Plovdiv is one of the few contemporary European cities with a well-preserved Roman forum that includes an Odeon. The forum served as the commercial, administrative, and religious center of the ancient city. Meetings, debates, celebrations, and state affairs took place there. In ancient times, the city square covered an area of 20 decares. On the northern side, a complex of public buildings was constructed, dominating the other structures around the square. The main streets, cardo maximus and decumanus maximus, cross at the eastern entrance of the complex. On the northern side of the forum complex were located the Odeon, the Treasury building, and the city Library. Inscriptions related to the city’s religious and administrative life were found there, as well as a portion of a sign announcing gladiatorial contests. Few cities had libraries during Antiquity, and ancient Philippopolis was one of them. Back then, libraries served not only as places to store manuscripts and scrolls but also as places for education, literary readings, public discussions, and speeches.
The site was discovered in 1988 by archaeologists Z. Dimitrov and Maya Martinova. In 1995, the Odeon was declared a cultural monument of national significance as part of the forum complex. The presence of a building with such a functional purpose in the heart of the ancient city suggests that Philippopoli was important as a cultural and political center. In modern-day Plovdiv, the Odeon is also used for various cultural events, including theatrical performances, concerts, literary readings, and even alternative film screenings.
The opening of the tunnels beneath the city council of the ancient city- the Odeon, offers a chance to travel thousands of years back in time. Currently, staff from the Municipal Institute “Ancient Plovdiv” are cleaning and preparing the location, and ticket prices for visiting have already been announced.
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