Sliven is a town in southeast Bulgaria and is recognized as the administrative center of Sliven Province. It is the eighth largest Bulgarian town in terms of population with about 115,000 inhabitants. Sliven is located 300 kilometers east of Bulgaria’s capital Sofia, 100 kilometers from Bourgas, the country’s largest commercial port, 130 kilometers from the border with Greece, and 130 kilometers from the border with Turkey. It is located in close proximity to the cities of Yambol and Nova Zagora.Keep reading
The oldest settlements that characterize the territories of Sliven date back to around 6000 B.C.E. of the Neolithic Age. Sliven is a gold mine for ancient artifacts that give significant historical information about the country’s culture on architecture and trade at around the fifth to the third centuries B.C.E. Thracians, a group of Indo-European tribes, occupied the city, leaving traces of their culture during the said period. Evidence of Thracian settlements and ceramics has been found in the area of Hisarlanka, a small hill in Sliven. Hellenistic coins have also been found in the said hill. The ancient tribes Asti, Kabileti, and Seti likewise occupied the lands of Sliven. During the time of Phillip II and Alexander the great of Macedon, the independence of these tribes was dissolved when the armies of both historical figures conquered them.
Sliven did not escape the scope of the Roman conquest in the second century B.C.E. because it was part of northeastern Thracia. In 72-71 B.C.E., Sliven, along with Kabile and Apolonia, were conquered, and these cities became part of the Thracian Province of the Roman Empire.
The first written records of a settlement in the city date back to the fourth to the second centuries B.C. This settlement’s name was Tuida, the spelling of which is different on some accounts. Sometimes, it is called Suida or Tsuiada. Although the name is most likely of Thracian origin, the etymology is not fully understood. It was a sanjak center at first Rumelia eyalet, after Silistre (also called Özi) eyalet, Edirne vilayet, finally Eastern Rumelia vilayet in Ottoman Empire as “İslimye” before being included as part of the Principality of Bulgaria in 1885.
Bulgarian Haiduts (outlaws and freedom fighters) inhabited Sliven during the nineteenth century. These freedom fighters fought against the rule of the Ottoman Turks and they have remained an iconic symbol to the city’s people and a part of their identity. At the center of the city, a large smooth-leaved elm, called Stariya Briast or “The Old Elm” believed to be a thousand year-old, still stands. It was used during the Ottoman Occupation for the execution of revolutionaries as they were hanged with nooses attached to the branches. Today, the city keeps the tree alive with the addition of cement at its base for support. So great is the tree’s iconic significance that it has been incorporated in the city’s coat of arms.
Many of the city’s old historical heritages are still preserved making Sliven one of Bulgaria’s most significant cultural centers. Sliven’s cultural heritage is one of the beneficiaries of the Bulgarian National Revival, a period of socio-economic and national integration where the preservation of the country’s identity was a priority. This offers many citizens and tourists lots of opportunities, not just to catch a glimpse of Bulgaria’s history and people, but to experience history itself.
Sliven is also home to many of the country’s prominent historical figures. Hadzhi Dimitar, an important voivod or military general, took part in the Liberation of Bulgaria from the Ottoman Rule during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78. This led to the establishment of the Bulgarian state and, eventually, the full ratification of Bulgaria’s independence on September 22, 1908. Hadzhi Dimitar was born in Sliven. The Hadzhi Dimitar Museum-House is devoted to this national icon. Here, information and objects about him could be found. Along with Dimitar, Dobri Chintulov was also born in Sliven. Chintulov was a poet and teacher who supported the Bulgarian National Revival, otherwise called the Bulgarian Renaissance. The Dobry Chintulov Memorial House Museum is located north of the city. Sliven also served as the birthplace of other contributors to the enlightenment like Evgeniy Chapkanov and Ivan Seliminski. Anton Pann, who composed the Romanian national anthem, and Dobri Zhelyazkov, who established the first factory in Bulgarian lands in the city in 1834, were also natives of Sliven.
Industry has been the focus of Sliven’s economy since the early nineteenth century. Sliven played a very important role as one of Bulgaria’s industrial centers because of its long-lived traditions on workmanship. These industries included local textile production, machine-building, glass-making, chemical production, and food production. They not only supported the country’s economy but also its cultural growth during the Bulgarian National Revival. In 1944, the communist rule in Bulgaria began and many of the industries were nationalized. Industrial buildings were constructed and the country’s development was also spurred. However, after the fall of communism, many of the big industries stagnated and many of the plants and factories established were forced to shut down. Development slowed down and the economy slackened.
In contemporary times, however, Sliven gradually experienced a surge in economy with an increase in investments and banking establishments, as new industries began to emerge. Minessotta Mining and Manufacturing Company or 3M, an American multinational conglomerate, invested in Sliven a plant that produces machinery used to cut metals. The city also produces electric lights and electrical machines. Light industries that thrive in Sliven are mostly those of food and textiles with many companies making wool clothing and socks. Past industries in food production, such as the dairy industry, which has long been present, continue to grow and flourish. The wine industry, with companies such as Vinprom and Vini Sliven and about a dozen others, continues to prosper as grapes are easily grown due to the climate conditions. Sliven’s geography is also an interest to investors. The light industry is currently exploring the possibility of utilizing the famous local wind, Bora, for the production of electricity.
Aside from the existing industries, Sliven’s climate conditions and natural resources make it a destination preferred by many. On the west region of the city lie great peach orchards and the area is known as the Peach Valley. The famous rocky massif, Sinite Kamani or “The Blue Rocks”, and the associated national park with its fresh air and mineral springs, offer diverse opportunities for leisure and tourism. Mineral baths are also an attraction in Sliven because their water is believed to treat liver diseases and nervous system complications.
In the city center, the people of Sliven have dedicated a venue for the performing arts, the dramatic theater of Sliven, which is named after Stefan Kirov, a Sliven native who rose to fame as a prominent actor and director. Many of the buildings in the city are built in the National Revival Architecture style. The Hadzhi Dimitar House-Museum, one of the buildings designed in the said architecture style, is located at the south western part of the town. Along with the museum, an old traditional inn for visitors and a native memorial home are also located in the same area.
To get a good view of the city, most visitors go to the Karandilla, a hilltop 1,050 meters above sea level. Its location accords a great panoramic view and picturesque scenery of the city to visitors. A rock formation, called the Hulkata or “The Ring” which protrudes from the hilltop, has a rather peculiar myth. It is called the “ring” because of the presence of a hole at the center of the rock formation. According to legend, one would change gender upon passing through the hole. Higher up the hill is the peak Bulgarka, 1,181 meters above sea level.