The town of Yambol (population: 82 924, 135 m above sea level) is situated in the eastern part of the Gornotrakiiska (Upper Thracian) Lowland, on the banks of the Toundzha River, shortly after the river curved to the south. It is 37 km north of El-hovo, 106 km west of Bourgas, 28 km south-east of Sliven, 304 km east of Sofia. One of the oldest Bulgarian towns. A regional administrative centre.
History: The earliest traces of communal life were discovered in the dozens of pre-historic living mounds. The so-called Rasheva and Marcheva Mounds are located on the territory of the present day town. These two date back to the neolith, eneolith and bronze epoch. Some of the finds recovered there are kept in the Parisian Louvre, the Archaeological Museum in Sofia, and mostly in the Museum of History in Yambol. The ancient town sprang up as a Thracian settlement called Kabile (some 10 km north-west of the town, near a village of the same name) at an important crossroad; later it became a significant fortress in the state of Philip of Macedonia. During the Roman domination the town reached its prime when people started minting coins. On his way through the town in 293 emperor Diokletian gave it the name of Diospolis (God' town). It existed till 378 when the Goths destroyed it. The first written information dates back to 6th century. Since 11th-14th centuries it was mentioned as a Bulgarian town having different names - Diospolis, Dianopolis, Diam-polis, Yampolis, Dublin, Dublino, Douboulino, and the Byzantine authors mentioned it as Dimpolis, Diampolis, Hiampolis. The town was mentioned with the name of Dubilin in an inscription of 1357 (the reign of Tzar Ivan Alexander). At the time it was situated on the border between Bulgaria and Byzantium, and nearby was the famous entrenchment Erkesiata. Some of the impressive fortress walls and turrets of medieval Yambol are still preserved.
The town was among the first in the Balkans to resist the Ottomans. It was conquered in 1373 after a long siege. During the Ottoman Rule many Turks settled to live around Hissarluka, and after the Russian-Turkish War of 1829 many Bulgarians from the town and the vicinity emigrated to Russia. The haidouts (armed volunteers, leaders or members of detachments) Georgi Garabdchi, Boudak Stoyan, Kara Dobri, Dyado Zhelyo and others based in countryside of the town, took part in the battles for liberation. The town is a native place of the revolutionaries Georgi Drazhev, Radi Kolessov, Zakhari Velichkov, etc. The Oriental town carried out active with agricultural products, silkworms, homespun material, predominantly with Odrin and Tsarigrad. The so-called Salty Road from Anhialo to Plovdiv passed through the town. The Russian armies liberated it in January 1878. In memory of this act people built and inaugurated the St. Alexander Nevski Temple - the first monument of the Bulgarian-Russian friendship in Bulgaria. It was erected in the Bakadzhitsite area south-east of the town. In the first half of 20th century Yambol was known for its curative mineral water, unique rail tram tugged by horses, pheasant breeders, huge hangar for zeppelins of 1917. John Atanadsov, the inventor of computers, had kinship in Yambol, and it was a native place of Peter Noikov - the first professor in pedagogic, Atanas Radev - elite mathematician, Georgi Papazov and Ivan Popov - world famous painters, Kiril Krustev - Bulgarian off encyclopedic knowledge, Stiliana Paraskevova who embroidered the prototype of Bulgarian national flag.
Landmarks: St. Georgi Church dates back to 1737 and it was the centre of cultural and religious life, as well as of the national struggle for liberation of the church in Yambol. A monastery school was opened in 1805 and in 1857 a class school where Dobri Chintoulov was a teacher in the period between 1857 and 1862. From 1866 onward the liturgies were carried in Bulgarian only. During the Russian-Turkish War of Liberation the church was entirely burnt down, and in 1882 restored again. There is a beautiful iconostasis there. The Bezisten of Yambol is one of the most interesting and well preserved architectural monuments in Bulgaria from the second half of 15th century. It is a covered market. In 1970-1973 it was restored and reorganised as a souvenir palace. There are more than 100 000 exhibits there.
Transport: Yambol is connected with the country and the world by bus and railway transport. There are bus lines to Sliven, Nova Zagora, Elhovo, Sredets, etc. The bus station is situated near the market place. The town is a point on the railway line Sofia - Plovdiv - Bourgas, and there the extension to Elhovo forks. The railway station is in the western part. There is a railway bureau for reservations in the town. The town has developed a well-arranged public bus transport. Surrounding areas: The Kabile National Archaeology Reserve - situated 6 km north of the town. It preserves the ruins of the most significant antique Thracian town of Kabile. This economic, political and cultural centre of Ancient Thrace has been investigated for more than 25 years. The remains are really impressive. There is an archaeological museum as well. The St. Spas Monastery with the Alexander Nevski Temple-Monument - 14 km south-east of Yambol. The idea of its construction was suggested by General Skobelev and implemented with the help of the voluntary donations from Bulgaria and Russia. Skobelev granted a huge cross and a Testament, which are preserved to these days. The list with the names of about 900 Russians and Bulgarians who died in the struggle for the Liberation of Bulgaria is preserved, too. It was most solemnly inaugurated in September 1884. The church hosts of a big collection of icons, old printed books, and church plate most of them made in Kiev-Pechor Monastery. The iconostasis was made there, too, and was installed in the temple in parts. The interesting historical sight called Erkesiata (trench) is situated in the area called Bakudzhitsite, at the foot of the most eastern peak. It is a part of the biggest fortification on the Bulgarian territory from 7th-11th centuries (131 km long); it guarded the Bulgarian State from the raids of Byzantium from the south. The lowlands of Bakadzhitsite are a wonderful sight for tourism because of the deciduous woods, historical sights, the closeness of the town and the available accommodation facilities, including the Drouzhba Chalet offering 74 beds. It is the point of departure for a number of marked tracks to various sights. It is 16 km away from Yambol along an asphalt road.
