Plovdiv, ancient and eternal

Going 130 km on the expressway South-East of Sofia the Bulgarian capital will take you to this second largest city in the country. Built in the Thracian region on seven hills like Rome, 8000-year old Plovdiv , home to 350000 inhabitants from various regions, is the oldest inhabited city in Europe, older than Athens or Rome. No longer known only as a provincial halt of the Orient Express, the charming city is definitely more relaxed than the capital and more and more local and foreign tourists enjoy its small-town pace and atmosphere. Many international cultural events take place throughout the year and Plovdiv was awarded in September 2014 the prestigious and coveted title of European Capital of Culture for 2019. Many special events have already been scheduled to celebrate this opportunity to put it on the map for potential tourists from all parts of Europe and beyond.

Brief historic outline

Traces remain from old inhabitants from the New Stone, Copper and Bronze Ages. During the first millenium B.C. a town called Evmolpia was established, to be conquered in 342 B.C. by Philip II of Macedonia who changed its name to Philippopolis.

In 72 B.C. it was conquered by the Roman military commander Marcus Terentius Varro and incorporated in 46 A.D. in the province of Thracia and thereafter named Trimontium as it was then built on three hills.

In 172 A.D. Emperor Marcus Aurelius built a second fortified wall allowing the town to expand beyond the original hills. When the Roman Empire was split into Eastern and Western Empires, Trimontium became part of the Eastern Roman Empire with Byzantium (later to become Constantinople) as its capital.

After surviving many invasions, Justinian the Great renovated the town which fell into Bulgarian hands during the reign of Khan Krum in 812 A.D. and became an integral part of Bulgaria under his grandson Malamir. The city was levelled in 970 by Prince Svyatoslav of Kiev and captured during the 3rd Crusade (1189-1190) by German Emperor Friedrich I Barbarossa.

In 1204 the Knights of the 4th Crusade conquered Constantinople and founded the so-called Latin Empire and the city was given to a French nobleman called Renier of Trit who later lost it to Bulgarian Czar Kaloyan. In 1370 it was seized by the Ottoman Turks under Sultan Mourad Ist who called it Filibe. The 18th and 19th centuries were the time of the Bulgarian National Revival when the city entered a new economic and cultural era. In 1851 the Feast of the Bulgarian Script was established to celebrate the memory of Brothers Cyril and Methodius, creators of the Cyrillic alphabet.

The city was liberated from Ottoman rule on January 16, 1878. At that time the city was the largest and most populated in the country as well as the capital of the autonomous province of Rumelia and seat of its Governor.

On Sep 6, 1885 the union of Eastern Rumelia and the Principality of Bulgaria was officially declared.

During the totalitarian regime (1944-1989) culture and economy continued to develop. After the restoration of economic freedom in 1989, Plovdiv started to modernize and prosper.

 

Main tourist sites

Archeological Remains

Ancient Theatre overlooking the city, built at the end of the 1st century under Emperor Trajan with a capacity of 5000-7000 and still used for various kinds of events and performances

In the heart of the city, the Forum and Odeon built at the same time as the Theatre. Former seat of the city councillors of Philippopolis with a capacity of 300-350, it is used nowadays for theatrical, musical and literary events                                                                   

Roman Stadium seating 30000 in ancient times, 240m long and 50m wide. Located in the middle of the main pedestrian street, it has 14 rows of marble seats still usable, the corner angles of some rows adorned with a stylised lion’s paw.

Early Christian (Small) Basilica and Baptistery discovered in 1988 when building a new apartment block. It is a 3-nave single-apse structure 20m long and 13m wide with floors covered with polychrome mosaics. It was built in the 5th-6th century ; restoration started in 2011 and was completed in 2013.

Early Christian Episcopal Basilica built at the same time as the Small Basilica, it is located South of the Catholic Cathedral of St Louis and was 86m long and 39m wide. It was discovered in 1982 during excavations which are still in progress.

Archeological Museum housing rich collections of artifacts and works of art related to the history of Plovdiv.

The Old Town

 Dzhumaya (Friday’s) Mosque located above the Roman Stadium it marks the beginning of the Old Town. It was built under Sultan Mourad II (1421-1451) with 9 lead-covered cupolas on the roof and a 33 X 27m prayer room.

The Old Town is built at the foot of the old fortress on Nebet Tepe Hill and dotted with magnificent Bulgarian Revival houses and a handful of art galleries. It stands near Hisar Kapia, the old arched eastern gate of the acropolis wall. The architectural ensemble of over 200 houses built during the 18-19th century gives the area a unique charming atmosphere and strolling through the quiet cobbled streets is an unforgettable experience. Main houses : Argir Kuyumdzhiouglu’s (1847, now Ethnographic Museum), Dimitar Georgiadi’s (1846-48, now Bulgarian Revival Exhibition), Balabanova, Nedkovitch (1862-63), Hindlyan (1835-40), Hadzhi Vlasaki Chokhadzhi’s, Georgi Mavridi’s (« Lamartine’s House ») and Dr Sotir Antoniadi’s (now Pharmacy Museum). Some of the houses open to the public have a richly furnished and elaborately decorated interior.

There are also eight Orthodox churches and two chapels in the area. St Constantin and Elena is a three-nave church with a magnificent iconostasis with icons by the famous painter Zahari Zagraf.

The New Town

The Pedestrian Main Street, backbone of the city,  is lined with shops and proud buildings in classic, Secession and post-modern styles. To name but a few : Shopping Centre Excelsior (1911), ex department store Orozdi Bak (1896, now Hebros Bank),the former Greco-Armenian Club, Mollovi drugstore (1920-25) and the former Metropole Hotel (1901) .

Stefan Stambolov Square with a monumental fountain in the middle is home to Plovdiv’s City Hall with the former Astoria Hotel facing it from the opposite side.

Kapana (the « trap ») is a former district of ill repute gradually being turned into a lively area at night in its maze of small streets full of outdoor cafés, boutiques and art galleries.

Czar Simeon’s Garden was created at the end of the 19th century by Swiss Lucien Chevalas, court gardener of the Turkish sultan Abdul Aziz. It is now a huge recreation area with an artificial lake and singing fountains. In the original part of the garden one can still admire Demeter’s Fountain (Greek goddess of fertility) by Italian sculptor Arnoldo Zocchi and monuments of Bulgarian spiritual leaders as well as modern sculptures.

 

Sightseeing out of town

In the Plovdiv area there are 80 wineries where the most common grape variety is the local Mavroud. This original grape was never affected by the phylloxera pest and never had to go through a grafting process like most other kinds of grapes.

If you are not interested in wine, remember that Kamenitsa was the first Bulgarian beer to be brewed in 1881

Two monasteries are a short distance from the city : the  Bachkovo Monastery and the less visited Arapovo Monastery of St Nedelya.

Another interesting side trip is the Asen Bogoroditsa Fortress in Asenovgrad with its mountain church of Our Lady of Petritch.

 

Plovdiv is definitely an exciting destination to include in your travel plans especially in 2019 when it will celebrate its title of European Capital of Culture !

 Jacques J. CAMPE 21/10/2016