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| The City |
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Main features of Plovdiv Region:
- Situated in the central part of
Southern Bulgaria;
- Main European motorways and
railroads cross the region: European E-80 motor way and
CE-70 railroad connecting Western Europe with the Far East
and Asia and part of the transcontinental transport corridor
London - Istanbul - Calcutta;
- The key location in the geographic
centre of Bulgaria ensures very good transport links
(motorway and railway) to all parts of the country (150 km
from Sofia). Krumovo Airport is situated in the immediate
vicinity of Plovdiv;
- The territory totals 11,585 sq km.
and the most densely populated region in Bulgaria - 1
206,400 residents;
- One of the most popular tourist
destinations in Bulgaria;
- The second largest academic centre
in the country with 6 higher education institutions;
- Renowned cultural centre with
longstanding traditions, abounding and valuable
archaeological finds and historical heritage;
Plovdiv is the
second largest city in Bulgaria, and a major commercial,
cultural, scientific and transportation centre. The population
of Plovdiv is about 350, 000 people. Plovdiv, which was founded
as a settlement around seven syenite hills, is one of the most
fascinating European towns.
The city is situated in the centre of Southern Bulgaria, in
the flat Upper Thracian Plain, along both banks of the river
Maritsa. Not far away from Plovdiv are the beautiful Rhodope
Mountains.
The favourable climate conditions as well as the good
geographical location have contributed to its ascending
development from the remote past until modern times.
The city has preserved extremely valuable cultural
monuments from the Antiquity, the Middle Ages and Bulgarian
Renaissance coexisting in harmony with contemporary culture. |
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| History |
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Plovdiv, given different names during the centuries, has
witnessed the history of the region and the Balkan Peninsula.
It still keeps the ruins reminding of the Thracians, the Romans,
the Slavs, the Bulgarian State, the Byzantines and the Turks.
In 342 BC the town was conquered by Philip II of
Macedon, father of Alexander of Macedon, and named Philipopolis
. The founder of the town built better fortifications and new
walls around it. He placed a strong garrison in the town and
made it a centre of Thracia.
In the middle of 1st century AD Philipopolis was seized
by the Romans and was incorporated into the Roman Empire , hence
the Roman name of the town -Trimontium ('the town on the three
hills').
During the 2nd-3rd century AD Trimontium became the
metropolis of the large province Thracia Romana and had its own
Senate.
At the end of the 4th century, Trimontium was included
into the boundaries of the Eastern Roman Empire - Byzantium.
During the 6th century Slavs settled down there.
After the foundation of the Bulgarian State in 681,
Plovdiv was a border town for a long period, frequently changing
its sovereigns.
In 1364 the Turks invaded Plovdiv and gave it a new
name-Philibe. Being on the threshold of the Orient, the city
turned into a busy centre of trade and handicrafts, along with
Istanbul, Thessaloniki and Edirne.
In the 19th century the city was the centre of the
Bulgarian Renaissance. After the Liberation of Bulgaria the
citizens of Plovdiv contributed greatly to the Reunification of
Bulgaria , which took place on 6 September 1885.
In the 20th century Plovdiv became the second most
significant economic and cultural centre in Bulgaria.
Plovdiv is a unique example of multi-religious and
multi-ethnic tolerance .
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Eastern Orthodoxy |
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The Bulgarian Orthodox Church, which played a crucial
role in preserving the Bulgarian culture during the Ottoman
occupation, remained as a foundation of the spirit of the
Bulgarian nation. |
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Roman Catholicism |
In 1991 there were 85,000 Roman Catholics in Bulgaria, most of
them in Plovdiv. Another 18,000 Uniate Catholics are
concentrated mainly in Sofia.
Some 20,000 people attended the Mass in the Central
Square of Plovdiv in 2002. Pope John Paul II beautified Kamen
Vichev, losafat Shishkov and Pavel Dzhidzov and visited the
Cathedral of St.Ludwig of the French . |
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Islam |
The Muslim population of Bulgaria lives mainly in northeastern
Bulgaria and in the Rhodopi Mountains.
One of the oldest preserved mosques is Dzhumaya, built
in 1423. It is one of the three examples of the oldest type of
Ottoman worship buildings, still preserved on the entire Balkan
Peninsula. |
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Judaism |
The one remaining synagogue in the city of Plovdiv,
constructed in 1875 and renovated in 1923, is located the
central area of Plovdiv at a place known as the 'Jewish
Quarter' and it serves Plovdiv's 500 strong Jewish community.
Bulgaria's wartime government refused to hand over its
50,000 Jewish citizens to the Nazis in 1943 and saved them from
the Holocaust. Antisemitism found little support in Bulgaria,
and Plovdiv's Jewish residents worship in their synagogue. The
inscription on the monument nearby reads in Hebrew, English and
Bulgarian: "To all who helped to save us on 10 March 1943. From
the grateful Jewish community of Plovdiv". |
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Gregorian-Armenian |
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Plovdiv traditionally is considered as one of the main centres
of Bulgarian Armenian population and culture. |
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The cultural capital |
Under today's downtown section of Plovdiv are the ruins of an
enormous Roman Stadium with a length of 180 m and with a
capacity for 30, 000 spectators. Marble reliefs, pottery and
other relics provide evidence of the Bulgarian influence in the
city during the Middle Ages.
The Ancient Amphitheatre , the most impressive edifice
of Roman times, was discovered during reinforcement works at the
southern fortress wall. Nowadays, it is used for staging opera
and theatre festivals, concerts, municipal celebrations.
Plovdiv never fails to impress with the rich cultural and
historic heritage coexisting in harmony with the contemporary
culture. A walk around the Three Hills is like a journey in time
- from the antiquity to the modern times. Best preserved is the
gate (Hisar Kapiya ) of the fortress, built during the reign of
the Roman emperors Trajanus and Marcus Aurelius.
Dzhumaya Mosque and Imaret Mosque rank among the major
architectural monuments from the period of the Ottoman Empire.
The oldest Orthodox churches in Plovdiv are St. St.
Constantine and Elena, St. Marina, St. Petka, St. Nedelya and
The Holy Mother.
The beautiful houses in the Old Town of Plovdiv date
back to the period of the Bulgarian Renaissance. Many of them
have been proclaimed cultural monuments.
Four museums are based in the city - the Archaeological
Museum, the Historical Museum, the Ethnographic Museum and the
Museum of Natural Sciences.
The Ethnographic Museum occupies one of the most
beautiful houses of the Renaissance period in the Old Plovdiv.
Its collection shows the elaborate culture and civilization of
the Plovdiv region, including the history and development of
agriculture, crafts and trade. The rich diversity of folk
culture is shown: garments, fabrics, embroideries and the music
and dances, characteristic of the two main ethnographic groups
in the Plovdiv region - the Rupets and the Thracians.
The Historical Museum has four departments, each
founded at a different time. They trace the historical
development of the Plovdiv region from the Early Ottoman period
(15th-17th c.) up to the present day.
Plovdiv is famous for being the City of artists .
During the time of the Bulgarian Renaissance many icon-painters
from different parts of the country came to work here. The first
art exhibition ever staged in Bulgaria was organized in Plovdiv
in 1889. The City Art Gallery was set up in 1910.
Plovdiv State Opera was established in 1953. Its
repertoire is aimed mainly at the great achievements of the
European opera art. It has created an appropriate artistic
climate for international guest producers and singers.
Many prestigious festivals are held in Plovdiv -
international music, cinema, theatre and folk festivals. A proof
of the international recognition of Plovdiv was its nomination
as host of the most comprehensive cultural programme of the
European Union -the European Cultural Month 1999, which turned
into a great event.
Plovdiv Dramatic Theatre has won a reputation as one of
the leading cultural institutions in the country. Its repertoire
includes classical and modern plays by prominent Bulgarian and
foreign playwrights. Plovdiv Dramatic Theatre is the host of the
International Theatre Festival called Stage at Crossroads.
The Verdi Festival , which is held in June and July at
the Roman Amphitheatre, attracts wide audiences not only from
Bulgaria, but also from other countries. It is one of the most
spectacular and dazzling cultural events in Plovdiv.
The Chamber Music Festival held in June in the
courtyard of the Ethnographic Museum, features prominent
Bulgarian and foreign musicians.
The Golden Chest International Television Festival with
its 33-year-old history, makes Plovdiv very popular among
Bulgaria's culture circles. It is held in October. Many foreign
and Bulgarian TV films are presented. |
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