The Ancient Thracian City of Kabyle archaeological reserve is located 8 kilometres northwest of the city of Yambol. Numerous archaeological excavations have been performed on the site since 1972. Visitors can see the ruins of Kabyle, one of the largest and most significant cities of Ancient Thrace, dating from the 4th century BC The Thracian
town of Kabyle emerged between the end of the 2nd and the beginning of the 1st millennium BC around the sanctuary of the goddess of Kibela (Artemis), located on Mount Zaichi Vrah. In 341 BC the fortified city was conquered by the Macedonian ruler Philip II and became the home base of a Macedonian garrison. For a period of time, it was also home to Alexander the Great, during his campaign against the Scythians. In the beginning of the 3rd century BC, following the disintegration of the Macedonian Empire of Alexander the Great, under the kings Spartok and Skostok, Kabyle became the capital of the Thracian Kingdom. Towards the middle of the 3rd century BC, the royal institution was replaced by civil rule. In the 3rd-2nd century BC, Kabyle was the only city in the interior of Thrace to mint its own bronze and silver coins. Between the 4th and the 2nd century BC, it maintained intensive trade links with the entire Aegean world. Kabyle was destroyed in the year 72 BC in a Roman campaign headed by Marcus Lucullus, but continued to exist. Following the demise of the last Thracian kingdom in 45 AD and its incorporation as a province within the Roman Empire, the territory of the Thracian polis of Kabyle was declared an imperial estate; in 136 AD one of the largest Roman military camps was deployed there. Thus, from the 2nd century AD onwards, Kabyle became one of the most important Roman garrisons in the province of Thrace. It served consecutively as the home base of two Roman cohorts: Cohors II Lucensium (from 136 till 192) and Cohors I Atoitorum (from 192 till the end of the 3rd century). In mid-3rd century, at the time of the Goth invasions, the military camp was partially destroyed. By the end of the 3rd-early 4th century, however, it was rebuilt and reinforced. Following the reforms of Emperor Diocletian, in the early 4th century, Kabyle once again acquired the status of a city, and after the adoption of Christianity in 313, it became the centre of a diocese. In 343, Severus, the bishop of Kabyle, was among the participants in the Second Universal Council, held in Serdica. In 377-78 Kabyle was conquered by the Goths, led by Fritigern. After the mid-5th century, as a result of the increasingly frequent barbaric incursions, the military camp also became home to some civilian population. An additional fortification wall (proteichisma), as well as residential and commercial buildings were constructed. Towards the end of the 6th century AD, the city was finally destroyed by the Avars. After the adoption of Christianity in 313, Kabyle became the centre of a diocese. Towards the end of the 6th century AD, the city was finally destroyed by the Avars. In the 11th century, a small mediaeval settlement emerged among the ruins of the razed ancient city, and remained in existence till the 14th c.
In 1927 the ancient Thracian city of Kabyle was declared a ‘National Heritage Site’, and in 1969, a ‘National Archaeological Reserve’. As a result of systematic archaeological explorations that have been taking place since 1972, researchers have discovered and put on public display parts of the Thracian and Roman fortress walls, towers, gates, two Roman bathhouses, two Early Christian basilicas, military and civilian buildings. The archaeological reserve boasts thoroughly built visitor infrastructure, an exhibition hall with 1,000 m2 floor area, and is accessible by road by Trakia Motorway, via an exit at km 281. In 2016, Kabyle won the Bulgarians’ Award, one of the first such awards conferred by the Ministry of Tourism.
was built between 1982 and 1986; it has a floor area of almost 1,000 m2 and displays the permanent exhibition ‘The Archaeological Wealth of the Tundja River Valley’. Nominally, the exhibition is divided into three sections: Prehistory, Antiquity and Middle Ages, and showcases items dating from the 7th millennium BC till the 14th century. Visitors can view over 2,000 authentic artefacts made from stone, ceramics and metal, unearthed in archaeological excavations at different sites in Yambol region.
