Plovdiv (Bulgarian: Пловдив; Thracian: Evmolpia, Pulpudeva; Greek: Φιλιππούπολη, Φιλιππούπολις / Philippoupoli, Philippoupolis; Turkish: Filibe) is the second-largest city in Bulgaria, after Sofia, with a population of 341,873([1]). It is the administrative centre of
Plovdiv Province in southern Bulgaria, as well as the largest and most important city of the historical region of Thrace, famous for its ancient and diverse culture and millenary history.
Plovdiv is located on both banks of the Maritsa river in the central part of Upper Thrace. The surrounding countryside is mostly bare, lacking major construction or landmarks, yet the city itself is particularly striking, since it, like Rome, is mushroomed in between its seven hills. Tourists, however, are likely to count only six of those, as one of hills was virtually destroyed at the beginning of the 1900s and there is only a small outcrop of rock left to show where it once stood.
Two key highways make headway into or around
Plovdiv — the Sofia-Edirne-Istanbul and the Sofia-Stara Zagora-Burgas routes. A major tourist center,
Plovdiv lies at the threshold of the Rhodopes, and most people wishing to go exploring the mountains choose it as their trips' starting point. There are three train stations and three bus terminals. The regular bus and trolley fare is 60 Stotinki (0.60 BGN) per ride, while the cab car-pools fare is 70 stotinki (0.70 BGN). Cab car-pooling is faster, but less comfortable as the cabs stop to load/unload at any location.
Plovdiv is one of the oldest cities in Europe. It is a contemporary of Troy and Mycenae. It is older than Rome, Athens, Carthage or Constantinople. Archaeologists have discovered fine pottery[2] and other objects of everyday life from as early as the Neolithic Age, showing that in the end of the 7th millennium B.C there already was an established settlement there. According to Ammianus Marcellinus,
Plovdiv's written post-Bronze Age history lists it as a Thracian fortified settlement named Eumolpias. In 342 BC, it was conquered by Philip II of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great, who renamed it "Φιλιππόπολις", Philippopolis or "the city of Philip" in his own honour. Later, it again became independent under the Thracians, until its incorporation into the Roman Empire, where it was called Trimontium (City of Three Hills) and served as metropolis (capital) of the province of Thrace. Thrimontium was an important crossroad for the Roman Empire and was called "The largest and most beautiful of all cities" by Lucian. In those times, the Via Militaris (or Via Diagonalis), the most important military road in the Balkans, passed through the city.[1] The Roman times were a glorious period of growth and cultural excellence. The ancient ruins tell a story of a vibrant, growing city with numerous public buildings, shrines, baths, and theatres. Many of those are still preserved and can be seen by the curious tourist, wishing to experience the charm of ancient Rome up close.
The Slavs had fully settled in the area by the middle of the 6th century, but the region only became a province in Bulgaria on or about 815. It remained in Bulgarian hands until conquered by the Byzantine Empire in 970 or 971. Byzantine rule was succeeded by that of the Latin Empire in 1204, and there were two short inter-regnum periods as the city was twice occupied by Kaloyan of Bulgaria before his death in 1207. Under Latin rule,
Plovdiv was the capital of the Duchy of Philippopolis governed by Renier de Trit, and later on by Gerard de Strem. Bulgarian rule was reestablished during the reign of Ivan Asen II between 1225 and 1229. In 1263
Plovdiv was conquered by the restored Byzantine Empire and remained in Byzantine hands until it was re-conquered by George Terter II of Bulgaria in 1322. Byzantine rule was restored once again in 1323, but in 1344 the city was surrendered to Bulgaria by the regency for John V Palaiologos as the price for Ivan Alexander of Bulgaria's support in the Byzantine civil war. When Bulgaria was defeated by the Ottoman Empire in 1369,
Plovdiv survived as one of the major cultural centers for Bulgarian culture and tradition. The name
Plovdiv first appeared around that time and is derived from the city's Thracian name Pulpudeva (assumed to be a translation of Philippopolis, from Pulpu = Philippou and deva = city), which was rendered by the Slavs first as Pəldin (Пълдин) or Pləvdin.
Under the rule of the Ottoman Empire,
Plovdiv (then known as Filibe) was a focal point for the Bulgarian national movement in the Eastern Rumelia province of the Empire. The city was liberated from the Ottomans during the Battle of
Plovdiv in 1878 and, after the Congress of Berlin separated the autonomous region of Eastern Rumelia from Bulgaria,
Plovdiv became its capital. At the time, it had a population of about 33,500, of which 45% were Bulgarians, 25% Greeks, 21% Turks, 6% Jews and 3% Armenians, a situation that changed rapidly in the following decades. A few years later, in 1885, Eastern Rumelia was absorbed into modern Bulgaria as part of the Bulgarian unification project.
During the period of communist governance that followed the end of World War II,
Plovdiv became the birthplace of Bulgaria's movement for democratic reform, which by 1989 had garnered enough support to enter government.
Plovdiv hosted specialized exhibitions of the World's Fair three times (1981, 1985, and 1991).
Museums and protected sites
Plovdiv is a tourist's treasure trove. It has more than 200 known archeological sites, 30 of which are of national importance. Some of the world-famous sites include the Ancient Theater (early 2nd century AD), the Roman Stadium (late 2nd century AD), the magnificent colored mosaics of the villas, the ones of the episcopal temple, the Nebet Tepe archaeological complex and the noted samples of Bulgarian National Revival architecture, such as the Balabanov House, the Kuyumdzhiev House, the Lamartine House, and the houses of Georgiadi, Nedkovich, and Hindian.
Also of note is that there are more than 30,000 cultural artifacts, kept in the five
Plovdiv museums: the Archaeological Museum, the Ethnographic Museum, the Historical Museum, the Natural Museum and the City Art Gallery. The Panagyurishte Golden Treasure from the end of the 6th century BCE consists of six uniquely decorated golden utensils, together weighing more than 6,000 kg.
The Old Town of
Plovdiv is a historic preservation site known for its unique Bulgarian Renaissance architectural style. The Old Town covers the area of the three central hills (Трихълмие, Trihalmie) —Nebet Tepe, Dzhambaz Tepe and Taxim Tepe. Almost every house in the Old Town is characteristically impressive in its exterior and interior decoration.
The Bulgarian Museum of Aviation is located on the western edge of
Plovdiv International Airport.
[edit] Churches, mosques and temples
There are a number of 19th century churches, most of which follow the distinctive Eastern Orthodox construction style. Those are the Saint Constantine and Saint Helena, the Saint Marina, the Saint Nedelya, the Saint Petka and the Holy Mother of God Churches. There are also the Roman Catholic Cathedrals in
Plovdiv, the largest of them being St Ludovic. There are several more modern Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, and other Protestant churches, as well as older style Apostolic churches. Two mosques remain in
Plovdiv from the time of the Ottoman rule. There is also one Jewish temple.
[edit] Events
The spirit of
Plovdiv bears the creative power of its artists, writers and musicians. Notable events include the Chambre Music International Festival, which takes place in the old town since the 1970s; the Golden Chest International TV Film Festival, organized jointly with the Bulgarian National Television since the 1980s; the Golden Rhyton International Festival of Documentary Films, which is a joint initiative with the National Film Centre, which dates back to 1980s; the Verdi Festival, the venue of which is one of the most attractive places in the city — the Ancient Theatre; Easter and Christmas music festivals; the International Folklore Festival that is one of the most exotic events at the end of the summer. Of particular interests are some recent initiatives — the Stage on a Crossroad International Theatre Festival, the Week of Modern Art that takes place in the Ancient Public Bath, the Impresiya Art Fair.
In 1999
Plovdiv was the host of the European Cultural Month. On the traditional stages in the city and on alternative culture spaces, the program carried out the biggest culture forum in Bulgaria at the turn of the century. Raina Kabaivanska, Ghena Dimitrova, Lyudmil Anguelov, the Bamberg Symphonic Orchestra, Michael Nyman, Hanna Schygulla, Goran Bregović and his Weddings and Funerals Orchestra, Metallica, Apocalyptica, Grand Funk, Ritchie Blackmore and many others took part in it.
Theatre
The existing infrastructure of the city adds to the development of cultural activities. The
Plovdiv Drama Theatre is an inheritor of the first professional theatre group in Bulgaria founded in 1881. The
Plovdiv Puppet Theatre, founded in 1948, remains one of the leading institutions in this genre. Established in 1953,
Plovdiv Opera achieves serious professional acknowledgements not only in Bulgaria, but also in Germany, Denmark, Spain and Italy.
[edit] Music
Another post of the culture of
Plovdiv is the Philarmonic, founded in 1945. Works of the classic and of the modern symphony are included in its repertory. Soloists such as Dmitri Shostakovich, Sviatoslav Richter, Mstislav Rostropovich, Yuri Boukov and Mincho Minchev worked with the
Plovdiv Philharmonic. The orchestra toured in almost all of the European countries. Known for its originality and professionalism is the Trakiya Folklore Ensemble. Founded in 1974, it has performed thousands of concerts in Bulgaria and more than 40 countries of the world. The Trakiya Traditional Choir was nominated for a Grammy Award.
[edit] Literature
The city's traditions as a literary centre are preserved by the first public library in Bulgaria, the Ivan Vazov National Library, by the 19 chitalishta (cultural centres) and by numerous booksellers and publishers. Today the Ivan Vazov National Library is the second largest national library institution, owning rare Bulgarian and European publications. The modern publishing houses add their significant contribution to the book market in the country and represent Bulgarian literature abroad.
Source:
wikipedia.com
