Nebet Tepe most commonly known to many historians as the birthplace of Plovdiv and Europe's oldest continuously inhabited city.
The prehistoric ruins on Nebet Tepe are one of Plovdiv’s wonders. Nebet tepe has the earliest traces of civilised life dating back to the Neolithic era in the 6th millennium BC.
This makes Plovdiv around 8,000 years old! it's also one of the oldest cities in Europe (and the world's six oldest city, according to a Daily Telegraph ranking.)
During the Iron Age the Thracians established their fortifications on the hill and expanded the city around it.
The Thracian King who rules the city rules the city around 1200BC, named the town Evmolpia
Later, in the Antiquity period (342 BC), Philip II of Macedon conquered Evmolpia and named it Philippopolis.
He rebuilt the city, expanded the fortification on Nebet Tebe and made Philippopolis the most important city in Thrace.
The Romans expanded the fortress, built new streets and aqueducts, as well as a sewage system.
An amphitheatre and a 30.000 seat stadium were also built around that time.
After the collapse of the Roman Empire at the end of 4th century, Plovdiv stayed under Eastern Roman Empire - Byzantium rule.
This was until the slavs invaded the city at the beginning of 7th century.
Plovdiv fell under Ottoman rule that lasted over 5 centuries.
The Turkish empire then renamed the town to Filibe.
During this period the Bulgarian people had limited civil rights. The culture was narrowed down to old folklore and education in monasteries. Language, Christianity and traditions are what united the Bulgarian people.
The terrible living conditions and ongoing suppression of religion and culture really took their toll on the Bulgarian people. A Bulgarian monk – Paisius of Hilendar wrote a book that was a collection of Bulgarian history. The book became a very powerful trigger for revolution. It boosted people’s confidence and helped preserve the history for the future generations.
The bishop of Plovdiv, Paisius, held a service in the Bulgarian language.
He publicly denounced the Greek patriarch of Istanbul and this created a great scandal. Plovdiv soon became the most radical centre for the liberation of the Bulgarian Orthodox church.
most important (The April Uprising), all 4 revolutionary districts took part. The Plovdiv region was the strongest.
Russia declared war on the Ottoman Empire. After a series of bloody battles, in January 1878, Russian troops liberated Bulgaria.
At the end of the 19th century, many Bulgarians established trade connections with Central and Western Europe. The trade involved mostly cotton, cloth, metal, wood and decorative braid.
As the Revival movement spread from the monasteries back into society, the new wealthy groups started to invest their money. They chose art, architecture, literature and new ideas.
Plovdiv’s Old Town is a living museum. As you stroll around it you almost feel as if you’re in a history book. There are buildings and traces of almost every historical period!
Around the time of National Revival, wealthy Bulgarian traders took on ideas, architecture styles and know-how from Europe. Of great impact were influences from The French Revolution.
The new houses built in the Old Town were like mansions. They had fancy decoration and bright colours. The architectural style of each house was either symmetrical and asymmetrical. The walls, ceilings and facades were painted with various oriental designs.
Philippopolis, sometimes referred to as Trimontium, was the largest city of the ancient Roman province of Thracia.
Today the city is known as Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Several remnants of Roman architecture can be seen in Plovdiv, including this iconic theatre, one of the finest examples from ancient times.
The theatre could seat around 6,500 spectators. Front row seats were inscribed with dignitaries’ names. Other sections of the cavea were apparently reserved for certain neighborhoods of Philippopolis. Located between two hills, the entire site was buried under debris until rediscovered in the 1970’s. The theater is now used as a concert venue.
In recent years Plovdiv has stood out as the cultural centre of Bulgaria.
The city places huge importance on archaeological excavations, the renovation of public buildings and stimulating the arts. This has greatly encouraged cultural tourism.
So why not come down and explore the ancient history of Plovdiv yourself?
