Plovdiv

A lovely city, easy to walk round, Plovdiv is one of the longest continually inhabited cities in the world.  It's like a mini Rome with remains of the Roman city, Philippopolis, popping up throughout the city centre.

Even older, as far back as 4000BC, remains of the original habitation have been excavated on Nebet Tepe, one of seven hills on which Plovdiv originated.  Only six remain - one was used for making paving stones!

The 'Old Town' of Plovdiv surrounds these ancient remains.  The houses here were built in the early 19C by wealthy merchants and now many house museums. 

Many buildings on the main shopping street are elegantly decorated in Art Deco style.  It's a pleasure to stroll along it.

Many buildings built when Bulgaria was under communist rule still exist.  One is a pedestrian shopping mall bridge over the river Maritsa.  Near here we heard a nightingale singing despite the rather unlovely surroundings.

The massive Soviet era post office and telecom building is surrounded by excavations of Roman remains and a modern road has been built under it.

Not mentioned in the Lonely Planet Guide, on the other side of the road is the amazing Bishop's  Basilica museum.  It houses the excavated floors, covered with mosaics, dating from the 4th Century AD early Christian Bishop's Basilica of Philippopolis.  When you enter you are given plastic covers for your shoes because the walkways over the mosaics are transparent.  Two layers of mosaics are present plus evidence of later burials and even small houses. 

There is a much smaller basilica a short distance away which was discovered during building work for residential building.  Its most intriguing mosaic is by the baptismal fountain and is of a deer, which comes from pre-Christian mythology.

https://mosaictourplovdiv.balkanheritage.org/en/plovdiv-mosaic-tour-en/