Plovdiv is the second-largest city in
BulgariaBulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a country in the Balkans in south-eastern Europe. Bulgaria borders five other countries: Romania to the north , Serbia and the Republic of Macedonia to the west, and Greece and Turkey to the south...
after
SofiaSofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city by population in the European Union, with 1.4 million people living in the Capital Municipality...
, with a population of 380,312. Known in ancient times as
Philippoupolis, it is the administrative center of
Plovdiv ProvincePlovdiv is an oblast in central southern Bulgaria , onе of the 28 Bulgarian provinces. It comprises 18 municipalities Plovdiv is an oblast in central southern Bulgaria (formerly part of Eastern Rumelia), onе of the 28 Bulgarian provinces. It comprises 18 municipalities Plovdiv is an oblast in...
in southern Bulgaria and three municipalities (Plovdiv,
MaritsaMaritsa Municipality is located in the Plovdiv Province, southern Bulgaria on the northern bank of the Maritsa River. It has 30,676 inhabitants and consists only of villages. The municipality has thriving industry with around €400 000 000 invested in the recent years...
and
RodopiRodopi municipality is situated in the Plovdiv Province, southern Bulgaria. the population is 33,111.It occupies parts of the Upper Thracian Plain to the south of Plovdiv and the northern-most slopes of the central Rhodopi mountains. Its territory is 524,8 km².The backbone of the economy is...
) and Bulgaria's
Yuzhen tsentralenYuzhen tsentralen is a Bulgarian region. The capital is Plovdiv, the second-largest city in Bulgaria. It includes five Bulgarians provinces : Plovdiv Province, Pazardzhik Province, Smolyan Province, Kardzhali Province and Haskovo Province....
planning region (NUTS II), as well as the largest and most important city in Northern Thrace and the wider international historical region of
ThraceThrace is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe. As a geographical concept, Thrace designates a region bounded on the north by the Balkan Mountains, on the south by the Rhodope Mountains and the Aegean Sea and on the east by the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara...
. The city is an important economic, transport, cultural and educational center.
In the antiquity it was originally a
ThracianThe ancient Thracians were a group of Indo-European tribes who spoke the Thracian language – a scarcely attested branch of the Indo-European language family...
settlement before becoming a major
RomanAncient Rome was a civilization that grew out of a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 10th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea, it became one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
city. In the Middle Ages, it retained its strategic regional importance, changing hands between the
ByzantineThe Byzantine Empire or Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages, centered on the capital of Constantinople, and ruled by Emperors in direct and de jure succession to the ancient Roman Emperors...
and
Bulgarian EmpireBulgarian Empire is a term used to describe two periods in the medieval history of Bulgaria, during which it acted as a key regional power in Europe in general and in Southeastern Europe in particular, often rivalling Byzantium...
s. It came under
OttomanThe Ottoman Empire or Ottoman State , also known by its contemporaries as the Turkish Empire or Turkey , was an empire that lasted from 1299 to November 1, 1922 The Ottoman Empire or Ottoman State (Ottoman Turkish: دَوْلَتِ عَلِیَّهِ عُثْمَانِیَّه Dawlet-il ʿAliyyat-il ʿOs̠māniyye, Modern Turkish:...
rule in the 14th century. In 1878, Plovdiv was made the capital of the autonomous Ottoman region of
Eastern RumeliaEastern Rumelia or Eastern Roumelia was an autonomous province in the Ottoman Empire from 1878 to 1908, however it was under Bulgarian control from 1885, when it de facto annexed by the Principality of Bulgaria...
; in 1885, it became part of Bulgaria with the
unificationThe Unification of Bulgaria was the act of unification of the Principality of Bulgaria and the then-Ottoman province of Eastern Rumelia in the autumn of 1885. It was co-ordinated by the Bulgarian Secret Central Revolutionary Committee...
of that region and the
Principality of BulgariaThe Principality of Bulgaria was a self-governing entity created as a vassal of the Ottoman Empire by the Treaty of Berlin in 1878. The preliminary treaty of San Stefano between the Russian Empire and the Porte , on March 3, had originally proposed a significantly larger Bulgarian territory: its...
.
Plovdiv is situated in the southern part of the Plovdiv Plain on the two banks of the Maritsa River. The city has historically developed on seven
syeniteSyenite is a coarse-grained intrusive igneous rock of the same general composition as granite but with the quartz either absent or present in relatively small amounts ....
hills, some of which are 250 m high. Because of these seven hills, Plovdiv is often referred to in Bulgaria as "The City of the Seven Hills".
Plovdiv is host to economic and cultural events such as the
International Fair PlovdivInternational Fair Plovdiv , held in Plovdiv, is Bulgaria's largest and oldest international trade fair. It was established in August 1892 as an industrial and agricultural show....
, the international theatrical
festivalA festival is an event, usually and ordinarily staged by a local community, which centers on some unique aspect of that community.Among many religions, a feast or festival is a set of celebrations in honour of God or gods. A feast and a festival are historically interchangeable...
"A scene on a crossroad", the TV festival "The golden chest". There are many remains preserved from
AntiquityClassical antiquity is a broad term for a long period of cultural history centered on the Mediterranean Sea, comprising the interlocking civilizations of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome collectively known as the Greco-Roman world...
such as the
Ancient amphitheatreAlthough this structure is commonly referred to as an amphitheatre, it is actually a traditional theatre.-Plovdiv Roman Theatre:Deep in the heart of Plovdiv city center lies the Plovdiv theatre...
, Roman odeon,
Roman StadiumThe Plovdiv Roman Stadium is among the largest Roman structures in the Balkans. The massive edifive is 180 long and had capacity of over 30,000. It is believed that it was built during the reign of Septimus Severus ....
, the archaeological complex
Eirene and others.
Name
Plovdiv was given various names throughout its long history. It was originally a
ThracianThe ancient Thracians were a group of Indo-European tribes who spoke the Thracian language – a scarcely attested branch of the Indo-European language family...
settlement by the name of
Eumolpias.
Philip II of MacedonPhilip II of Macedon, Philip II of Macedon, Philip II of Macedon, ( — φίλος = friend + ίππος = horse — transliterated 382 – 336 BC, was an ancient Greek king (basileus) of Macedon from 359 BC until his assassination in 336. He was the father of Alexander the Great and Philip...
conquered the area in 342-341 BC and renamed the city
Philippoupolis . The later Thracian name for the city,
Pulpu-deva, is a reconstructed translation of Greek
Philippou-polis so we are not sure of what the called it. After the Romans took control of the area, the city was named , meaning the Three Hills. During the Middle Ages the city was known as Philippoupolis in Byzantine Greek and
Paldin (Пълдин) or
Plavdiv (Плъвдив) in Old Bulgarian, variations of the town's earlier
ThracianThe Thracian language was the Indo-European language spoken in ancient times by the Thracians in South-Eastern Europe.-Geographic distribution:...
name. The city was known as Philippopolis in Western Europe well into the early 20th century. The city was known as
Filibe in
TurkishTurkish is spoken as a first language by over 63 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Cyprus, with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo, Albania and other...
during the
Ottoman EmpireThe Ottoman Empire or Ottoman State , also known by its contemporaries as the Turkish Empire or Turkey , was an empire that lasted from 1299 to November 1, 1922 The Ottoman Empire or Ottoman State (Ottoman Turkish: دَوْلَتِ عَلِیَّهِ عُثْمَانِیَّه Dawlet-il ʿAliyyat-il ʿOs̠māniyye, Modern Turkish:...
. The
Modern GreekModern Greek refers to the varieties of Greek spoken in the modern era. The beginning of the "modern" period of the language is often symbolically assigned to the fall of the Byzantine Empire in 1453, even though that date marks no clear linguistic boundary and many characteristic modern features...
name for the city is Philippoupoli (Φιλιππούπολη).
The
asteroidthumb|260px|right|[[253 Mathilde]], a [[C-type asteroid]] measuring about across. Photograph taken in 1997 by the [[NEAR Shoemaker]] probe.Asteroids, sometimes called minor planets or planetoids, are small Solar System bodies in orbit around the Sun, especially in the inner Solar System; they are...
(
minor planetAn asteroid group or minor planet group is a population of minor planets that have a share broadly similar orbits. Members are generally unrelated to each other, unlike in an asteroid family, which often results from the break-up of a single asteroid...
) 3860 Plovdiv is named after the city. It was discovered by the
BulgarianThe Bulgarians are a South Slavic people, generally associated with the Republic of Bulgaria and the Bulgarian language. Emigration has resulted in Bulgarian minorities or immigrant communities in a number of other countries.-Ethnogenesis:...
astronomer
Violeta G. IvanovaVioleta Ivanova is a Bulgarian astronomer. She sometimes signs Violeta G. Ivanova.She has discovered numerous asteroids. She works at the Institute of Astronomy, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and has made her discoveries at the Smolyan Observatory, which became the Rozhen National Observatory some...
on 8 August 1986.
Plovdiv PeakPlovdiv Peak is a peak rising to 1,040 m in the E extremity of Levski Ridge, Tangra Mountains, Livingston Island, Antarctica...
on Livingston Island in the
South Shetland IslandsThe South Shetland Islands are a group of Antarctic islands, lying about 120 kilometres north of the Antarctic Peninsula. By the Antarctic Treaty of 1959, the Islands' sovereignty is neither recognized nor disputed by the signatories and they are free for use by any signatory for non-military...
,
Antarctica| style="border-top:solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding:0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align:top;" | 14,000,000 km
2 280,000 km
2 13,720,000 km
2 |-! style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top;...
is also named after Plovdiv.
Geography
Plovdiv is located on the banks of the
MaritsaThe Maritsa or Evros is, with a length of 480 km, the longest river that runs solely in the interior of the Balkans. It has its origin in the Rila Mountains in Western Bulgaria, flowing southeast between the Balkan and Rhodope Mountains, past Plovdiv and Parvomay to Edirne, Turkey...
river, approximately southeast of the Bulgarian capital
SofiaSofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city by population in the European Union, with 1.4 million people living in the Capital Municipality...
. The city is situated in the southern part of the Plain of Plovdiv, an
alluvial plainAn alluvial plain is a relatively flat landform created by the deposition of sediment over a long period of time by one or more rivers coming from highland regions, from which alluvial soil forms...
forming the western portion of the
Upper Thracian PlainThe Upper Thracian Plain constitutes the northern part of the historical region of Thrace. It is located in southern Bulgaria, between the Sredna Gora mountains to the north and west; the Rhodopes, Sakar and Strandzha to the south; and the Black Sea to the east...
. The heights of
Sredna GoraSredna Gora is a mountain range in central Bulgaria, situated south of and parallel to Balkan mountain range and extending from the river Iskar to the west and the elbow of Tundzha north of Yambol to the east. Sredna Gora is 285 km long, reaching 50 km at its greatest width...
rise to the northwest, to the east are the Chirpan Heights and the
Rhodope mountainsThe Rhodopes are a mountain range in Southeastern Europe, with over 83% of its area in southern Bulgaria and the remainder in Greece...
surround the plain from the south. The city had originally developed to the south of Maritsa and it spawned across the river in the last 100 years. Modern Plovdiv covers an area of , which is less than 0.1% of Bulgaria's total area. This makes the city is the most densely populated in the country with 3,352 inhabitants per km².
Inside the city proper are located six syenite hills, called
tepeta. In the beginning of the 20th century there used to be seven of them, but one (
Markovo tepeMarkovo tepe was one of the seven syenite hills of Bulgaria's second largest city, Plovdiv. It was destroyed in the beginning of the 20th century and the material was used for the pavement of most streets in Plovdiv. Currently the Markovo Tepe Mall is under construction on the site of the hill and...
) was destroyed. Traditionally the citizens have called them Dzhendem tepe, Bunardzhik, Sahat tepe, Nebet tepe, Dzhambaz tepe and Taksim tepe. The last three form the area of the Three Hills , a lively section of the city centre.
Climate
The climate is
temperateIn geography, temperate or tepid latitudes of the globe lie between the tropics and the polar circles. The changes in these regions between summer and winter are generally mild, rather than extreme hot or cold. But in continental areas, such as central North America the variations between summer...
with influence from the Mediterranean Sea and is typical of southeastern Europe. Summers are generally extremely hot and dry. Winters are cold, with a slight Mediterranean influence, often they're very cold with a Continental character. The average annual temperature is . The average maximum temperature is in July - and the absolute maximum was recorded during the same month in 2000 . Weak winds (0-5 m/sec) are predominant in the city and the surrounding area. The average minimum temperature is and the absolute minimum was measured during an
inversionIn meteorology, an inversion is a deviation from the normal change of an atmospheric property with altitude. It almost always refers to a temperature inversion, i.e., an increase in temperature with height, or to the layer within which such an increase occurs...
. The average relative humidity is 73%, it is highest in December - 86% and lowest in August - 62%. The total precipitation is 540 mm - the wettest months of the year are May and June with an average precipitation of 66.2 mm, while the driest is August with an average of 31 mm. The average number of days with a snow blanket in Plovdiv is 33. The average depth of the blanket of snow is and the maximum is normally but in some winters it can reach or more. Gentle winds (0 to 5 m/s) are predominant in the city with wind speeds of up to 1 m/s representing 95% of all winds during the year. Mists are common in the cooler months especially along the banks of the Maritsa. On average there are 33 days with
mistMist is a phenomenon of small droplets suspended in air. It can occur as part of natural weather or volcanic activity, and is common in cold air above warmer water, in exhaled air in the cold, and in a steam room of a sauna. It can also be created artificially with aerosol canisters if the...
during the year.
Climate table:
Antiquity
With a history dating back over 6000 years Plovdiv is one of
EuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus Mountains , and the Black Sea to the southeast...
's oldest settlements.. Archaeologists have discovered fine pottery and other objects of everyday life from as early as the Neolithic Age, showing that in the end of the 7
th millennium B.C. there already was an established settlement there. According to
Ammianus MarcellinusAmmianus Marcellinus was a fourth-century Roman historian. His is the second-to-last major historical account written during Antiquity...
, Plovdiv's written post-Bronze Age history lists it as a
ThracianThe ancient Thracians were a group of Indo-European tribes who spoke the Thracian language – a scarcely attested branch of the Indo-European language family...
fortified settlement named Eumolpias. In 4th century BC the city was a centre of a trade fair (called
panegyreis). In 342 BC, it was conquered by
Philip II of MacedonPhilip II of Macedon, Philip II of Macedon, Philip II of Macedon, ( — φίλος = friend + ίππος = horse — transliterated 382 – 336 BC, was an ancient Greek king (basileus) of Macedon from 359 BC until his assassination in 336. He was the father of Alexander the Great and Philip...
, the father of
Alexander the GreatAlexander III of Macedon, popularly known as Alexander the Great , was an Ancient Greek king of Macedon who created one of the largest empires in ancient history...
, who renamed it "Φιλιππόπολις",
Philippopolis or "the city of Philip" in his own honour. Later, it was reconquered by the
ThraciansThe ancient Thracians were a group of Indo-European tribes who spoke the Thracian language – a scarcely attested branch of the Indo-European language family...
who called it
Pulpudeva (a translation of Philipopolis)
In 72 AD it was seized by the Roman general Terentius Varo Lukulus and was incorporated into the
Roman EmpireThe Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean. The term is used to describe the Roman state during and after the time of the first emperor,...
, where it was called
Trimontium (
City of Three Hills) and served as metropolis (capital) of the province of
ThraceThrace is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe. As a geographical concept, Thrace designates a region bounded on the north by the Balkan Mountains, on the south by the Rhodope Mountains and the Aegean Sea and on the east by the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara...
. It gained a city status in late 1st century. Trimontium was an important crossroad for the Roman Empire and was called "The largest and most beautiful of all cities" by
LucianLucian of Samosata was an Assyrian rhetorician, and satirist who wrote in the Greek language. He is noted for his witty and scoffing nature.-Biography:...
. Although it was not the capital of the Province of Thrace, the city was the largest and most important centre in the province. In those times, the
Via MilitarisVia Militaris or Via Diagonalis was an ancient Roman road, starting from Sigindunum , passing by Danube coast to Viminacium , through Naissus , Serdica ,PhilippopolisVia Militaris or Via Diagonalis was an ancient Roman road, starting from Sigindunum (today Serbian capital Belgrade), passing by...
(or
Via Diagonalis), the most important military road in the
BalkansThe Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
, passed through the city.
The Roman times were a 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. The city had an advanced water system and
sewerageA sanitary sewer is a type of underground carriage system, , for transporting sewage from houses or industry to treatment or disposal...
. It was defended with a double wall. Many of those are still preserved and can be seen by tourists. Today only a small part of the ancient city has been excavated.
Middle Ages
The SlavsThe Slavic Peoples are an ethnic and linguistic branch of Indo-European peoples, living mainly in eastern and central Europe. From the early 6th century they spread from their original homeland to inhabit most of eastern Central Europe, Eastern Europe and the Balkans...
had fully settled in the area by the middle of the 6th century and changed the ethnic proportions of the region. With the establishment of
BulgariaBulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a country in the Balkans in south-eastern Europe. Bulgaria borders five other countries: Romania to the north , Serbia and the Republic of Macedonia to the west, and Greece and Turkey to the south...
in 681 Philipopolis became and important border fortress of the
Byzantine EmpireThe Byzantine Empire or Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages, centered on the capital of Constantinople, and ruled by Emperors in direct and de jure succession to the ancient Roman Emperors...
. It was captured by Khan
KrumKrum was Khan of Bulgaria, from sometime after 796, but before 803, to 814 AD. During his reign the Bulgarian territory doubled in size, spreading from the middle Danube to the Dnieper and from Odrin to the Tatra Mountains.-Family Origin:...
in 812 but the region was fully incorporated into the
Bulgarian EmpireThe First Bulgarian Empire was a medieval Bulgarian state founded in AD 632 in the lands near the Danube Delta and disintegrated in AD 1018 after its annexation to the Byzantine Empire. At the height of its power it spread between Budapest and the Black Sea and from the Dnieper river in modern...
in 834 during the reign of Khan
MalamirMalamir was the ruler of Bulgaria 831–836.Malamir was a son of Omurtag and a grandson of Krum. His name is said to be of Slavic origin, and is claimed to be the first Bulgar khan to possess a Slavic name...
. It remained in Bulgarian hands for a relatively short time until it was reconquered by the
Byzantine EmpireThe Byzantine Empire or Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages, centered on the capital of Constantinople, and ruled by Emperors in direct and de jure succession to the ancient Roman Emperors...
in 855-856. Under Byzantine control the city became the centre of Paulician heretics transported from the eastern borders of the empire to serve as military settlers on the European frontier with Bulgaria. From Philippopolis the influence of dualistic doctrines spread to Bulgaria forming the basis of the Bogomil heresy. Under tsar
Simeon the GreatSimeon I the Great ruled over Bulgaria from 893 to 927, during the First Bulgarian Empire. Simeon's successful campaigns against the Byzantines, Magyars and Serbs led Bulgaria to its greatest territorial expansion ever, making it the most powerful state in contemporary Eastern Europe...
(893–927) the city and most of the Byzantine possessions in the Balkans were conquered by the Bulgarian Empire. The city remained in Bulgarian hands under Simeon's son,
Peter IPeter I was emperor of Bulgaria from May 27, 927 to 969, died January 30, 970.-Early Reign:Peter I was the son of Simeon I of Bulgaria by his second marriage to the sister of George Sursuvul. Peter had been born early in the 10th century, but it appears that his maternal uncle was very...
(927–969).
In 970 the Asian army of the Byzantine Empire under the eunuch Peter was destroyed by the Bulgarians near Plovdiv. The city again came to be known as Philippopolis and became Byzantine in character. Aime de Varennes in 1180 encountered the singing of Byzantine songs in the city that recounted the deeds of Alexander the great and his predecessors, over 1300 years before.
Byzantine rule was succeeded by that of the
Latin EmpireThe Latin Empire or Latin Empire of Constantinople is the name given by historians to the feudal Crusader state founded by the leaders of the Fourth Crusade on lands captured from the Byzantine Empire. It was established after the capture of Constantinople in 1204 and lasted until 1261...
in 1204, and there were two short interregnum periods as the city was twice occupied by
Kaloyan of BulgariaKaloyan the Romanslayer , Ivan I , ruled as emperor of Bulgaria 1197-1207. He was born in about 1168/1169...
before his death in 1207. In 1208 Kaloyan's successor
BorilBoril reigned as emperor of Bulgaria from 1207 to 1218. He was the son of an unnamed sister of his predecessor Kaloyan.It is unclear whether Boril was party to the murder of Kaloyan in front of the walls of Thessalonica in 1207, but Kaloyan's intended heirs, his nephews Ivan Asen and Alexander...
was defeated by the Latins in the
Battle of PlovdivThe battle of Plovdiv took place on 31 June 1208 in the surroundings of Plovdiv, Bulgaria between the armies of the Bulgarian Empire and the Latin Empire...
. Under Latin rule, Plovdiv was the capital of the
Duchy of PhilippopolisThe Duchy of Philippopolis was a short-lived duchy of the Latin Empire founded after the collapse and partition of the Byzantine Empire in 1204. It included the city of Plovdiv and the surrounding region. It was liberated for a short time by Emperor Kaloyan of Bulgaria in 1207 but was lost by his...
governed by Renier de Trit, and later on by Gerard de Strem. Bulgarian rule was reestablished during the reign of
Ivan Asen IIIvan Asen II , in English sometimes known as John Asen II, ruled as Emperor of Bulgaria from 1218 to 1241, during the Second Bulgarian Empire.-Early rule:...
between 1225 and 1229. In 1263 Plovdiv was conquered by the restored
Byzantine EmpireThe Byzantine Empire or Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages, centered on the capital of Constantinople, and ruled by Emperors in direct and de jure succession to the ancient Roman Emperors...
and remained in Byzantine hands until it was re-conquered by
George Terter IIGeorge Terter II reigned as emperor of Bulgaria 1321-1322. The date of his birth is unknown, but he was born not long before 1307.George Terter II was the son of Theodore Svetoslav and Euphrosyne, and was named after his paternal grandfather George Terter I. It is possible that he was...
of Bulgaria in 1322. Byzantine rule was restored once again in 1323, but in 1344 the city and eight other cities were surrendered to Bulgaria by the regency for
John V PalaiologosJohn V Palaiologos or Palaeologus , was the son of Emperor Andronikos III Palaiologos and Anna of Savoy. His maternal grandparents were Count Amadeus V of Savoy and his second wife Maria of Brabant...
as the price for
Ivan Alexander of BulgariaIvan Alexander , also known as John Alexander, ruled as Emperor of Bulgaria from 1331 to 1371, during the Second Bulgarian Empire. The date of his birth is unknown. He died on February 17, 1371...
's support in the Byzantine civil war.
In 1364 the
Ottoman TurksThe Ottoman Turks were the subdivision of the Ottoman Muslim Millet that dominated the ruling class of the Ottoman Empire. Reliable information about the early history of the Ottomans is scarce. According to some sources , the leader of the Kayi tribe of the Oguz Turks, Ertugrul, left Persia in...
under Lala Shakhin Pasha seized Plovdiv. The Turks called the city
Filibe. It was the capital of Rumelia until 1382 when the Ottomans captured
SofiaSofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city by population in the European Union, with 1.4 million people living in the Capital Municipality...
which became the main city of the province. 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.
National revival
Under the rule of the
Ottoman EmpireThe Ottoman Empire or Ottoman State , also known by its contemporaries as the Turkish Empire or Turkey , was an empire that lasted from 1299 to November 1, 1922 The Ottoman Empire or Ottoman State (Ottoman Turkish: دَوْلَتِ عَلِیَّهِ عُثْمَانِیَّه Dawlet-il ʿAliyyat-il ʿOs̠māniyye, Modern Turkish:...
, Plovdiv was a focal point for the Bulgarian national movement in the
Eastern RumeliaEastern Rumelia or Eastern Roumelia was an autonomous province in the Ottoman Empire from 1878 to 1908, however it was under Bulgarian control from 1885, when it de facto annexed by the Principality of Bulgaria...
province of the Empire. During that period Plovdiv was a major economic center along with
IstanbulIstanbul is the largest city in Turkey and fifth largest city proper in the world with a population of 12.6 million. Istanbul is also a megacity, as well as the cultural and financial centre of Turkey. The city covers 39 districts of the Istanbul province...
, Odrin and
SolunThessaloniki , Thessalonica, or Salonica is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the Greek region of Macedonia. It is honorarily called the Συμπρωτεύουσα Symprotevousa of Greece, as it was once called the συμβασιλεύουσα symvasilevousa of the Byzantine Empire...
. The richer citizens constructed beautiful houses many of which can still be seen in the Architectural reserve
Old Plovdiv. Plovdiv was a sanjak centre of
RumeliaRumelia or Rumeli is a Turkish name, used from the 15th century onwards, for the southern Balkan regions of the Ottoman Empire...
Province between 1364-1864 and was the sanjak centre of
EdirneEdirne is a city in Thrace, the westernmost part of Turkey, close to the borders with Greece and Bulgaria. Edirne served as the capital city of the Ottoman Empire from 1365 to 1453, when Constantinople became the empire's new capital. At present, Edirne is the capital of the Edirne Province in...
Vilayet between 1864-1878 during Ottoman Rule.
Plovdiv had an important role in the struggle for Church independence which was according to some historians a peaceful bourgeois revolution. Plovdiv became the center of that struggle with leaders such as
Nayden GerovNayden Gerov , born Nayden Gerov Hadzhidobrevich February 23, 1823, Koprivshtitsa–October 9, 1900, Plovdiv) was a Bulgarian linguist, folklorist, writer and public figure during the Bulgarian National Revival....
, Dr Valkovich,
Joakim GruevJoakim Gruev was a Bulgarian enlightener, teacher, pedagogue and translator. He was born on 9 September 1828 in the town of Koprivshtitsa. He was a teacher in his home town and later the most prestigious Bulgarian high school in Plovdiv...
and whole families. In 1836 the first Bulgarian school was inaugurated and in 1850 modern secular education began when the "St Cyrill and Metodius" school was opened. On 11 May 1858 the day of
Saints Cyril and MethodiusSaints Cyril and Methodius were Greek brothers born in Thessaloniki in the 9th century, who became missionaries of Christianity among the Slavic peoples of Great Moravia and Pannonia. Through their work they influenced the cultural development of all Slavs, for which they received the title...
was celebrated for the first time, this later became a National holiday which is still celebrated today. In 1858 in the
Church of Virgin MaryThe Church of the Holy Mother of God is a Bulgarian National Revival church in Bulgaria's second largest city Plovdiv. The church is situated in the Old town of Plovdiv on one of the city's seven hills, Nebet Tepe....
the Christmas liturgy was served for the first time in the
Bulgarian languageBulgarian is an Indo-European language, a member of the Slavic linguistic group.Bulgarian demonstrates several linguistic innovations that set it apart from all other Slavic languages except the Macedonian language, such as the elimination of case declension, the development of a suffixed definite...
since the beginning of the Ottoman occupation. In 1868 the school expanded into the first grammar school. Some of the intellectuals, politicians and spiritual leaders of the nation graduated that school.
The city was liberated from the Ottomans during the
Battle of PlovdivFollowing the crushing Russian victory at the last battle of Shipka Pass, Russian commander Joseph Vladimirovich Gourko began to move southeast towards Constantinople. Blocking the route was the Turkish fortress at Plovdiv under Suleiman Pasha. On January 17, 1878 the squadron of Russian dragoons...
in 1878.
Eastern Rumelia
According to the
Treaty of San StefanoThe Preliminary Treaty of San Stefano was a treaty between Russia and the Ottoman Empire signed at the end of the Russo-Turkish War, 1877–78...
on 3 March 1878 the Principality of Bulgaria included the lands with predominantly Bulgarian population. Plovdiv which was the biggest and most vibrant Bulgarian city was selected as a capital of the restored country and for a seat of the Temporary Russian Government.
Great BritainGreat Britain is an island lying to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island. With a population of about 59.6 million people, it is the third most populated island on Earth. Great Britain is surrounded by over 1000 smaller...
and
Austria-HungaryAustria–Hungary, also known as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the k.u.k. Monarchy, or Dual State, was a monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in Central Europe...
, however, did not approve that treaty and the final result of the war was concluded in the
Congress of BerlinThe Congress of Berlin was a meeting of the European Great Powers' and the Ottoman Empire's leading statesmen in Berlin in 1878. In the wake of the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–78, the meeting's aim was to reorganize the countries of the Balkans...
which divided the newly liberated country into several parts. It separated the autonomous region of
Eastern RumeliaEastern Rumelia or Eastern Roumelia was an autonomous province in the Ottoman Empire from 1878 to 1908, however it was under Bulgarian control from 1885, when it de facto annexed by the Principality of Bulgaria...
from Bulgaria and Plovdiv became its capital. The Ottoman Empire created a constitution and appointed a governor. At the time, it had a population of about 33,500, of which 45% were
BulgariansThe Bulgarians are a South Slavic people, generally associated with the Republic of Bulgaria and the Bulgarian language. Emigration has resulted in Bulgarian minorities or immigrant communities in a number of other countries.-Ethnogenesis:...
, 25%
GreeksThe Greeks , also known as Hellenes, are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighbouring regions, who can also be found in diaspora communities around the world....
, 21%
TurksThe Turkish people , also known as the "Turks" are defined mainly as citizens of the Republic of Turkey. An early historic text provided the definition of being a Turk as "any individual within the Republic of Turkey; whatever his/her faith or racial/ethnic background; who speaks Turkish, grows up...
, 6%
JewThe Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
s and 3%
ArmeniansThe Armenians are a nation and ethnic group which originated in the Caucasus and the Armenian Highland. It is estimated that there are 8 million Armenians around the world. There is a large concentration of Armenians in the Caucasus, especially in Armenia, and there is a significant presence in...
.
In the spring of 1885
Zahari StoyanovZahari Stoyanov , born Dzhendo Stoyanov Dzhendov , was a Bulgarian revolutionary, writer, and historian. A participant in the April Uprising of 1876, he became its first historiographer with his book Memoirs of the Bulgarian Uprisings...
formed the Secret Bulgarian Central Revolutionary Committee in the city which actively conducted propaganda for the unification of Bulgaria and Eastern Rumelia. On 5 September several hundred armed rebels from Golyamo Konare (now Saedinenie) marched to Plovdiv. In the night of 5-6 September these men led by Danail Nikolaev took control of the city and removed from office the General-Governor
Gavril KrastevichGavril Krastevich was a Bulgarian politician. He was born in Kotel in 1813. He was a general governor of Eastern Rumelia between 1884 and 1885. Krastevich died in Istanbul on 16 November 1898....
. A provisional government was formed led by Georgi Stranski and universal mobilization was announced. After the Serbs were defeated in the
Serbo-Bulgarian WarThe Serbo-Bulgarian War was a war between Serbia and Bulgaria that erupted on 14 November 1885 and lasted until 28 November the same year. Final peace was signed on 19 February 1886 in Bucharest...
, Bulgaria and Turkey reached an agreement according to which the Principality of Bulgaria and Eastern Rumelia had a common government, Parliament, administration and army. Today 6 September is celebrated as the Unification Day and the Day of Plovdiv.
Recent history
After the unification Plovdiv remained second city in population and significance after the capital
SofiaSofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city by population in the European Union, with 1.4 million people living in the Capital Municipality...
. The first railway in the city was built in 1874 and in 1888 it was linked with Sofia. In 1892 Plovdiv became host of the First Bulgarian Fair with international participation which was succeeded by the
International Fair PlovdivInternational Fair Plovdiv , held in Plovdiv, is Bulgaria's largest and oldest international trade fair. It was established in August 1892 as an industrial and agricultural show....
. After the liberation the first brewery was inaugurated in the city.
In the beginning of the 20th century Plovdiv grew as a significant industrial and commercial center with well developed light and food industry.
GermanGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
,
FrenchFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
and
BelgianThe Kingdom of Belgium is a country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters, as well as those of other major international organizations, including NATO...
capital was invested in the city in development of modern trade, banking and industry. In 1939 there were 16,000 craftsmen and 17,000 workers in manufacturing factories, mainly for food and tobacco processing. During the Second World War the tobacco industry expanded as well as the export of fruit and vegetables. In 1943 1,500 Jews were saved from deportation in concentration camps by the archbishop of Plovdiv,
CyrilPatriarch Cyril , born Konstantin Markov , was the first Patriarch of the restored Bulgarian Patriarchate....
, who later became the Bulgarian Patriarch.
On 6 April 1956 the first trolleybus line was opened and in the 1950s the Trimontsium Hotel was constructed. In the 1960s and 1970s there was a construction boom and many of the modern neighborhoods took shape. In the 1970s and 1980s antique remains were excavated and the Old Town was fully restored. In 1990 the Sports complex "Plovdiv" was finished, it included the largest stadium and rowing canal in the country. In that period Plovdiv became the birthplace of Bulgaria's movement for democratic reform, which by 1989 had garnered enough support to enter government.
Plovdiv has hosted specialized exhibitions of the
World's FairUniversal Exposition or Expo is the name given to various large public exhibitions held since the mid-19th century. They are the third largest event in the world in terms of economic and cultural impact after the FIFA World Cup and the Olympic Games...
in 1981, 1985, and 1991.
Population
The population by current address for the municipality of Plovdiv for 2007 is 379,655, which makes it the second in population in the nation. According to the data of NSI (National Institute of Statistics) the people who actually live in Plovdiv are 346,790. There have a been a number of reports in recent years contending that Plovdiv has been surpassed by
VarnaVarna is the largest city and seaside resort on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast and in Northern Bulgaria, third-largest in Bulgaria after Sofia and Plovdiv, and 77th-largest in the European Union, with a population of 355,450 .Commonly referred to as the marine capital of Bulgaria, Varna is a...
in population. None of them, however, have been confirmed by official statistics.
Plovdiv was the largest city in Bulgaria after its
liberationIn Bulgarian historiography, the term Liberation of Bulgaria is used to denote the events of the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78 that led to the establishment of a Bulgarian state with the Treaty of San Stefano of 3 March, 1878...
with 24,053 inhabitants. After the Unification Plovdiv was the largest city in the country for several years with 33,032 inhabitants compared to 30,428 for Sofia. According to the 1946 census Plovdiv was the second largest city with 117,563 inhabitants compared to 487,000 for the capital. Today the city is also the centre of the second largest agglomeration in the country with a population of 575,298.
Ethnicity and religion
In its ethnic character Plovdiv is a cosmopolitan city inhabited by
BulgariansThe Bulgarians are a South Slavic people, generally associated with the Republic of Bulgaria and the Bulgarian language. Emigration has resulted in Bulgarian minorities or immigrant communities in a number of other countries.-Ethnogenesis:...
,
TurksThe Turkish people , also known as the "Turks" are defined mainly as citizens of the Republic of Turkey. An early historic text provided the definition of being a Turk as "any individual within the Republic of Turkey; whatever his/her faith or racial/ethnic background; who speaks Turkish, grows up...
,
ArmeniansThe Armenians are a nation and ethnic group which originated in the Caucasus and the Armenian Highland. It is estimated that there are 8 million Armenians around the world. There is a large concentration of Armenians in the Caucasus, especially in Armenia, and there is a significant presence in...
, Jews,
GreeksThe Greeks , also known as Hellenes, are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighbouring regions, who can also be found in diaspora communities around the world....
and Gypsies. According to the 1884 census the Bulgarians were 50,09%, followed by Turks (21,36%), Greeks (16,44%), Jews (6,48%) and Armenians (2,93%). After the Wars for National Union (
Balkan WarsThe Balkan Wars were two wars in South-eastern Europe in 1912–1913. The First Balkan War broke out on 8 October 1912 when Bulgaria, Greece, Montenegro and Serbia , having large parts of their ethnic populations under Ottoman sovereignty, attacked the Ottoman Empire, terminating its five-century...
and
World War IWorld War I , also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Wars, was a global military conflict which involved most of the world's great powers, assembled in two opposing alliances: the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance...
) the city became home for thousands of refugees from the occupied Bulgarian lands in
MacedoniaMacedonia is a geographical and historical region of the Balkan peninsula in southeastern Europe. Its boundaries have changed considerably over time, but the region is nowadays held to include parts of five Balkan countries: Greece, the Republic of Macedonia, Bulgaria, Albania and Serbia...
,
WesternThrace is a geographic and historical region of Greece, located between the Nestos and Evros rivers in the northeast of the country. Together with the regions of Macedonia and Epirus, it is often referred to informally as northern Greece...
and Eastern Thrace. Many of the old neighbourhoods are still referred to as
Belomorski,
Vardarski. Most of the Jews left the city after the foundation of
IsraelIsrael officially the State of Israel , is a developed state in Western Asia located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Lebanon in the north, Syria in the northeast, Jordan in the east, and Egypt on the southwest, and contains geographically diverse features within its...
in 1948. The Bulgarians are a majority followed by Gypsies and Turks.
The vast majority of the inhabitants are Christians - mostly Eastern Orthodox, but there are also Catholics, Eastern Catholics and Protestant trends (
AdventistsThe Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Christian denomination which is distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the original seventh day of the Judeo-Christian week, as the Sabbath, and by its emphasis on the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ. It is the eighth largest international body of...
, Baptists and others). There are also some Muslims and
JewsJudaism is a set of beliefs and practices originating in the Hebrew Bible , as later further explored and explained in the Talmud and other texts...
. In Plovdiv there are many churches, two mosques and a synagogue.
City government
Plovdiv is the administrative center of
Plovdiv ProvincePlovdiv is an oblast in central southern Bulgaria , onе of the 28 Bulgarian provinces. It comprises 18 municipalities Plovdiv is an oblast in central southern Bulgaria (formerly part of Eastern Rumelia), onе of the 28 Bulgarian provinces. It comprises 18 municipalities Plovdiv is an oblast in...
, Municipality of Plovdiv,
Maritsa municipalityMaritsa Municipality is located in the Plovdiv Province, southern Bulgaria on the northern bank of the Maritsa River. It has 30,676 inhabitants and consists only of villages. The municipality has thriving industry with around €400 000 000 invested in the recent years...
and
Rodopi municipalityRodopi municipality is situated in the Plovdiv Province, southern Bulgaria. the population is 33,111.It occupies parts of the Upper Thracian Plain to the south of Plovdiv and the northern-most slopes of the central Rhodopi mountains. Its territory is 524,8 km².The backbone of the economy is...
. The
Mayor"Mayor" is a modern title used in many countries for the highest ranking officer in a municipal government....
of the Municipality of Plovdiv
Slavcho AtanasovSlavcho Atanasov is a Bulgarian politician, member of IMRO-BNM and mayor of Plovdiv.He was born on 14 February 1968 in Karlovo. In 2003 he was elected a mayor of Plovdiv's largest district Trakiya....
, together with the six district mayors represent the local executive authorities. The Municipal Council which consists of 51 municipal counselors, represents the legislative power and is elected according to the proportional system by parties’ lists. The executive government of the Municipality of Plovdiv consists of a mayor who is elected by majority representation, five deputy mayors and one administrative secretary. All the deputy mayors and the secretary control their administrative structured units.
According to the
Law for the territorial subdivision of the Capital municipality and the large cities the territory of Plovdiv Municipality is subdivided into six district administrations, their mayors being appointed following approval by the Municipal Council.
| District |
Neighbourhoods |
CentralCentral district is one of the six districts of Plovdiv in southern Bulgaria. It has 84,431 inhabitants. Most of Plovdiv's major sights are situated in the district - Roman stadium, Roman Odeon, Ancient theatre, the Watchtower on Sahat tepe , the central street and many others...
|
neighbourhoods Kapana, Stariya grad, Marasha, Centar |
NorthernNorthern district is a district of Plovdiv, southern Bulgaria. It is often referred by the citizens as Karshiaka meaning "the other bank" in Turkish. It has 53,870 inhabitants...
|
neighbourhoods Karshiaka, Gagarin, Filipovo, Zaharna Fabrika |
| Southern Southern district is one of the six districts of Plovdiv in southern Bulgaria. It has 79,330. The district includes the so called "Kyuchuk Paris" and Komatevo.- "Kyuchuk Paris" name origin :...
|
neighbourhoods Hristo Botev - Yug, Hristo Botev - Sever, Vastanecheski, Uhoto, Yuzhen, Komatevo, Ostromila, Belomorski |
| Eastern Eastern district is a district of Plovdiv, southern Bulgaria. It has 60,535 inhabitants. The stadium of PFC Botev Plovdiv and the beer factory of Kamenitza are located in the district. The infamous neighbourhoods of Stolipinovo and Izgrev are also situated there....
|
neighbourhoods Kamenitsa, Izgrev, Stolipinovo |
| Western Western district is a district of Plovdiv, southern Bulgaria. The district includes the quarters Proslav, Hristo Smirnenski, Mladeshki Halm and Mladost, and has 39,158 inhabitants. The largest sports complex in Eastern Europe is located in a pleasant park on the southern banks of the Maritsa river...
|
neighbourhoods Hristo Smirnenski, Proslav, Maldezhki Halm, Mladost |
TrakiyaTrakiya is the largest neighbourhood of Plovdiv as well as one of the six districts of the city located in its south-eastern parts. It has 61,920 inhabitants. Its construction began in 1973, in 1976 it was inaugurated as a neighbourhoods and in 1983 it became a district...
|
Olga Skobeleva, Lauta |
In 1969 the villages of
ProslavProslav is a neighbourhood of Plovdiv, southern Bulgaria. It was a village up to 1969 when it was incorporated into Plovdiv along with Komatevo. The most convenient road to Plovdiv is the Peshtera Highway. Another major transport link is Sofia-Plovdiv highway....
and
KomatevoKomatevo is a neighbourhood of the city of Plovdiv, southern Bulgaria. It has 6,500 inhabitants.Komatevo was a village up to 1969 when it was incorporated into Plovdiv together with Proslav. The neighbourhood is connected to the city center through the Komatevo highway. There are also roads to the...
were incorporated into the city. In 1987 the municipalities of Maritsa and Rodopi were separated from Plovdiv which remained their administrative center. In the last several years the inhabitants from those villages had taken steps to rejoin the "urban" municipality.
Landmarks
Plovdiv is a major cultural center. The city has more than 200 archaeological sites, 30 of which are of national importance. There are many remains from antiquity - Plovdiv is among the few cities with two ancient theatres; remains of the medieval walls and towers; Ottoman baths and mosques; a well-preserved old quarter from the National Revival period with beautiful houses, churches and narrow paved streets. There are numerous museums, art galleries and cultural institutions. Plovdiv is host to musical, theatrical and film events.
The city is a starting point for trips to places in the region, such as the
Bachkovo MonasteryThe Bachkovo Monastery or Petritsoni Monastery in Bulgaria is an important monument of Christian architecture and one of the largest and oldest Eastern Orthodox monasteries in Europe...
at 30 km to the south, the ski-resort
PamporovoPamporovo is a popular ski resort in Smolyan Province, southern Bulgaria, one of the best-known in Southeastern Europe. It is set amongst magnificent pine forests and is primarily visited during the winter for skiing and snowboarding. It is also a popular tourist place in summer. The hub of...
at to the south or the spa resorts to the north Hisarya,
BanyaBanya is a town in Southern Bulgaria. It is located in Plovdiv oblast and is close to Karlovo.-SPA resorts:The pretty health resort village of Banya is situated amidst a large park at the foot of the "Sashtinska Sredna gora" mountain, near the geographic centre of the country in the Valley of...
, Krasnovo,
StrelchaStrelcha is a small Bulgarian town with a population of 4,858 . The town lies 13 km to the east of Panagyurishte and 41 km to the north of Pazardzhik and is part of Pazardzhik Province...
. There are more that 50 hotels with 7,000 beds as well as hostels and other forms of accommodation.
Roman Town
The
Roman theatre (Antichen teatur)Although this structure is commonly referred to as an amphitheatre, it is actually a traditional theatre.-Plovdiv Roman Theatre:Deep in the heart of Plovdiv city center lies the Plovdiv theatre...
is probably the best known monument from
AntiquityClassical antiquity is a broad term for a long period of cultural history centered on the Mediterranean Sea, comprising the interlocking civilizations of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome collectively known as the Greco-Roman world...
in Bulgaria. It was built in the beginning of the 2nd century during the reign of the
RomanThe Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean. The term is used to describe the Roman state during and after the time of the first emperor,...
Emperor
TrajanMarcus Ulpius Nerva Traianus, commonly known as Trajan , was a Roman Emperor who reigned from A. D. 98 until his death in A. D. 117...
. It is situated in the natural saddle between the Dzhambaz Tepe and Taksim Tepe hills. It is divided into two parts with 14 rows each divided with a horizontal lane. The theatre could accommodate 3,500 people. The three-story scene is located on the southern part and is decorated with
friezethumb|Frieze of the [[Tower of the Winds]], AthensIn architecture the frieze is the wide central section part of an entablature and may be plain or—in the Ionic or Corinthian order—decorated with bas-reliefs. Even when neither columns nor pilasters are expressed, on an astylar wall it lies upon...
s, cornices and statues. The theatre was studied, conserved and restored between 1968 and 1984. Many events are still held on the scene including the Verdi festival and the International Folklore festival. The Roman Odeon was restored in 2004. It was built in the 2nd-5th centuries and is the second (and smaller) antique theatre of Philipopolis with 350 seats. It was initially built as a bulevterion - edifice of the city council - and was later reconstructed as a theatre.
The
Roman StadiumThe Plovdiv Roman Stadium is among the largest Roman structures in the Balkans. The massive edifive is 180 long and had capacity of over 30,000. It is believed that it was built during the reign of Septimus Severus ....
is another important monument of the ancient city. It is situated between Sahat Tepe and the Three Hills in the modern Dzhumaya Square. It was built in the 2nd century and modeled after the stadium in
DelphiDelphi is both an archaeological site and a modern town in Greece on the south-western spur of Mount Parnassus in the valley of Phocis...
. In Roman times it could hold 30,000 spectators. Only a small part of the northern section with 13 seat rows can be seen nowadays - the larger part lies under the main street and a number of buildings.
The Roman forum dates from the reign of
VespasianTitus Flavius Vespasianus, commonly known as Vespasian , was a Roman Emperor who reigned from 69 AD until his death in 79 AD...
in 1st century and was finished in the 2nd century. It is located near the modern post office next to the Odeon. It has an area of 11 hectares and was surrounded by shops and public buildings. The forum was a focal point of the streets of the ancient city.
The Eirene Archaeological complex is located in the southern part of the Three Hills on the northern part of an ancient street in the Arheologicheski underpass. It includes remains of a public building from the 3rd-4th centuries which belonged to a noble citizen. Eirene is the Christian name for Penelopa - a maiden from Megadon who was converted to Christianity in 2nd century. There are colourful mosaics which have geometrical forms and figures.
On Nebet Tepe are found remains of the first settlement on the Three Hills which in 12th century BC grew to the
ThracianThrace is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe. As a geographical concept, Thrace designates a region bounded on the north by the Balkan Mountains, on the south by the Rhodope Mountains and the Aegean Sea and on the east by the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara...
city of Eumolpias, one of the first cities in South-eastern Europe. Massive walls surrounding a temple and a palace have been excavated. The oldest part of the fortress was constructed from large syenite blocks - the so called "cyclop construction".
Museums and protected sites
The Archaeological Museum was established in 1882 as a People's Museum of Eastern Rumelia. In 1928 the museum was moved to a 19th century edifice on Saedinenie Square built by the famous Plovdiv architect
Josef SchnitterJosef Schnitter was a Czech–Bulgarian architect, engineer and geodesist credited with shaping the modern appearance of Plovdiv, Bulgaria's second-largest city....
. The museum contains a rich collection of Thracian art. The three sections "Prehistory", "Antiquity" and "Middle Ages" contain precious artifacts from the
PaleolithicThe Paleolithic or Palaeolithic Age, Era, or Period, or Old Stone Age, is a prehistoric era distinguished by the development of the first stone tools, and covers roughly 99% of human technological history...
to the early Ottoman period (15th-16th centuries). The famous
Panagyurishte treasureThe Panagyurishte Treasure is a Thracian treasure excavated in 8th of December 1949 three brothers – Pavel, Petko and Michail Deikovs worked together at the region of “Merul” tile factory near the town of Panagyurishte, Bulgaria. It consists of a phial, an amphora and seven rhytons with total...
is part of the museum's collection.
The
Historical MuseumThe Plovdiv Regional Historical Museum is a historical museum in the city of Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Established in 1951, it covers the history of Plovdiv from the 15th century until today...
of Plovdiv was founded in 1951 as a scientific and cultural institute for collecting, saving, and researching historical evidence about Plovdiv and the region from 16th to 20th centuries. The exhibition is situated in three buildings.
The
Regional Ethnographic Museum - PlovdivThe Plovdiv Regional Ethnographic Museum is a museum of ethnography in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Since 1938, it has occupied the 1847 house of the rich merchant Argir Kuyumdzhioglu in the city's Old Town...
was inaugurated in 1917. On 14 October 1943 it was moved to a house in the Old Town. In 1949 the Municipal House-museum was reorganized as a People's Ethnographic Museum and in 1962 it was renovated. There are more than 40,000 objects.
The Museum of Natural Science was inaugurated in 1955 in the old edifice of the Plovdiv Municipality built in 1880. It is among the most important museums in the country with rich collections in
PaleontologyPaleontology
[from Greek: παλαιός "old, ancient", ὄν, ὀντ- "being, creature", and λόγος "speech, thought"] is the study of prehistoric life, including organisms' evolution and interactions with each other and their environments...
,
MineralogyMineralogy is an Earth Science focused around the chemistry, crystal structure, and physical properties of minerals. Specific studies within mineralogy include the processes of mineral origin and formation, classification of minerals, their geographical distribution, as well as their...
and
BotanicBotanic is an electoral ward of Belfast, named after Botanic Gardens, a local park. It was created in 1985, largely as the successor to the abolished University ward...
sections. There are several rooms for wildlife and it contains Bulgaria's largest freshwater aquarium with 40 fish species. It has a collection of
mineralA mineral is a naturally occurring solid formed through geological processes that has a characteristic chemical composition, a highly ordered atomic structure, and specific physical properties. A rock, by comparison, is an aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids, and need not have a specific...
s from the
Rhodope mountainsThe Rhodopes are a mountain range in Southeastern Europe, with over 83% of its area in southern Bulgaria and the remainder in Greece...
.
The Museum of Aviation was established on 21 September 1991 on the territory of the Krumovo airbase 12 km to the south-east of the city. The museum possesses 59 aircraft and both indoor and outdoor exhibitions.
The Old Town of Plovdiv is a historic preservation site known for its Bulgarian Renaissance architectural style. The Old Town covers the area of the three central hills (Трихълмие,
Trihalmie) —Nebet Tepe, Dzhambaz Tepe and Taksim Tepe. Almost every house in the Old Town has its characteristic exterior and interior decoration.
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 Roman Catholic Cathedrals in Plovdiv, the largest of them being the
Cathedral of St LouisThe Cathedral of St Louis is a Roman Catholic cathedral in the city of Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Co-cathedral of the Diocese of Sofia and Plovdiv together with the Cathedral of St Joseph in Sofia, it is one of the largest and most important Roman Catholic places of worship in the country...
. There are several more modern Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, and other Protestant churches, as well as older style Apostolic churches. Two
mosqueA mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. Muslims often refer to the mosque by its Arabic name, masjid, —...
s remain in Plovdiv from the time of the Ottoman rule. Of them the Djumaya Mosque, converted from a church by the
OttomansThe Ottoman Empire or Ottoman State , also known by its contemporaries as the Turkish Empire or Turkey , was an empire that lasted from 1299 to November 1, 1922 The Ottoman Empire or Ottoman State (Ottoman Turkish: دَوْلَتِ عَلِیَّهِ عُثْمَانِیَّه Dawlet-il ʿAliyyat-il ʿOs̠māniyye, Modern Turkish:...
in 1364, is considerred the oldest European mosque outside Moorish
SpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.
[The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though España , Estado español and Nación española are used interchangeably...]
. There is also a synagogue.
Theatre and music
The Plovdiv Drama Theatre is a successor 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. The Plovdiv Opera was established in 1953.
Another post of Plovdiv's culture is the Philharmonic, founded in 1945. Soloists such as
Dmitri ShostakovichDmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich was a Russian composer of the Soviet period and one of the most celebrated composers of the 20th century....
,
Sviatoslav RichterSviatoslav Teofilovich Richter was a Soviet pianist, and was well known for the depth of his interpretations, virtuoso technique and vast repertoire...
,
Mstislav RostropovichMstislav Leopoldovich Rostropovich KBE , known to close friends as “Slava,” was a Soviet and Russian cellist and conductor. He was married to the soprano Galina Vishnevskaya...
, Yuri Boukov and Mincho Minchev have worked with the Plovdiv Philharmonic. The orchestra has toured in almost all of the European countries. The Trakiya Folklore Ensemble, founded in 1974, has performed thousands of concerts in Bulgaria and more than 42 countries. The Trakiya Traditional Choir was nominated for a
Grammy AwardThe Grammy Awards —or Grammys—are presented annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States for outstanding achievements in the music industry...
. The
Detska Kitka ChoirThe Detska Kitka Choir is a girls’ choir based in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.- Biography :Founded in 1946 by Anastas Marinkev, the Detska Kitka Choir is one of the oldest and best known youth choirs in Bulgaria....
is one of the oldest and best known youth choirs in Bulgaria, winner of numerous awards from international choral competitions.
Literature
Plovdiv is among the nation's primary literary centres - in 1855 Hristo Danov created the first Bulgarian publishing company and later the first printing-press. The city's traditions as a literary centre are preserved by the first public library in Bulgaria, the
Ivan Vazov National LibraryThe Ivan Vazov National Library is a library situated in Bulgaria's second largest city, Plovdiv. It is named after the famous Bulgarian writer and poet Ivan Vazov....
, by the 19
chitalishta (cultural centres) and by numerous booksellers and publishers. The library was founded in 1879 and named after the famous Bulgarian writer and poet
Ivan VazovIvan Minchov Vazov was a Bulgarian poet, novelist and playwright. He was born in Sopot, a town in the Rose Valley of Bulgaria .-Biography:The exact date of Vazov's birth is disputed...
who worked there for five years creating some of his best works. Today the Ivan Vazov National Library is the second largest national library institution with more than 1,5 million books, owning rare Bulgarian and European publications.
Arts
The city has traditions in
IconographyIconography is the branch of art history which studies the identification, description, and the interpretation of the content of images. The word iconography literally means "image writing", and comes from the Greek εἰκών "image" and γράφειν "to write". A secondary meaning is the painting of icons...
since the Middle Ages. During the Period of National Revival a number of notable icon-painters (called in Bulgarian
zografi,
зографи) from all regions of the country worked in Plovdiv -
Dimitar ZografDimitar Hristov , better known as Dimitar Zograf , was a noted 19th-century Bulgarian painter known for his icons....
and his son Zafir Zograf,
Zahari ZografZahariy Hristovich Dimitrov , better known as Zahari Zograf is arguably the most famous Bulgarian painter of the Bulgarian National Revival, noted for his church mural paintings and icons and often regarded as the founder of secular art in Bulgaria due to the introduction of everyday life...
, Georgi Danchov and others. After the Liberation the famous Bulgarian painter of Czech origin
Ivan MrkvičkaIvan Mrkvička was a Czech-born painter and an active contributor to the artistic life of newly-liberated Bulgaria in the late 19th and early 20th century...
came to work in the city. The Painters' Society was established there by artists from Southern Bulgaria in 1912 whose members included the prominent painters
Zlatyu BoyadzhievZlatio Georgiev Boiadjiev was a Bulgarian painter. He is known for his portraits and landscapes, depicting mainly the village of Plovdiv and village life in its vicinity....
, Sirak Skitnik, Tsanko Lavrenov.
Today the city has 30 art galleries. The Art Gallery of Plovdiv was founded in the late 19th century. It possesses 5,000 pieces of art in 4 separate buildings. Since 1981 it has a section for Mexican Art donated by Mexican painters in honour of the 1,300-year anniversary of the Bulgarian State.
Economy
Located in the middle of a rich agricultural region, since the beginning of the 20th century Plovdiv grew as an industrial center.
Food processingFood processing is the set of methods and techniques used to transform raw ingredients into food or to transform food into other forms for consumption by humans or animals either in the home or by the food processing industry...
, tobacco, brewing and textiles were the main pillars of the industry. During Communist rule the city's economy greatly expanded and was dominated by heavy industry - it still produces
leadLead is a main-group element with symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal, also considered to be one of the heavy metals. Lead has a bluish-white color when freshly cut, but tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed to air...
and
zincZinc , also known as spelter, is a metallic chemical element; it has the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is the first element in group 12 of the periodic table. Zinc is, in some respects, chemically similar to magnesium, because its ion is of similar size and its only common oxidation state is +2...
, machinery,
electronicsElectronics is a branch of science and technology that deals with the controlled flow of electrons. The ability to control electron flow is usually applied to information handling or device control. Electronics is distinct from electrical science and technology, which deals with the generation,...
, motor trucks,
chemicalsThe chemical industry comprises the companies that produce industrial chemicals. It is central to modern world economy, converting raw materials into more than 70,000 different products.-Products:...
and
cosmeticsCosmetics are substances used to enhance the appearance or odor of the human body. Cosmetics include skin-care creams, lotions, powders, perfumes, lipsticks, fingernail and toe nail polish, eye and facial makeup, permanent waves, colored contact lenses, hair colors, [hair sprays] and gels,...
. After the fall of
CommunismCommunism is a socioeconomic structure and political ideology that promotes the establishment of an egalitarian, classless, stateless society based on common ownership and control of the means of production and property in general. Karl Marx posited that communism would be the final stage in human...
in 1989 and the collapse of Bulgaria's
planned economyA planned economy or directed economy is an economic system in which the state or workers' councils manage the economy. It is an economic system in which the central government makes all decisions on the production and consumption of goods and services...
, a number of industrial complexes were closed.
Plovdiv has one of the country's fastest growing economies with average GDP growth of 12-13%. As of 2005 the total revenues are 9.4 billion
levThe lev is the currency of Bulgaria. It is divided in 100 stotinki . In archaic Bulgarian the word "lev" meant "lion".Bulgaria seeks to adopt the Euro, the tentative deadline is 2012, set by Finance Minister Plamen Oresharski....
a (approximately 4.8 billion
euroThe euro is the official currency of 16 of the 27 Member States of the European Union . The states, known collectively as the Eurozone, are Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain...
), which is with 88% more than in 2001. The profits for the same period rose 4.5 times. Unemployment is 6,5% which is lower than the national average. One recent problem is the municipality's administrative borders, which almost completely coincide with the city limits. Due to the constant increase of investments which are $465,000,000 for 2005 some of the businesses have to be redirected to the Maritsa or Rodopi municipalities such as the industrial zone of
RadinovoRadinovo is a village in the Maritsa municipality, Plovdiv Province, Bulgaria. As of 2006 the population is 720. There is a large plant producing refrigerators owned by Liebherr , as well as a tobacco processings plant and several other industrial enterprises....
village.
Industry has been expanding again since the late 1990s, with manufacturing plants built in the city or in its outskirts, mainly the municipality of Maritsa. In this period, some €500,000,000 has been invested in construction of new factories. Some of the new plants include the Liebherr refrigerator plant with 1,850 employees and a capacity of 450,000 items per year, the Socotab tobacco processing plant (2,000 employees), a bicycle plant (500 workers, capacity 500,000 units), а
SchneiderSchneider Electric is a French global company. It was founded in 1836 by two brothers, Eugène I and Adolphe Schneider.In the first part of the 20th century, Schneider et Cie associated itself with Westinghouse Systems, a major international electrical group at the time. The group began...
electronics factory, a biodiesel plant, the Bulsaphil textile plant (790 workers), and several electronics and high-tech plants producing CD players and other electronic equipment. The largest electronics plant in the
BalkansThe Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
was inaugurated in the nearby village of
VoivodinovoVoivodinovo is a village in the Plovdiv Province, southern Bulgaria. As of 2006 it has 2,018 inhabitants. It is one of the biggest villages in the Maritsa municipality and is at 2 km to the east of Plovdiv...
.
Due to the demand for business office space
Business Park PlovdivBusiness Park Plovdiv is a business park which is going to be built in Bulgaria's second largest city, Plovdiv. It will be located in the Trakiya district in the south-eastern parts of the city. Construction is expected to begin in 2008....
is going to be constructed in the district of
TrakiyaTrakiya is the largest neighbourhood of Plovdiv as well as one of the six districts of the city located in its south-eastern parts. It has 61,920 inhabitants. Its construction began in 1973, in 1976 it was inaugurated as a neighbourhoods and in 1983 it became a district...
. The investment is for €68,000,000 and the park will occupy an area of 110,000 m². A commercial and industrial park is to be built in the village of
RadinovoRadinovo is a village in the Maritsa municipality, Plovdiv Province, Bulgaria. As of 2006 the population is 720. There is a large plant producing refrigerators owned by Liebherr , as well as a tobacco processings plant and several other industrial enterprises....
at several km to the north-west of the city with a built-up area of 50,000 m².
Shopping and commerce
The commercial sector is developing quickly. Shopping centers have been built mainly in the Central district and the district of Trakiya. Those include Shopping Center Grand, Market Center and two more all on the Kapitan Raycho Street, Forum in Trakiya, Excelsior and others. There are several
mallA shopping mall, shopping centre or shopping center is a building or multiple buildings consisting of a complex of shops representing leading merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a convenient parking area – a modern,...
s under construction - the €40 million Mall of Plovdiv with a shopping area of 40,000 m², 11 cinemas and parking for 700 cars, €50 mln. Central Mall Markovo tepe, a huge €60 mln. mall and hotel complex in the district of Trakiya as well as several other projects planned or under construction.
Several hypermarkets have been built mainly on the outskirts of the city:
MetroMetro AG is a diversified retail and wholesale/cash and carry group based in Germany. It has the largest market share in its home market, and is one of the most globalised retail and wholesale corporations. It is the 5th largest retailer in the world. In English it often refers to itself as Metro...
,
KauflandKaufland is a German hypermarket chain part of the same group as Lidl and Handelshof. It opened its first store in 1984 in Neckarsulm and quickly expanded to become a leader in what was formerly East Germany....
,
SaniThere are places in the world that have the name Sani:*Sani Resort - a resort in the peninsula of Halkidiki, Greece*Sani, Greece - a beach community south of Thessalonike*Sani, Mauritania*Sani Pass - a pass in the Drakensberg linking Lesotho to South Africa...
(2 outlets),
PraktikerPraktiker is a German hypermarket chain offering home improvement and do-it-yourself goods. It is based in Kirkel, Saarland, and opened its first store in 1978...
, Billa,
Mr. BricolageMr. Bricolage is a French hypermarket chain offering home improvement and do-it-yourself goods. The chain operates over 500 stores in these countries: France Serbia Bulgaria Romania Spain Andorra Belgium Argentina Uruguay Morocco Madagascar...
,
BaumaxbauMax is an Austrian hypermarket chain offering home improvement and do-it-yourself goods. It is based in Kindberg, Austria, and opened its first store in 1976.-Baumax in Europe:
...
, Technopolis, Technopark Europa, and others. The main shopping area is the central street with its shops, cafés and restaurants. A number of cafés, craftsmen workshops and souvenir shops are situated in the Old Town and the small streets in the centre, known among the locals as "The trap" .
The Plovdiv International Fair, held annually since 1892, is the largest and oldest fair in the country and all of southeastern Europe, gathering companies from all over the world in an exhibition area of 138,000 m² located on a territory of 352,000 m² on the northern banks of the Maristsa river. It attracts more than 600,000 visitors from different countries.
The city also has a duty-free zone since 1987. It has a customs terminal handling cargo from trucks and trains.
Transport
Plovdiv has a geographical position which makes it an international transport hub. Three of the ten
Pan-European corridorsThe ten Pan-European transport corridors were defined at the second Pan-European transport Conference in Crete, March 1994, as routes in Central and Eastern Europe that required major investment over the next ten to fifteen years. Additions were made at the third conference in Helsinki in 1997...
run into or near the city - Corridor IV (
DresdenDresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
-
BucharestBucharest is the capital city, industrial and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmboviţa River....
-
SofiaSofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city by population in the European Union, with 1.4 million people living in the Capital Municipality...
-Plovdiv-
IstanbulIstanbul is the largest city in Turkey and fifth largest city proper in the world with a population of 12.6 million. Istanbul is also a megacity, as well as the cultural and financial centre of Turkey. The city covers 39 districts of the Istanbul province...
), Corridor VIII (
DurrësDurrës is the second-largest city of Albania. It is the most ancient and one of the most economically important cities of Albania. It is located on the central Albanian coast, about west of the capital Tirana. It is situated at one of the narrower points of the Adriatic Sea, opposite the Italian...
-Sofia-Plovdiv-
VarnaVarna is the largest city and seaside resort on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast and in Northern Bulgaria, third-largest in Bulgaria after Sofia and Plovdiv, and 77th-largest in the European Union, with a population of 355,450 .Commonly referred to as the marine capital of Bulgaria, Varna is a...
/
BurgasBurgas is the second-largest city and seaside resort on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast with population 210,260. It is also the fourth-largest by population in the country, after Sofia, Plovdiv and Varna...
) and Corridor X (
Salzburg' is the fourth-largest city in Austria and the capital of the federal state of Salzburg. Salzburg's "Old Town" with its world famous baroque architecture is one of the best-preserved city centres north of the Alps, and was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. The city is noted for its...
-
BelgradeBelgrade Belgrade Belgrade (Serbian Cyrillic: Београд, Serbian Latin: Beograd (meaning "White City" in Serbian) is the capital and largest city of Serbia. The city lies on two international waterways, at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where Central Europe's Pannonian Plain meets...
-Plovdiv-Instanbul). A major tourist center, Plovdiv lies at the foot of the
Rhodope MountainsThe Rhodopes are a mountain range in Southeastern Europe, with over 83% of its area in southern Bulgaria and the remainder in Greece...
, and most people wishing to explore the mountains choose it as their trip's starting point.
Plovdiv is a major road and railway hub in southern Bulgaria: the
Trakiya motorwayThe Trakiya motorway or Thrace motorway, designated A1, is a motorway currently in construction in Bulgaria. It is planned to connect the capital of Sofia with Burgas on the Black Sea through Plovdiv and with Kalotina on the Serbian border. The motorway is named after the historical region of...
(A1) is only at to the north. It lies on the important national route from Sofia to Burgas via Stara Zagora. First-class roads lead to Sofia to the west,
KarlovoKarlovo is a picturesque and a historically important town in central Bulgaria located in a fertile valley along the river Stryama at the southern foot of the Balkan Mountains...
to the north,
AsenovgradAsenovgrad is a town in central southern Bulgaria.Asenovgrad was originally founded by the Thracians as Stenimahos around 300-400 BC. In 72 BC the city was captured by the troops of the Roman Empire as part of the Roman expansion towards the Black Sea. After a long period of peace, the town was...
and
KardzhaliKardzhali or Kurdzhali is a town in Bulgaria, capital of Kardzhali Province in the Eastern Rhodopes. Near the town is the noted Kardzhali Dam.-Geography:...
to the south,
Stara ZagoraStara Zagora is the sixth largest city in Bulgaria, and one of the nationally important economic centres. Stara Zagora is known as the city of straight streets, linden trees, and poets. According to the city's chamber of commerce, it is one of the oldest settlements in Europe, being at least eight...
and
HaskovoHaskovo ; is the name of a town and administrative centre of the province of the same name in southern Bulgaria, not far from the borders with Greece and Turkey. Its population is 96,010. The province includes the town of Dimitrovgrad....
to the east. There are intercity buses which link Plovdiv with cities and towns all over the country and many European countries. They are based in three
bus stationA bus station is a structure where city or intercity buses stop to pick up and drop off passengers. It is larger than a bus stop, which is usually simply a place on the sidewalk, where buses can stop...
s: South, Rodopi and North.
Railway transportation in the city dates back to 1872 when it became a station on the
LyubimetsLyubimets is a small town in Haskovo Province of southern Bulgaria which operates as a separate municipality. The town's nearest neighbour is Svilengrad. It is positioned near the Greek and Turkish borders, and has an international TIR trucking road travel past it. Lyubimets has some...
-
BelovoBelovo is a town in South West Bulgaria. It is located in Pazardzhik Province, where the Yadenitza flows into the Maritza river, at the foot of three mountain ranges , on the western end of the Thracian Plain...
railway line. There are railways to Sofia,
PanagyurishtePanagyurishte is a town in Pazardzhik Province, western Bulgaria. The town is situated in a small valley in the Sredna Gora mountains. It is 91 km east of Sofia, 43 km north of Pazardzhik, and 37 km south of Zlatitsa. As of 2005 Panagyurishte has a population of 20,938 and the mayor...
, Karlovo,
PeshteraPeshtera is a town in southwestern Bulgaria, part of Pazardzhik Province, located in the Upper Thracian Lowlands at the foot of the Western Rhodopes. It takes its name from the many caves found in the vicinity.The first traces of human presence in the area date from the Neolithic...
, Stara Zagora,
DimitrovgradDimitrovgrad is a town and a municipality in Haskovo Province of southern Bulgaria. Dimitrovgrad is located northwest of Svilengrad and the Greek and Turkish border, east of Plovdiv and the capital Sofia and west of Burgas. The motorway A1 is north of Dimitrovgrad.The city was built in 1947 by the...
and Asenovgrad. There are three
train stationA railway station, train station, railroad station, or station yard is a facility at which passengers may board and alight from trains, and/or where rail-transported freight may be loaded or unloaded. Historically, the term depot has also been employed in North America...
s - Central Railway Station, Trakiya and Filipovo as well as a Freight Station.
Plovdiv has an extensive public transport system, including around 40 bus and
trolleybusA trolleybus is an electric bus that draws its electricity from overhead wires using spring-loaded trolley poles...
lines. Six bridges span over the
MaritsaThe Maritsa or Evros is, with a length of 480 km, the longest river that runs solely in the interior of the Balkans. It has its origin in the Rila Mountains in Western Bulgaria, flowing southeast between the Balkan and Rhodope Mountains, past Plovdiv and Parvomay to Edirne, Turkey...
river including a railroad bridge and a
covered bridgeA covered bridge is a bridge, often single-lane, with enclosed sides and a roof. They have typically been wooden, although some newer ones are concrete or metal with glass sides...
. There are important road junctions to the south, south-west and north.
Plovdiv International AirportPlovdiv Airport is the airport of the second largest city in Bulgaria, Plovdiv. Often referred to as Plovdiv Krumovo Airport, a small village located 12 km south-east away from the city on the main highway Plovdiv-Asenovgrad....
is located near the village of
KrumovoKrumovo is a village in the Plovdiv Province, southern Bulgaria. As of 2006 it has 3,378 inhabitants. The village is located at 2 km to the south of the Maritsa river and at 12 km to the south-east of Plovdiv. The Plovdiv International Airport is located in the vicinity of the village...
, southeast of the city. There are plans for its modernisation and expansion. It takes charter flights from several European countries. A number of other, mainly small airports are located in the surroundings of the city including the important military
airbaseAn airbase is a military airfireld that provides basing and support of military aircraft....
in
Graf IgnatievoGraf Ignatievo is a village in the Maritsa municipality, southern Bulgaria. As of 2006 it has 2015 inhabitants. There is the major military Graf Ignatievo Air Base of great importance used by the Bulgarian Air Force and the US....
to the north of Plovdiv.
Education
Around two thirds of the citizens (62,38%) have secondary, specialized or higher education. That percentage has increased in the period 1992-2001.
Plovdiv has 78 schools including elementary, high, foreign language, mathematics, technical and art schools. There are also 10 private schools and a
seminaryA seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of higher education for instructing students , sometimes at the postgraduate level, in philosophy, theology, spirituality and the religious life, to prepare students for ordination as clergy or other ministry...
. The number of pupils for 2005 is 36,964 and is constantly decreasing since the mid 1990 due to lower birth-rate. Among the most prestigious schools are: Plovdiv English Language School, National Schools of Commerce - Plovdiv, the English Academy, National School for Music and Dance Art Plovdiv, French High School of Plovdiv.
The city has 6 universities and a number of state and private colleges and branches of other universities. Those include
Plovdiv UniversityThe Plovdiv University "Paisiy Hilendarski" is a university located in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. It was founded in 1962 and is organized in 9 Faculties.-History and Profile:...
with 900 lecturers and employees and 13,000 students, the Medical University of Plovdiv with 2,600 students, the Medical College, Technical University of Sofia - Branch Plovdiv, Agrarian University - Plovdiv, University of Food Technologies, the Academy for Music, Dance and Fine Arts and others.
International Olympiad in InformaticsThe International Olympiad in Informatics is an annual computer science competition for secondary school students. The first IOI was held in 1989 in Pravetz, Bulgaria....
(IOI) in 2009 took place at
University of Plovdiv "Paisiy Hilendarski"The Plovdiv University "Paisiy Hilendarski" is a university located in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. It was founded in 1962 and is organized in 9 Faculties.-History and Profile:...
, during 8-15 August 2009. Honorary Patron of IOI 2009 is
Georgi ParvanovGeorgi Sedefchov Parvanov has been president of Bulgaria since 22 January 2002. Parvanov became president after defeating his predecessor, Petar Stoyanov, in the second round of the November 2001 presidential election...
President of Bulgaria.
Sports and recreation
The Plovdiv Sports Complex is the biggest in Eastern Europe. It consists of the
Plovdiv StadiumPlovdiv Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. It is currently used mostly for football matches. The stadium holds 48,000. The stadium was built in 1950....
with several additional football fields,
tennis courtA tennis court is where the game of tennis is played. It is a firm rectangular surface with a low net stretched across the center. The same surface can be used to play both doubles and singles.-Dimensions:...
s,
swimming poolA swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is an artificially enclosed body of water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest and deepest is the Olympic size...
s,
rowing baseRowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
with 3 km long channel, restaurants, cafés situated in a spacious park in the western part of the city just south of the
MaritzaMaritza may refer to:*Maritza Correia , a Puerto Rican swimmer*Maritza Salas , a Puerto Rican track and field athlete*Sari Maritza , an English actress-See also:...
river. There are also playgrounds for the children. It is popular among the citizens of Plovdiv and the guests of the city who use it for jogging, walking and relaxation. The Plovdiv Stadium has 55,000 seats which makes it the largest football venue in Bulgaria.
Other stadiums include Botev Stadium (22,000 seats), Lokomotiv Stadium (the capacity is 11,000 seats), Maritsa Stadium (5,000 seats) and Todor Diev Stadium (7,000 seats). There are also six indoor sports halls - Lokomotiv, Dunav, Stroitel, Chaika, Akademik, Total Sport. In 2006 a water park was opened near the city centre called Aqualand. Several smaller water parks are situated in the city as well.
FootballAssociation football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of eleven players using a spherical ball...
is the most popular sport in the city. Plovdiv has four professional football teams. Botev Plovdiv was founded in 1912, and is named after one of the most ardent Bulgarian poets and revolutionaries,
Hristo BotevHristo Botev , born Hristo Botyov Petkov , was a Bulgarian poet and national revolutionary. Botev is widely considered by Bulgarians to be a symbolic historical figure and national hero.-Early years:Botev was born in Kalofer...
. The city also has
PFC LokomotivPFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv is a Bulgarian football club, from the city of Plovdiv. The club was founded in July, 1926.- Honours :* Vice-champion of Bulgaria - 1 time – 1973* Winner of the cup of Bulgaria - 1 time – 1983...
, founded in 1936. Both teams are a regular fixture in the
top Bulgarian leagueThe Bulgarian A Professional Football Group commonly known as A PFG or, in terms of sponsorship, TBI A Football Group since 2005, is the top division of Bulgarian football. It determines the champion of Bulgaria. Sixteen teams take part in the division, each playing twice against all the other,...
. The rivalry between them is considered to be even more fierce than the one between
LevskiPFC Levski Sofia, also known simply as Levski, is a Bulgarian football club founded in 1914 and based in the capital Sofia. So far, Levski has won 26 League titles and 27 National cups...
and
CSKAPFC CSKA Sofia is a Bulgarian football club from Sofia. CSKA stands for Central Sport Club of the Army . The home ground of CSKA Sofia is Bulgarska Armia Stadium. The club was officially founded on May 5, 1948...
of
SofiaSofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city by population in the European Union, with 1.4 million people living in the Capital Municipality...
. There are also two other football clubs in the city – Maritsa FC (founded in 1921) and Spartak Plovdiv (1947).
Plovdiv is host of the international
boxingBoxing is a combat sport where two participants, generally of similar weight, fight each other with their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee and is typically engaged in during a series of one to three-minute intervals called rounds. There are three ways to win...
tournament "Strandzha" which takes place since 1949. In 2007 ninety-six boxers from 20 countries participated in the tournament. There is a
horse racingHorse racing is an equestrian sport that has been practiced over the centuries; the chariot races of Roman times are an early example, as is the contest of the steeds of the god Odin and the giant Hrungnir in Norse mythology. It is inextricably associated with gambling...
club and a horse base near the city. Plovdiv has several
volleyball Volleyball is an Olympic team sport in which two teams of 6 players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules...
and
basketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of 5 players try to score points against one another by placing a ball through a
10 foot high hoop under organized rules...
teams.
Three of the city's seven hills are protected natural territories since 1995. Two of the first
parkA park is a protected area, in its natural or semi-natural state or planted, and set aside for human recreation and enjoyment. It may consist of, rocks, soil, water, flora and fauna and grass areas....
s in Bulgaria are located in the city center -
Tsar Simeon garden (also known as the
City garden) and
Dondukov garden. Some of the larger parks include the
Botanical garden,
Beliz Brezi,
Ribnitsa and
Lauta.
Notable citizens
- Anjel Vagenstein
Angel Raymond Wagenstein is a Bulgarian film director and author. Wagenstein was born in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, but spent his childhood in France where his Sephardic Jewish family emigrated for political reasons due to their leftist politics.Angel Wagenstein returned to Bulgaria due to an amnesty,...
, writer
- Asen Kisimov
Asen Kisimov was a Bulgarian actor. He appeared in 30 films between 1956 and 2000.-External links:...
, actor
- Boris Christoff
Boris Christoff was a Bulgarian opera singer, one of the greatest basses of the 20th century.- Training :...
, basso
- Dinko Dermendjiev, football player
- Filibeli Hafız Ahmed Pasha
Müezzinzade Filibeli Hafız Ahmed Pasha was an Ottoman Grand Vizier. Born as son of a Pomak Muezzin, he went to Istanbul in the age of 15 and was an employee in the Sultan's palace for many years...
, Ottoman Grand Vizier
- George Ganchev, fencer, actor, writer, politician
- Georgi Slavchev, pianist, composer
- Hristo Danov, publisher
- Hristo Stoichkov
Hristo Stoichkov Stoichkov alternatively spelt Stoitchkov is a football manager and former striker who was a member of the Bulgaria national team that finished fourth at the 1994 FIFA World Cup. Apart from his footballing talent, he was notable for his on-pitch temper. He was honoured as European...
, football player, winner of the European Footballer of the Year award (1994)
- Isaac Passy
Isaac Passy is a Bulgarian philosopher and specialist in aesthetics who has written works such as The Tragic and The Comic. He is the father of Solomon Passy.-References:...
, Bulgarian philosopher
- Jean Videnov, ex-prime minister of Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a country in the Balkans in south-eastern Europe. Bulgaria borders five other countries: Romania to the north , Serbia and the Republic of Macedonia to the west, and Greece and Turkey to the south...
- Jordan Jovtchev
Jordan Jovtchev is a Bulgarian gymnast.He won silver in the men's rings at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens with a score of 9.850. In the same Olympic Games, Jovtchev won bronze in the men's floor exercise with a score of 9.775...
, gymnast
- Maria Petrova
Maria Petrova is a Bulgarian rhythmic gymnast. She shares the world record for the most individual world all-around rhythmic gymnastics titles of all time and has never placed lower than seventh in any competition in her entire career.-Career:Petrova began her training at the age of five at the...
, three times World Champion in rhythmic gymnastics
- Milcho Leviev
Milcho Leviev is a Bulgarian composer, arranger, jazz performer and pianist.Milcho Leviev graduated from the State Academy of Music in 1960 majoring in Composition under Professor Pancho Vladigerov and in Piano under Professor Andrei Stoyanov...
, musician and composer
- Milen Dobrev
Milen Dobrev is a Bulgarian weightlifter. He became Olympic champion in 2004 in the middle heavyweight class....
, weightlifter
- Nayden Gerov
Nayden Gerov , born Nayden Gerov Hadzhidobrevich February 23, 1823, Koprivshtitsa–October 9, 1900, Plovdiv) was a Bulgarian linguist, folklorist, writer and public figure during the Bulgarian National Revival....
, linguist, folklorer and writer
- Nayden Todorov
Nayden Todorov is a Bulgarian conductor.- Positions :*Plovdiv Youth Orchestra *Vratza Philharmonic Orchestra *Sofia Festival Orchestra *Vidin Philharmonic Orchestra...
, conductor
- Nikolay Buhalov, Olympic canoeing champion
- Ognyana Petkova, Olympic canoeing bronze medal
- Petar Stoyanov
Petar Stefanov Stoyanov was President of Bulgaria from 1997 until 2002. He won the 1996 presidential election as a candidate of the Union of Democratic Forces. He received more votes than the socialist candidate Ivan Marazov and the Bulgarian Business Block candidate, George Ganchev, in the first...
, ex-president of Bulgaria
- The birthplace of Silvena Rowe
Silvena Rowe is a television chef presenter and food writer. Rowe lives in France and Turkey with her husband and children.Rowe was the midweek food writer for The Guardian, where she had a regular column: Party Paupers....
, world-famous celebrity television chef and food writer
- Solomon Passy
Solomon Isaac Passy is a Bulgarian politician, foreign minister of Bulgaria from July 2001 until August 2005, and the Chairman-in-Office of the OSCE in 2004.- Summary :...
, mathematician, activist and politician
- Stefka Kostadinova
Stefka Kostadinova is a Bulgarian former athlete specialising in the high jump and current president of the Bulgarian Olympic Committee....
, world record holder in the women's high jump
- Tanya Gramatikova, photographic artist
- Tzvetana Maneva
Tzvetana Maneva is a Bulgarian actress. She was born in Plovdiv and her artistic career started here. The eminent Bulgarian actress made her debut in cinema more than three decades ago.-Family:...
, actress
- Tsvetana Pironkova
Tsvetana Pironkova is a female Bulgarian tennis player. She was born and lives in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Pironkova is right-handed and plays with a two-handed backhand....
, Bulgarian number 1 tennis player and World number 40
- Zlatyu Boyadzhiev
Zlatio Georgiev Boiadjiev was a Bulgarian painter. He is known for his portraits and landscapes, depicting mainly the village of Plovdiv and village life in its vicinity....
, painter
- Georgi Ivanov
Georgi Ivanov was the first Bulgarian in space. He was a member of the National Assembly of Bulgaria in 1990....
, Legednary Levski Sofia footballer
- Veneta Rangelova,pop singer and music pedagog(10.3.1957)
- Blagovest and Svetoslav Argirov,[23.4.1959},pop singers and composers
- Stoyan Zahariev,pop singer and composer
- Toma Sprostranov,radio and tv journalist
- Maria Neykova,pop singer and composer{b.21.12.1941-1.8.2002}
- Hristo Kidikov,pop singer (b.16.10.1946)
Twin towns — Sister cities
Plovdiv is
twinnedSister cities, also known as town twinning, is an agreement between towns, cities and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties...
with the following cities:
| Brno Brno is the second largest city in the Czech Republic, located in the southeast of the country. It was founded in 1243, although the area had been settled since the 5th century. As of August 2009 the population is 404,887...
, Czech RepublicThe Czech Republic is a country in Central Europe that is sometimes considered to be Eastern European. The country borders Poland to the northeast, Germany to the west and northwest, Austria to the south and Slovakia to the east. The capital and largest city is Prague...
. BursaBursa is a city in northwestern Turkey and the seat of Bursa Province...
, TurkeyTurkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country that stretches across the Anatolian peninsula in Western Asia and Thrace in the Balkan region of southeastern Europe...
. ColumbiaColumbia is the state capital and largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The population was 116,278 according to the 2000 census . Columbia is the county seat of Richland County, but a portion of the city extends into Lexington County. The city is the center of a metro area of 728,063...
, United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. DaeguDaegu , also spelled Taegu, and officially called the Daegu Metropolitan City, with over 2.5 million people, is the fourth largest city in South Korea after Seoul, Busan, and Incheon...
, South KoreaSouth Korea, officially the Republic of Korea and often simply referred to as Korea, is a country in East Asia, located on the southern half of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by China to the west, Japan to the east, and North Korea to the north. Its capital is Seoul, the second largest...
. GyumriGyumri is the capital and largest city of the Shirak Province in northwest Armenia...
, ArmeniaArmenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
. JeddahJeddah is a Saudi Arabian city located on the coast of the Red Sea and is the major urban center of western Saudi Arabia. It is the largest city in Makkah Province, the largest sea port on the Red Sea, and the second largest city in Saudi Arabia after the capital city, Riyadh...
, Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia , is an Arab country and the largest country of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Jordan on the northwest, Iraq on the north and northeast, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates on the east, Oman on the southeast, and Yemen on the south...
. IstanbulIstanbul is the largest city in Turkey and fifth largest city proper in the world with a population of 12.6 million. Istanbul is also a megacity, as well as the cultural and financial centre of Turkey. The city covers 39 districts of the Istanbul province...
, TurkeyTurkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country that stretches across the Anatolian peninsula in Western Asia and Thrace in the Balkan region of southeastern Europe...
. IvanovoIvanovo is a city and the administrative center of Ivanovo Oblast, Russia. Population: 406,465 ; Ivanovo has traditionally been called the textile capital of Russia. Since most textile workers are women, it has also been known as the "City of Brides"...
, RussiaRussia , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia . It is a semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
KošiceKošice is a city in eastern Slovakia. It is situated on the Hornád River at the eastern reaches of the Slovak Ore Mountains, near the borders with Hungary...
, SlovakiaThe Slovak Republic is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe with a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia borders the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south. The largest city is its capital, Bratislava...
. (since 2000) KumanovoKumanovo is thе third largest city in the Republic of Macedonia and is the seat of Kumanovo Municipality which is the largest municipality in the country...
, Republic of MacedoniaMacedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country in the central Balkan peninsula in southeastern Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
. KutaisiKutaisi is Georgia's second largest city and the capital of the western region of Imereti. It is 221 km to the west of Tbilisi.-Geography:...
, GeorgiaGeorgia Georgia Georgia is a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Situated at the juncture of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the south by Turkey and Armenia, and to the east by Azerbaijan...
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LeipzigLeipzig is, with a population of 515,459, the largest city in the federal state of Saxony, Germany.-Origins:Leipzig's name is derived from the Slavic word Lipsk, which means "settlement where the lime trees stand"....
, GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
; (since 1975) LeskovacLeskovac is a city and municipality located in southern Serbia at 43.00° North, 21.95° East. It is the administrative center of the Jablanica District of Serbia...
, SerbiaSerbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a country located in both Central and Southeastern Europe. Its territory covers the southern part of the Pannonian Plain and central part of the Balkans...
. LuoyangLuoyang is a prefecture-level city in western Henan province, People's Republic of China. It borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the southeast, Nanyang to the south, Sanmenxia to the west, Jiyuan to the north, and Jiaozuo to the northeast.Situated on the...
, ChinaThe People's Republic of China , commonly known as China, is the largest country in East Asia and the most populous in the world with over 1.3 billion people, approximately one-fifth of the world's population...
. OhridOhrid is a city on the eastern shore of Lake Ohrid in the Republic of Macedonia. It has about 42,000 inhabitants, making it the seventh largest city in the country. The city is the seat of Ohrid Municipality. Ohrid is notable for having once 365 churches, one for each day of the year and has been...
, Republic of Macedonia. Okayama, Japanis an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. PetraPetra is an archaeological site in the Arabah, Ma'an Governorate, Jordan, lying on the slope of Mount Hor in a basin among the mountains which form the eastern flank of Arabah , the large valley running from the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba. It is renowned for its rock-cut architecture...
, JordanJordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is a country in Western Asia spanning the southern part of the Syrian Desert down to the Gulf of Aqaba. Jordan shares borders with Syria to the north, Iraq to the northeast, Saudi Arabia to the east and south, the Gulf of Aqaba to the southwest,...
. PoznańPoznań is a city in west-central Poland with over 557,264 inhabitants . Located on the Warta River, it is one of the oldest cities in Poland, making it an important historical centre and a vibrant centre of trade, industry, and education. Poznań is Poland's fifth largest city and fourth biggest...
, PolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe . Poland is bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. RomeRome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated municipality , with over 2.7 million residents in , while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat to be 3.46 million. The metropolitan area of Rome is estimated by OECD to have a population of 3.7 million...
, ItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. Italy shares its northern, Alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia...
Saint PetersburgSaint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. The city's other names were Petrograd and Leningrad...
, RussiaRussia , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia . It is a semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. ThessalonikiThessaloniki , Thessalonica, or Salonica is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the Greek region of Macedonia. It is honorarily called the Συμπρωτεύουσα Symprotevousa of Greece, as it was once called the συμβασιλεύουσα symvasilevousa of the Byzantine Empire...
, GreeceGreece , officially the Hellenic Republic , is a country in southeastern Europe, situated on the southern end of the Balkan Peninsula....
. Valencia, VenezuelaVenezuela , officially titled Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It is a continental mainland with numerous islands located off its coastline in the Caribbean Sea...
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See also
External links