According to research, the communities first lived in Gumushane in 3500 BC. In later years, Gümüşhane was ruled by the Assyrians. But in the years to come, Gümüşhane was conquered by the Hittites. In the 9th century BC, Gümüşhane was conquered by the Urartu Kingdom.
After the weakening of the Urartian kingdom, Gümüşhane was conquered by the Pontus kingdom. After the kingdom of Pontus was defeated by the kingdom of Rome, Gümüşhane became a city of the Roman kingdom. In these years, Turks, Arabs and Armenians tried to conquer Gumushane many times. But they have failed.
In 1514, Gümüşhane was conquered by the Ottoman Empire. After the breakup of the Ottoman Empire, Gumushane has been a city of the Republic of Turkey.