The Blue Stones - Sliven

Sinite Kamani (the Blue Stones) are located in the highest part of the Sliven Mountain, north from Sliven, on an area of 7094.1 ha. They were declared a natural park on November 28 1980. In 1702, the Krim sultan Selim Gerey called them “the Sliven Alps”. The highest summit in the region is Balgarka (1181 m). The Blue Stones are strewn with picturesque rock groups – Kuklite (the Dolls), Bachvata (the Barrel), Kamilata (the Camel), Kaloyanova Tower, etc., as well as many caves – Zmeevi Dupki (Snake Holes), Orlovi Dupki (Eagle Holes), etc. According to the historical and scientific surveys, conducted in the region, the park was inhabited as early as the new stone age. In the Zmeevi dupki cave, working tools, ceramics from V-III century BC, stone moulds, weapons, as well as other ancient articles have been found. On a number of places in the Blue Stones, ruins of old fortresses, monasteries, ancient roads could be seen. The archeological reserve Tuida (a Roman fortress from III-V century) is located in the Hisarluka region, and the ruins of the St.Spas monastery could be found near the Manastirska river. St. Spas is also known as St. St. Constantin & Helena monastery and is one of the 24 monasteries, built in XII-XIV century, known as the Sliven Small Holly Forest. In 1834, Dobri Jelyzakov built in the defile of the Selishka river the first baize factory in Bulgaria, which is nowadays operating as a National Museum of Textile Industry.