The town of Yambol is the centre of the district with 80 000 inhabitants. It lies at a distance of 300 km from the capital. It is situated along the banks of the Tundzha River in the eastern part of the Upper Thracian valley at an altitude of 135 m.

The fertile lands of the river valley have been populated ever since ancient times. The earliest remains of settlement life have been discovered in the prehistoric mounds, such as the Rashev's and the Marchev's mounds dating from the neolith, eNeolith and the Bronze Age. Some of the findings are kept in the Louvre in Paris and the Archeology Museum in Sofia. However, the largest part of the exhibits is owned by the History Museum of Yambol.

During III c. B.C. Yambol is known as the Thracian town of Kabile. Here has been discovered an acropolis, a sanctuary and a residence of a Thracian ruler. The ancient Thracian town lies at a distance of 7 km northwest of the present-day town. It has been destroyed by Philip II-the Macedonian and rebuilt again. During III-I c. it has been an economic, political and cultural centre of the interior of Ancient Thrace. In 72 B.C. Kabile is conquered by the Romans. In I-IV c. Roman troops settle in the town. In 293 the town is visited by emperor Diocletian who gives it the mane of Diospolis meaning "The Town of Zeus". It has been the biggest military camp in Thrace Province. The town has had a sanctuary dedicated to Zeus. Diospolis has been destroyed by the Goths in 378. In X-XIV c. the Byzantine name of Yambol is Dampolis and the Bulgarian, known from a stone inscription from 1356 - Dabilin. During the period of XI - XIV c. the town is the centre of the Zagore District. After a continuous siege the town falls under the Ottoman yoke in 1373. There is evidence for the town in the Ottoman registry books from 1479 where it is mentioned with the name of Yanbol.

From the period of the Ottoman yoke are preserved two magnificent architectural monuments - the Bazisten, which is a well-preserved covered market from XV c. and Eski Mosque, built in 1385. Well-preserved are also the churches "Saint Georgi" and "Saint Troitza"/Holy Trinity/. The town is liberated from the Ottoman yoke in 1878 by the Russian troops. The temple "Alexander Nevski" has been built on the Bakadzhik hill near Yambol to commemorate this moment.

Yambol is the birth place of the inventor of the computer - John Atanasov and the world famous artists - George Papazov and John Popov.

On the territory of the district are situated: the reserves "Dolna Topchiya", "Balabana"; the natural landmarks - "Ormana", "Blatoto", "Ivan gyol", "Debelata koriya". Among the more important ornithological sites are: The Derventski Elevations, the dam-lakes "Malko Sharkovo" and "Ovcharitza".

The most famous wineries are Yambol, Elhovo and Straldzha.

Tourist sights

The archaeological reserve "Kabile" by the village of Kabile, Yambol District, preserves the remains of the ancient Thracian town. Here have been discovered fortified walls, a residence of the local Thracian ruler, Roman thermal baths, a water conduit, public buildings and others. Kabile originates as a fortified Thracian settlement in IV c. B.C. In 341 B.C. it is destroyed by Philip II - The Macedonian but is later restored in III-I c. B.C. At the time of the Roman Empire the town is modernized and widened. In IV c. the town is destroyed by the Goths and later a Bulgarian settlement emerges on the site.

The church "Saint Georgi-The Victorian" is built in 1737. During the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878 it is burned down and is later restored in 1882. The iconostasis of the church is made by masters from the Debar art school.

The covered market is built in XV c. and is restored to its original outlook in 1973.

The art gallery of Yambol is housed in the building of the synagogue. It has one of the richest collections of famous Bulgarian artists. The gallery has some of the works of George Papazov who has taken part in the first surrealistic exhibition in Paris and has contributed a lot to the modern art in global scale.

The monastery "Saint Spas" is built by an idea of the Russian general Skobelev with donations from Bulgaria and Russia. The monastery keeps a collection of icons and old-print books. The iconostasis is made in Kiev and is transported part by part to the "Alexander Stamboliyski" temple.

The Erkesiya is the biggest defense facility on the border with Byzantine. It is 131 km long.

The Eski Mosque is built in 1385. It is a Muslim cult building.