Cabyle, the Ancient Thracian and Roman City Near Yambol
Cabyle (Kabile) is an ancient city at the foot of Zaichi Vrah, on a former bend of the Tundzha river, less than 10 km from Yambol in south-eastern Bulgaria. It grew from a Thracian settlement into a Hellenistic centre, a Roman military camp and a late antique town with a bishop. The site is now a national archaeological reserve with an on-site museum.
This hill city had at least four names, was mentioned by 14 ancient authors and was destroyed by the Avars so thoroughly that it was never rebuilt. Today it is a quiet reserve in the Tundzha plain.
The history of Cabyle
Cabyle sits at the foot of Zaichi Vrah, the only height in the surrounding plain, beside a bend of the ancient river Tonzos, today the Tundzha. In antiquity the river formed wide shallows there that suited landing places, and today it has shifted its bed about 2.5 km to the north. Sources date the first settlement to around 2000 BC, and pottery from the tenth to sixth centuries BC shows it was lived in during the early Iron Age. Its position on a crossroads, where the road from Aenos on the Aegean towards the Balkan range met the great diagonal road from Byzantium towards Serdica, helped it grow from a settlement into a city.
In the second half of the first millennium BC Cabyle was one of the main towns of the Odrysian kingdom, which briefly united most Thracian tribes. It was built on Hellenic lines, with an agora, a temple of Apollo and a larger temple of Artemis-Hecate, where many stone inscriptions about the city were kept. The acropolis lay on the eastern end of the hill, entered from the south through a gate cut in the rock, beside a carved relief of the Great Mother of the Gods, Cybele. In 341 BC the army of Philip II of Macedon took the city, and it later became part of Alexander’s empire. Around the end of the fourth and start of the third century BC it was a residence of the Odrysian rulers Sparatokos and Skostokos, and after the Celtic invasion royal rule gave way to city government. The city struck coins, among them issues showing the cult statue of Artemis Phosphoros.
In 71 BC the troops of Marcus Lucullus took Cabyle, and it was later included in the province of Thrace. In the second and third centuries AD it was the most important Roman military camp in the province, where the cohort of the Lucenses was stationed. The Romans built baths, public buildings, barracks, sanctuaries and fortress walls, and building inscriptions survive from the emperors Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, Caracalla, Alexander Severus, Aurelian and Galerius. After the reforms of Diocletian in the fourth century the city ranked among the main towns of its province. A local bishop named Severus is recorded at the Council of Serdica, and a monumental three-aisled basilica with mosaic floors belongs to this late period; part of its mosaics are shown in the on-site museum.
Cabyle was seized by the Goths in the late fourth century. It was destroyed by the Avars, in 583 according to Bulgarian sources, and was never rebuilt as a city. A small village stood on the spot in the Middle Ages and kept the old name, in the form Kovel, until the early nineteenth century. The first archaeological study was carried out in 1912 by Professor Bogdan Filov, the area was declared a national antiquity in 1927, and in 1969 it became a monument of national importance and archaeological reserve. Systematic excavations began in 1972.
Curious facts about Cabyle
- The city is known under several names: Cabyle or Kabile, Calybe or Kalibe, and later also Diospolis and Goloë.
- The name may come from Cybele: a relief of the Great Mother of the Gods is carved on a rock beside the acropolis gate, and Professor Velizar Velkov suggested Cabyle was the Thracian pronunciation of her name.
- Fourteen ancient authors mention the city, the earliest describing its capture by Philip of Macedon, and about 500 amphora stamps from eastern Mediterranean centres were found here.
- A “great inscription” found at the nearby site of Seuthopolis mentions Kabile, according to the Polish Wikipedia.
- The village that replaced the ancient city kept its name as Kovel until the early nineteenth century, and an eleventh-century church was found built into a Thracian mound at the northern end of Kabile village.
- Under the name Diospolis in Thracia the city is still a titular see of the Roman Catholic Church.
Tours near Cabyle
Experiences in the area that you can book online with Viator:
Visiting Cabyle: what to expect
- The reserve lies near the village of Kabile, less than 10 km from Yambol, and is part of the “100 National Tourist Sites” of Bulgaria.
- On the grounds are remains of the Hellenistic and Roman town, a hill with a presumed rock sanctuary and a massive defensive wall, city cemeteries, and the Roman camp on the Hisarlaka hill with walls, barracks, baths and a basilica.
- A second, smaller bath and a large granary (horreum) were found at the foot of Zaichi Vrah.
- The on-site museum shows finds from the city and its cemeteries, including items discovered during construction of the Trakia motorway, and an exhibition on the history of the excavations.
- A reconstructed wooden tower stands at the entrance and serves as a stage for historical re-enactments; check the current opening hours and events before you go.
Opening hours, access and conditions can change. Check before you go.
Map: where Cabyle is
Photos of Cabyle
Questions
What is Cabyle?
Cabyle is an ancient Thracian city that became Hellenistic and then Roman, near the village of Kabile in south-eastern Bulgaria. It is now a national archaeological reserve.
Where is Cabyle and how far is it from Yambol?
It lies near the village of Kabile, less than 10 km from Yambol, at the foot of Zaichi Vrah beside the Tundzha river plain.
How old is Cabyle?
Sources place the founding around 2000 BC, though the oldest cultural layer is sparse and dates from the Bronze Age. Pottery shows the settlement existed in the early Iron Age and became a city in the following centuries.
Why was Cabyle important?
It stood at a crossroads of major ancient roads and was a main town of the Odrysian kingdom. In Roman times it was the key military camp of the province of Thrace.
What happened to Cabyle in the end?
The Goths seized it in the late fourth century and the Avars destroyed it in 583, after which it was never rebuilt as a city. Only a small village continued on the site.
What can I see at the Cabyle reserve?
Visitors can see the remains of the Hellenistic and Roman town, the Roman camp, baths and a basilica, and a museum with local finds. A reconstructed wooden tower stands at the entrance.
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