P💖DIV (plovdiv)

05.11.2022

Hello, today sara and i went to Plovdiv. Now I will introduce it to you. Plovdiv city center occupies a small area and its main street is closed to vehicular traffic.  Some of the well-kept old buildings reflecting Bulgarian architecture are used as museums, hotels, restaurants and shops.  The most important ancient monument, the Roman Stadium, is located on this main pedestrian street, Knyaz Aleksandar I.  The main street starts from Tsentralen central square with the Central Post Office, Hotel Trimontsium and Tsar Simeon Park, and continues through Stefan Stambolov (Cumayata) Square, where the Roman Stadium, Cuma Mosque and Plovdiv Municipality are located.  There are men's, women's and children's clothing stores, cosmetics shops, markets, pharmacies, bookstores, cafes and restaurants on the main street.

• Central Square

We started our tour from Central Square, that is, the Main Square.  Plovdiv Town Hall is also located in this square.

There is Ivan Vazov street, which continues from the square to the southwest.

Main Street

In the photo below, the ancient Roman theater in the front, the Ottoman Friday Mosque above, the neoclassical Bulgarian building on the left represent the three eras side by side.

1. Roman Odeon and Forum

The forum or agora next to the Tourist Information Office was the city center as it is today in Roman times. There were thirteen shops on three sides, and a library and other institutions on the fourth.

2. Rome Stadium

Philippopolis Stadium is one of the largest and best preserved ancient Roman monuments in the Balkan Peninsula. The stadium, which is 240 meters long and 40 meters wide, has a capacity of 30,000 people. We understand that Plovdiv had a population of 60,000 at that time, as Roman law required stadiums to have a capacity of at least half the population of cities. Today the northern part has been restored.

-Ancient theater

Philipoppol Antique Theater was built on the southern slope of Üç Tepeler, on the ridge between Taksim and Cambaz Tepe.  Roman Empire period, AD.  It was built in the 90s of the 1st century, during the reign of Titus Flavius ​​Cotis, heir to the Thrace Royal Dynasty, high monk of the province of Thrace, representative of the Metropolitan Court of Justice and responsible for constructions.  It has a capacity of 6,000 people with 28 marble rows surrounding the horseshoe-shaped stage with a diameter of 26.64 meters.  When I think that Roman laws stipulated that theaters have the capacity to hold one tenth of the population of the city, the 60,000 population I mentioned above is confirmed.  Today it is the stage for opera, music and theater.  Many arts and cultural events are held here, such as the International Folklore Festival, the opera festival Open Opera, and the Sound of Ages rock festival.

-Friday Mosque

Cuma Mosque (Джумая джамия) is also known as Hüdavendigar Mosque.  The mosque, which was built during the reign of Sultan Murad I, was built between 1363 and 1364.  The mosque, which sits on the ground of 40 meters by 30 meters, is located in the city center and northwest of the historical settlement of Plovdiv.  Although it bears the characteristics of early Ottoman architecture in terms of its building type, its bricks laid horizontally between the exterior stones show Byzantine architectural influences.  In the late 19th century, stencil decorations were added.  Cuma Mosque is one of the three remaining mosques out of 56 mosques built during the Ottoman period and is actively used in the city center.

-Nebet Hill

The ancient area today called Nebet Tepe on the plateau on the hill, located in the northern part of the Three Hills, called Trimontium.  It played an important role in the defense of the city in the Ancient and Middle Ages.

- Little Basilica

Discovered during the construction works of Maria Louisa Avenue, the basilica M.S. It was built in the fifth century. The central nave has aisles on both sides. Its length, including the apse, is 20 meters, and its width is 13 meters.

-Old Town

Ancient Plovdiv Architectural and Historical Conservation Area, namely Old Plovdiv, is located on Nebet Tepe, Taksim Tepe and Cambaz Tepe, which is called Üç Tepeler, and covers an area of ​​35 hectares.  It is a region that has been shaped by uninterrupted life for hundreds of years in the Prehistoric, Thrace, Greek, Roman, Late Antique, Medieval, Byzantine, Ottoman and Bulgarian periods.  It is enjoyable to walk around the Old City, see the Ottoman houses similar to Safranbolu and the Bulgarian Renaissance houses and take photos.  There are Ethnographic Museum, Stepan Hildiyan house, Balabanov house, Dancho house, Hisar Kapi, St. Constantine and Elena Church, Uspenie Bogorodichno Cathedral, and many beautiful houses.

-Balabanov House

st.  Concerts, exhibitions, literature readings are held today in the beautiful 19th century historic house on Constantine and Elena Square.

-Lamartine/Mavridi House

The house of the merchant Georgi Mavridi was built in 1829-1830.  One of the largest and most symmetrical houses in the historic district.  It was expertly built on a rough terrain.  French poet Alphonse Lamartine stayed in this house for three days in 1833.  Today it is a museum displaying the life and work of the poet and politician.

-Ethnography Museum

Among the places to visit for cultural tourism, the museum (Регионален етнографски музей, Regionalen ethnografski muzey), which is a scientific educational institution, has been located in Kuyumdzhieva (jewelry) house since 1938.  In addition to exhibiting works describing Plovdiv life and culture, the museum coordinates similar museums in the region, organizes popular traditional festivals such as chamber music, classical guitar, concerts, biennials, fashion shows, theaters, book launches and performances.  Dr.  Chomakov Street, no:2.

-Nazım Hikmet Library and Cultural Center

I hardly found Nazım Hikmet Library and Culture House in Plovdiv, unfortunately it is a forgotten place. Opened in 1922, the venue was named after it in 1952, when it received the World Peace Prize. There are very few Turkish books in one of the oldest community cultural centers in Bulgaria. I asked three different people and a family living on the same street, they didn't hear. I searched for hours. Its address is 6 Mortagon Avenue. The nearest main street is 6-ti Septemvri. Nazım Hikmet visited Bulgaria and this visit is described in Blaga Dimitrova's book titled "Nazim Hikmet and Bulgaria". In the early 1950s, the Bulgarian government asked Nazım Hikmet to come to stop the migration of Turks who migrated from Bulgaria to Turkey in large numbers due to the collectivization practice of the communist regime. For this, Nazım Hikmet toured the Turkish villages in Bulgaria in 1951, and with the participation of 150 thousand people, he held 20 rallies, 10 conversations with the public, 12 meetings in various places and convinced many Turkish villagers not to migrate.

- Holy Virgin Orthodox Church

With the donations of the citizens, the first steps were taken to establish an independent Bulgarian Church in the church, which was built in 1844 by the masters from Bratsigovo. The grave of Bulgarian writer Hristo G. Danov is here.

-Clock Tower – Danov Hill

You can easily climb towards the Clock Tower with the stairs going up from Nayden Gerov street. The clock tower here is from the Ottoman times, and there is an Ottoman inscription above its door. When you climb the hill, the view of the Old City will be in front of your eyes. It wouldn't be bad if there was a tea garden here 🙂

-Markovo Tepe Mall

Popular foreign and Bulgarian brands;  Terranova, LC Waikiki, CCC, Tom Tailor, Guess, Carducci, Yves Rocher.  Gym, supermarket, patisserie, fast food, children's entertainment and education center.  Address: 54 Ruski Boulevard

What to buy in Plovdiv?

Ottoman-Russian war and II. Historical items related to World War II can be purchased. Soaps, shampoos, perfumes and creams made of rose, one of the most famous products of Bulgaria, are also ideal local products for those wondering what to buy in Plovdiv. There are also second-hand books, souvenirs and souvenirs.

And I drank a Turkish coffee in a Turkish cafe I made Sara taste baklava I really missed Turkish coffee 😆 and the city of plovdiv made me feel like I was in my hometown. And we ended our Plovdiv tour with Turkish coffee 🤩