We all know that Plovdiv is the oldest city in Europe and we are proud of its millennial history, but have we ever considered when did it join to Bulgaria and through how many other occupancies has it passed?
The team of the only digital guide under the hills has selected for you a few historical facts that we certainly haven’t studied in history class in high school, and we may not even suspect some of them.
In Ancient Plovdiv, competitions were organized at the stadium of Philippopolis, similarly to the Pythian Games. In connection with the visit of Emperor Caracalla in 214, the games were called Alexandrian, and at the visit of Emperor Elagaballus in 218 - Kendrisian.
The water supply of the city through the Antiquity took place through a pipeline leading to mountain water from the village of Markovo. The aqueducts of Philippopolis are the only similar facilities found in Bulgaria. A section of the western aqueduct, which is considerably more massive, was partially restored in the dividing line of KomatevskoShose Blvd at the Komatevsko road junction.
Plovdiv was joined to the Bulgarian state in the reign of Malamir. During the trips of the Bulgarian ruler Krum in 811-813, when he destroyed many Thracian cities and led their inhabitants to the north, the population of Philippopolis abandoned the city and flew to safer areas to the south. In 836 the city was conquered by the Bulgarian ruler Malamir, with the population being surrendered and the change of power took place without any particular bloodshed. Philippopolis remained within the borders of Bulgaria until 970 when it was captured by the Kiev prince Svetoslav I, who sacked the city and pounded 20,000 inhabitants on a stake. Following the expulsion of the Kiev troops from the Balkans in the following year, Philippopolis was again associated with the Eastern Roman Empire.
The Duchy of Philippopolis is a historic crusading state, a vassal of the Latin Empire, which existed from 1204 to 1248 on the territory of today's southern Bulgaria. Probably, the Latin rule in Philippopolis was finally exterminated in 1246 - 1248 when the lands of the duchy were conquered by the troops of Nicaean Emperor John III DoukasVatatzes.
The first car in the city was owned by the photographer Andrey Andreev. Technology was a real passion for Andrey Andreev. He imported the first bicycle in Plovdiv, the first motorcycle in Plovdiv, and in 1905 proudly showed up with the first car under the hills. The photographer is also attributed to the first car crash. By the 1920s, he even opened a bus service that served the Plovdiv - Perushtitsa line.
In 1968 Bulgaria became the socialist producer of Western cars, and our city was the center of this miracle for its time. The new car factory for the production of Bulgarrenault models was opened at this time on AsenovgradskoShose. Unfortunately, it only lasted for two years. The plant was closed in the 1970s, and the production of the three models Bulgarrenault №8 and №10 and the sports Alpine has been suspended by order of Moscow.
The beginning of the Plovdiv Fair took place in 1891 when Stambolov's government decided to organize a big exhibition in Plovdiv the next year. The first Bulgarian exhibition in 1892 was organized as a one-time event, but in the 20s, the idea of creating an annual fair in the city appeared in the business and municipal circles in Plovdiv. By a decree of the Council of Ministers of May 16, 1934, the Plovdiv Fair was recognized as permanent and sole in Bulgaria for wholesale trade. Thus it became part of the country's economic panorama. In 1936, the exhibition fair in Plovdiv was declared international. Thus Plovdiv became the fair capital of Bulgaria in a difficult rivalry with Varna and Sofia.
