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The name of Shoumen (Simeonis, Shimeonit) was mentioned for the first time in the 12th century.
The rich historical past of the town and its proximity to some of the sacred places of Bulgarian history relate it in
particular to the period when the First Bulgarian State was founded and developed. The Shoumen Fortress is very well
preserved and is one of the major tourist sights in the town. According to the archeologists it was built in four stages in the
Early and Late Antiquity, and later it was expanded and improved in the Early and Late Middle Ages.
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Shoumen flourished at the time of the Bulgarian National Revival. Bulgaria’s first reading club and library were opened here.
Shoumen challenges the rights of Lom and Svishtov for hosting the first theatrical performance in the country. Some of the
leading public figures of the Bulgarian National Revival Period lived and worked here: Vasil Droumev, Dobri Voinikov,
Sava Dobroplodni, and others.
The proximity of Shoumen to the first and the second
Bulgarian capitals Pliska and Preslav was the reason
for the erection of the impressive monument
Creators of the Bulgarian State commemorating
the 1300th anniversary of the foundation of the Bulgarian
State. Built in the Ilchov Bair locality, it towers
high above the town. With its awe-inspiring size in
a series of compositions made of concrete and bronze,
the monument commemorates the key events in the early
history of Bulgaria.
Industry in Shoumen includes four basic branches - non-ferrous metal machining, lorry manufacture, food and chemical industry.
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