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Sliven is a town with a rich history that dates back to antiquity.
There are caves - Zmeevi dupki (Snake holes) near the city with relicts of habitation of ancient people.
A trade settlement - imporium, named Tuida, was settled in Hisarlaka locality in III century (the period of the Roman Empire).
Later, during the barbarian invasions Tuida was surrounded by walls and became the Episcopal center. Repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt, the settlement existed during the Byzantine period, the first and second Bulgarian Kingdoms.
It was mentioned firstly with its new name - Istilifunos (probably of Slavic origin) in 1153 by the Arab geographer Idrisi.
През несигурното късно средновековие около града са изградени множество крепости и манастири.
After the invasion of the Ottoman Turks, Sliven changed its location. During this period the city was known under the name Islimie.
Its inhabitants managed to use the availability of grasslands
and surrounding rivers for the development of wool breeding and construction of numerous water mills. Sliven gradually became one of the largest cities in the Bulgarian lands. This is the city with the second largest fair in the region.
It merded with the previous separate villages Klutsohor and Novo Selo.
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Numerous crafts were developed in Sliven, such as Homespun and Gunsmithing. There were 100 masters of weapons in the city. Rich merchants build solid stone shops, (Maazi), some of which exist today. There were 986 workshops in Sliven according to Turkish statistic. There were built wonderful examples of Bulgarian Renaissance architecture during this period, such as Bitova (Style of Life) house, Mirkovich house, Marikieva house, so called Saduk pasha house etc.
Led by Renaissance figures such as Dr. Ivan Seliminski, Dobri Chintulov, Sava Dobroplodni and others, Sliven schools for a relatively short period of time became modern schools. According to American journalist Mac Gahan the quality of education of these schools was on the same level as the best schools in England and France.
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In 1834 Dobri Zelyazkov created first woolen factory in Bulgarian lands. One of the hull and, built in 1843, exists today. The building had on 3 floors, there were located 20 spinning machines, 6 mechanical weaving looms, operated by 500 workers.
The annual fair in Sliven was visited by merchants from Turkey, Poland and Hungary. it was a competitor of well known Ouzoundzhovo Fair.
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The desire of Sliven citizens to join the struggle for national liberation was a characteristic feature of the city. The legend of the city as a hometown of hundred voevodas (rebel leaders) dates from this period. Sliven is the birthplace of the leaders of National Revival perod, such as Hadji Dimitar, Panayot Hitov, Georgi Ikonomov, Tanio Voevoda.
Traditional resistance against Otonan rule gradually became a struggle for freedom. Sliven citizens were involved in every armed resistance in the Bulgarian lands, more than 70 volunteers from Sliven participated in the Russo-Turkish War (1877–78).
Sliven was often visited by Vasil Levski. He built here one of the most active revolutionary committees, which under its authority later became one of the four Regional Revolutionary Committees.
During the Liberation War, despite the fact that Sliven was not an arena of military actions, its citizens experienced the horrors of the war. Hundreds of Bulgarians were hanged, the city was burned during the withdrawal of Turkish troops. Sliven citizens met The new 1878 Year in snowy mountains.
On January 4, 1878 the first Russian liberators enfered the city. The old teacher and author of Renaissance songs Dobri Chintulov met them with a heartfelt speech in Russian.
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15 textile and several other factories were created near Sliven immediately after the liberation. Sliven became the first industrial city in Bulgaria and it was known as "The Bulgarian Manchester". For a long period of time Sliven became a city of strikes and a strong labor movement.
The first operetta performance in Bulgaria took placein Sliven in 1883. The names of famous writers and poets are connected with the city: such as Konstantin Konstantinov, Elizabeth Bagryana, Nikola Furnadzhiev, Radoy Ralin, Damyan Damyanov, the creator of the first Bulgarian film Vasil Gendov, opera singer Stefan Macedonski, artists Dimitar Dobrovich, Jordan Kyuvliev, Sirak Skitnik, Dobri Dobrev and others.
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