Shumen
Visit Shumen and discover the cradle of Bulgaria. Shumen is located 80 kilometers west of Varna in a cluster of hills in the eastern Balkan Mountains. The reason why the region of Shumen can be considered the cradle of Bulgaria is that the first two Bulgarian capitals, Pliska and the Great Preslav (Veliki Preslav), are within a 20-kilometer range around the city of Shumen. Additionally, about 20 kilometers from the city of Shumen is the late 7th-century rock carving of the Madara Rider, which has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1979.
When you visit Shumen, you will discover several places that signify the ancient origins of the city. One of those places is the ancient fortress of Shumen, located in the Shumen Plateau Nature Park. The visit to the ancient fortress of Shumen reveals not just the history of the city but also a beautiful view of Shumen from above. According to some findings, the first settlers of the area around Shumen were the Thracian tribes, who inhabited the land around 3000 years ago. Starting in the 12th century BC, the Thracians constructed the first village that was not fortified.
However, according to archaeologists, Shumen's initial fortification was not built until the fifth century BC. The fortress of the old Shumen was made of unpolished stones and had walls that were around two meters thick. In the 2nd century AD, when the Romans conquered the territory, they constructed a military fortress over the ancient Thracian town of Shumen. When Khan Asparuh founded the first Bulgarian Kingdom, Pliska served as the capital of the first Bulgarian kingdom from 681-893. The distance between Pliska and Shumen is 27 kilometres. Therefore, the fortress of Shumen evolved from the 7th to the 10th century into a feudal city with a castle and an inner and outer defence zone. The capital of Bulgaria during the reign of Simeon the Great was the Great Preslav. The distance between the Great Preslav and Shumen is 18 kilometers. Thus, during the reign of Simeon the Great, Shumen was established as a cultural and religious centre. The Shumen fortress was built with 28 towers and bastions, three gates, five minor porticoes, and numerous churches and workshops. Furthermore, the Shumen fortress was also a significant military, administrative, and economic centre.
The city of Shumen also played a significant role in the Bulgarian National Revival period during the 19th century. Several notable cultural events were held in Shumen during that period, which were introduced for the first time in Bulgaria. For instance, the first theatrical performance was held in Shumen. The first Orthodox religious school for girls was established in 1828 in the city of Shumen. The first Bulgarian symphony orchestra was founded in Shumen in 1850, and a chitalishte and a girls' class school were established in 1856.
Some of the most interesting places to visit in Shumen are the old fortress of Shumen, the Monument to 1300 Years of Bulgaria with its 1,300 stairs located in the Shumen Plateau Nature Park, the history museum of Shumen, which has a great collection of ancient jewellery treasures, and a short movie presenting the medieval fortress of Shumen. You can also visit the house museum of Pancho Vladigerov (musician, composer, and dirigent). Additionally, the famous Hungarian politician and revolutionary Lajos Kossuth spent part of his exile in Shumen. His home has been preserved and turned into a museum.
Other interesting things to visit in the area of Shumen are the Madara Rider, which, as mentioned previously, is a monument from the late 7th century carved into a rock; it has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1979. The Madara Horserider is located in the small village of Madara, about 18 kilometers from the city of Shumen. Furthermore, when you visit Shumen, you can also visit Pliska, the first Bulgarian capital, and the Great Preslav, the capital of the golden ages of Bulgaria.