The bath is literally located under the school's building, accessible via a staircase whose entrance is right next to the school's main one. However, the door was bricked up in the 1990s. Prior to that, children and teachers remember that it was able to enter through various gaps, but the place was dangerous and neglected.
The bath is situated on the eastern edge of ancient Philippopolis—outside the fortress walls. The Bishop’s Basilica of Philippopolis is near to it, but archaeologists are unsure exactly when the bath was constructed—whether it dates back to the pagan or Christian period. In fact, the only important study of the site was conducted between 1946 and 1950 by Dimitar Tsonchev. In 1950, he published an article in the museum’s annual, which remains the most authoritative source on the bath's history.
Tsonchev's hypothesis is that the bath was constructed in the 4th century. A little later, in the mid-5th century, it was burned down, likely during the Hunnic invasions between 442 and 447. After that, it was restored, but parts of the bath changed their function—the hypocaust (underfloor heating) was bricked up, though other sections of the building retained their bathing purpose. During this renovation probably, a second floor was added, leading to the construction of the massive square columns and arches that are impressive in archival photos. The site ceased to be in use around 600 AD.
The building was large and opulent. The flooring was adorned with beautiful mosaics, some of which are preserved to this day. The walls were lined with large marble tablets. It also featured underfloor heating, as in all fine Roman baths. The mosaics themselves were made of pebbles and followed a pattern similar to the one of the bath beneath Bingo Balkan—another Roman site awaiting its rediscovery.
The abandonment of the site at the beginning of the 7th century is linked to the city's shrinking during the Middle Ages, when life continued mainly on the Three Hills (Trimontium). Other impressive buildings in the region were also abandoned during this period, including the nearby Small Basilica and the Bishop’s Basilica of Philippopolis itself.
During the Ottoman period, the area became a Christian cemetery. Tombstones of Armenians from 1694 have been discovered, as well as those of Orthodox Christians and graves with Latin inscriptions, likely belonging to Catholics.
In 1946, construction of the current building of "Yoakim Gruev" Primary School began. During the excavation, the workers uncovered the remnants of the bath. Over the next few years, teams of archaeologists and builders worked together there. According to the researcher Dimitar Tsonchev, the impressive site was not fully explored due to a lack of funds—excavations needed to go as deep as 8 meters in some places, and the area itself covers about 2.5 acres. Despite the centralized control during communism and the claim that culture was a top priority, the site was deemed secondary. That means it was neither fully studied nor preserved and displayed. The school building above still obscures the magnificent site, and during the 40 years of socialist rule and 30 years of democracy, no one managed to present the beautiful bath to the public.
At present, the discovery by architect Vera Kolarova and archaeologist Dimitar Tsonchev is unknown to many residents of Plovdiv, let alone visitors to the city. It is not included in any major tourist brochure or guidebook on Plovdiv, and it is rarely mentioned as a significant part of the city's cultural and historical heritage.
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