The History Museum in Stara Zagora is situated in the center of the town. Inside there are thousands of important objects that trace the history of the town and the region from the 8th millennium B.C. A special map shows the presence of more than 120 prehistoric burial grounds found in and around the town of Stara Zagora. Many of the objects found in these mounds during archaeological excavations are displayed in the museum.
The region was conquered by the Romans in the year 46 B.C. In 107 A.D, after the victory over the Dacians, Emperor Trajan passed through the region and decided to establish the city of Augusta Traiana. The city was of great regional importance, and was partially self-governing, with its own city council and National Assembly. The museum houses an impressive collection of glassware, bronze lamps, statues, jewelry and coins from this era. The museum is based on part of the main street of the Roman city, which connects to the southern and northern gates of the city. This part can be visited on the ground floor of the museum, the place where it was discovered. The street has a width six meters, and has sidewalks 11 meters wide on both sides.
The other halls of the museum follow the history of the town in subsequent periods, from the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, up to the time of the great fire in 1887, which almost destroyed the town entirely. Here, in the summer of 1887, one of the biggest battles of the Russo-Turkish war was fought. Despite the courage and heroism of Russian troops and Bulgarian volunteers, the city was conquered by Ottoman troops and burned. After the liberation from the Ottomans, the city began to rebuild on October 5th 1879. The date is now a holiday for this town, which was reborn from the ashes into a new life.