Plovdiv

After the project at the Internaht, we traveled to Plovdiv for a Peace Corps training session. It was good to see the other volunteers from my group. It’s been a while since we’ve been together and we won’t have another such gathering until our mid-service session in July.

Plovdiv is a super interesting city and I wish I’d had more time to explore. I spent a morning wandering trying, without success, to find the old Roman amphitheater seen on most postcards. I did find an awesome cake restaurant and

saw some interesting parts of the old town: the 15th century mosque, places where the main pedestrian walking area opens and the true old city appears underneath, and an outdoor theater. Despite overcast and dreary weather, the town center was colorful and pleasant to walk around.

Located near the geographical center of Bulgaria, Plovdiv is Bulgaria’s ‘second city’ and one of Europe’s oldest. It has been inhabited for around 6,000 years. Plovdiv was known by the Thracian name of Eumolpias until it was captured by Philip II of Macedon (Alexander the Great’s dad) in 342 B.C. He renamed the city Philippopolis, which is the source from which its current name is derived.

Re-conquered by the Odrisi Tsar of Thrace after half a century, Plovdiv became the main commercial, cultural, and political center of the Thracian province under Roman rule and became known by the name of Trimontium (City of Three Hills). The main military road through the Balkans, passed through Trimontiun, and the Romans spent much effort building water and sewage systems, theaters, public baths, etc. many of which are still there today. Only a small portion of the ancient ruins have been excavated from under the city, but where they have been, it is impressive. It’s as if you’re looking down into another city, which, I suppose you are, but it’s also back in time.

When the Roman Empire split at the end of the 4th century, Plovdiv, became part of the Eastern Empire and its Byzantine era began. After the migration of the Slavs to the area Plovdiv became known as Pludin, a Slavicised version of the Thracian translation of Philippopolis. Important as a border city in the struggle between Byzantium and the Bulgarian Empire, Pludin changed hands several times before being captured by the Ottomans in 1364. It was liberated in 1878 during the Battle of Philippolis and became the Capital of Eastern Rumelia. In 1885, the region was unified and the city of Plovdiv became part of Bulgaria.