberation of Bulgaria from the Ottoman yoke the name of the town was changed into Elhovo.

The monuments of culture found in the region of Elhovo are exhibited in the ethnographic museum.

Tourist sights of the town are: the church "Saint Dimiter" built in 1878 and the ethnographic museum.


Post Office, the town of Straldzha

Post Office, the town of Straldzha

The town of Straldzha has a population of 6 000 inhabitants and lies at a distance of 21 km northeast of Yambol. It is a municipal center of 21 settlements. In the region of Straldzha there are remains of a Thracian settlement, a late Ancient Times fortress and a medieval settlement. The town was mentioned in the Ottoman documents from 1610. The municipality is specialized in the wine making. In the region of Straldzha there is a mineral spring.


The town of Bolyarovo has a population of 1 500 inhabitants and lies at a distance of 58 km southeast of the district center. It is a municipal center of 19 component settlements. In the vicinities of the town there are remains of a prehistoric settlement, a late Ancient Times settlement and a medieval fortress. The municipality is specialized in the growing of grains and perennials.

Comments are closed.