Yambol is a town in Southeastern Bulgaria and administrative centre of Yambol Province. It lies on both banks of the Tundzha river in the historical region of Thrace. It is occasionally spelled Jambol.

Yambol is the administrative center of two municipalities. One is Yambol Municipality, which covers the city itself, and the other is Tundzha Municipality, which covers the rural areas around Yambol.

Population

In the first decade after the liberation of Bulgaria from the Ottoman Empire, the population of Yambol exceeded 10,000. In 1887, it was 11,241. Since then, it started growing decade by decade, mostly because of migrants from rural areas and the surrounding smaller towns. Yambol’s population reached its peak in the period of 1985-1992, exceeding 90,000. After this peak, the population started decreasing due to the economic situation in Bulgaria during the 1990s, which led to migration to the capital, Sofia, and abroad. As of February 2011, the city had a population of 74,132 residents. The population of Tundzha Municipality, of which the city is the administrative center, was 98,287.

Economy

Local industry has declined since the 1990s with many factories closing down. The city is the centre of its thriving agricultural surroundings.

Culture

Museums

Yambol houses the Regional History Museum and has a military museum, the Battle Glory Museum. As one of the city’s most historically significant cultural sites, Bezisten has existed for five centuries as a closed market, a city mall built during the Ottoman Empire. In 2015, Bezisten opened its doors to the public as an interactive museum. The museum is a major cultural and information centre which promotes the rich heritage of Yambol and the region. In celebration of European Heritage Days 2019, the museum Bezisten hosted special events dedicated to celebrating arts and entertainment. One of these events honored the 510th anniversary of the construction of the building.

Arts and entertainment

The city has a Dramatic Theatre Nevena Kokanova, as well as a Puppet Theatre Georgi Mitev. The Dramatic Theatre hosts actors from all over the country throughout the year. Movie theater Elite shows the latest films.

Sports

The most popular sport in the city is Basketball. Yambol’s basketball club is BC Yambol, and home matches are played at Sports Hall Diana. In 2002, BC Yambol won the national championship of the National Basketball League (Bulgaria).