New historic sites adorn Bulgaria's oldest city
23 November 2024
"Ancient and Eternal" – that's the motto of the "City of the Seven Hills". While this description might lead you to think I'm talking about Rome, I'm referring to a much older and less well-known, but just as interesting place – Plovdiv, Bulgaria's second city and cultural heart.
Plovdiv contends for the title of Europe's longest continuously inhabited city, with the original Thracian settlement starting some 8000 years ago on one of its syenite hills. Throughout the centuries, the city has remained a vital cultural and economic hub for the region of Thrace, thanks to its central location along the route between Central Europe and Anatolia.
In 2019, the city was, together with the Italian city of Matera, named the European Capital of Culture. As a result, two new EU-funded archaeological sites are set to become major tourist attractions in the years to come. One project called "Along the fortress walls of Philippopolis" transformed two important historical sites – the Thracian ruins on Nebet Tepe hill and the Roman-era Eastern Gate, allowing locals and tourists to experience the area's millennia-spanning history.
Nebet Tepe, the hill the city was originally founded on, contains the city's oldest ruins, as well as a stunning panorama of the city centre. The Eastern Gate complex, built during Hadrian's reign in the 2nd century and serving as the main entrance coming from Constantinople (at the time Byzantion), boasts imposing Roman columns, footpaths, and the remains of the gate itself.
 | Martin Penov The project, of course, is not without controversies. Nebet Tepe has always been an important gathering spot for the city's youth, due to its scenic views. However, the reorganisation of the site plans to lock the hill during the evenings to protect the ruins, receiving sharp criticism from locals who fear one of the city's most iconic locations is being taken away to preserve it for tourists. The project itself was also delayed multiple times, with the local council offering few convincing explanations as to why. Nonetheless, the new sites offer locals and tourists a glimpse into two distinct and important eras in Plovdiv's layered history. |
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