The City of Plovdiv

The city of Plovdiv is located in central western Bulgaria in the shadows of the Rhodope mountain range that are located close by. Maritsa, the longest river in Bulgaria second only to the Danube and flows right through the centre of Plovdiv. Plovdiv is the second largest city in the country with a population estimated at three hundred and fifty thousand inhabitants.

Plovdiv is probably the oldest city in Europe and has a history dating back over seven thousand years; it is also part of the birth of European civilisation. Seven thousand years ago the Thracian civilisation settled in Bulgaria and one place they settled is now the city of Plovdiv, the reason for this was due to the mountains and the River Maritsa.

Over time the Thracian people flourished in the city until Philip of Macedon took over the country using force and ruled until his death when his son Alexander the Great took over the reign, at this time the city was renamed Philippolis by Alexander after his father "The city of Philip".

Later on in history the Romans took over the reign of Bulgaria and Plovdiv. The Romans renamed Plovdiv to Thrimontium after the hills surrounding the city. The city was a major cosmopolitan city under the Roman Empire that saw two large Amphitheatres being built in the city for all the civilians to visit. These amphitheatres are still in the city today and have shows there during the summer months.

In the 5th century Plovdiv saw the feared Atilla the Hun come and wreaked havoc, even damaging one of the Roman theatres. Although Atilla the Hun wreaked havoc in Bulgaria, his forces never actually took control of the country.

It was not until the 6th century that Slavic people moved into Bulgaria and Plovdiv, although Plovdiv did not actually become a province of the country until about 815AD.

Over the next four hundred years Plovdiv saw itself in a struggle between the Bulgarian people and the Byzantine Empire as it kept changes hands, although the Bulgarian people always resided in the city under different rulers.

It was then the turn of the Ottoman Empire from Turkey to take control of the city from 1369 till late in the 19th century. During all this time Plovdiv was one of the main cities to keep its identity as a centre of Bulgarian culture.

More recently Plovdiv sat under the rule of communism from the Soviet Union since the end of World War two until the late 1980's when Bulgaria finally reclaimed itself.

Since the late 1980's the people of Plovdiv have thrived and so has the culture. Business is booming and the city is growing.