Shumen is a city in the northeastern part of Bulgaria, capital of Shumen Province. In the period 1950–1965 it was called Kolarovgrad, after the name of the communist leader Vasil Kolarov.
Shumen boasts the Monument to 1300 Years of Bulgaria, regarded as the only monument in the world to depict the history of a whole country from its creation to the present day. The Shumen Fortress, partially restored after being destroyed by the Ottomans in the past, is an important historical monument of the medieval Bulgarian Empire. It is located not far from the city on the Shumen Plateau.
The Madara Horseman, a World Heritage Site and an only such example of medieval rock art in Europe, is an ancient (710 AD) monument usually attributed to the Bulgar culture, and lies some 20 km (12 mi) from Shumen.
