Targovishte is the successor of the early Byzantine and medieval town of Missionis (4th-14th century), a commercial and Christian centre of strategic defensive importance for the old Bulgarian capital cities of Veliki Preslav and Veliko Tarnovo. The town's history is complemented by Eski Jumaya, where the famous Eski Jumaya Fair started being held in the late 18th century with the participation of merchants from all over Europe, Asia and Africa. The town's name today, Targovishte, reflects this famous period of its development.
Visit the House of Hadzhi Angel Ethnographic Museum and the Slaveykov School, which today houses the Museum of History. Slaveykov School is a cultural monument of national significance. Built in 1863 as a secular school, it is unique and rare in its scale for Bulgaria from the times of National Revival and Petko Slaveykov himself was a teacher there. Proof of the commercial centre's importance in the 19th century can be found in the Revival district of Varosha, where representative buildings and beautiful houses were erected in a remarkable architectural ensemble.