The Kabile National Archaeology Reserve is situated 6 km north of the town of Yambol. It preserves the ruins of the most significant antique Thracian town of Kabile.
Kabile was established around the year 2000 BC and was built in the vicinity of the Zaychi Vrah peak, which in turn hosted a sanctuary dedicated to the Artemida Phosphoros Goddess. One of the sanctuary’s rocks still keeps the image of Artemida. At that time, the river of Tudzha was navigable and Kabile maintained close contacts with a nearby town, Sevtopolis, which is currently under the waters of the Koprinka dam.
Around 341 BC, the town was conquered by the army of Philip of Macedonia, while later it became a part of the lands ruled by Alexander of Macedonia. In the 3rd century BC it changed hands again and was conquered by Thracian tribes. In the early 3rd century during the rule of two Thracian kings, Spartok and Skostok, it became the capital city of Thracia. In the 3rd and 2nd century BC, Kabile was the only town in Thracian lands that coined its own bronze and silver money with the image of Artemida. In the year 71 BC, it was subjected to the Roman Empire by the troops of Mark Lucul while after the year 45, it became a part of the Roman province of Thracia.
At the end of the 4th century, Kabile was conquered by Gothic tribes. The town’s existence was put to an end by the arrival of Avarian tribes in the late 6th c. In the middle ages the area was inherited by a Bulgarian settlement of the name Kovel, which existed for a short time until the late 14th c.
The territory, occupied by the ancient town was declared of national significance and was transformed into an archaeology reserve in 1965.
The remains are really impressive. There is also an archaeological museum with the following working hours: summer time - 8.00 a.m. - 8.00 p.m., winter time - 10.00 a.m. - 4.00 p.m. A bus runs from Yambol to the museum 9 times a day.
