Plovdiv (in Bulgarian Пловдив, in Greek old Φιλιππόπολις, Greek Philippoupoli, Φιλιππούπολη) is a town of Bulgaria. It counts approximately 378.000 inhabitants (census of 2004), and thus the second town of Bulgaria. It extends its area of influence on a great area of the plain of Trakia.

History

Plovdiv is one of the oldest cities of Europe, older than Rome, Athens and Constantinople. The first traces of civilization at this place date from the period mycénienne. Plovdiv is known then like a fortification of the Thraces called Eumolpias . In 342 av. J.C it was conquered by Philippe II of Macedonia, father of Alexandre Large the, which re-elected it Philippopolis . Later, it becomes independent under Thraces, until it was built-in the Roman Empire, under which it was called Trimontium (City of the three Hills) and it was the capital of the province of Thrace. Trimontium was an important crossroads for the Roman empire. The " Via Militaris" , military most main road in the Balkan Peninsula, passed through. It was one of the most glorious moments in the history of the city. Plovdiv was built on three hills with many public buildings, tombs, rooms of public baths, theaters. Many Roman ruins of the period can be still seen in the city. For example, the Roman Amphitheater in the old city or the end of the Roman stage built under the current main street which crosses the downtown area. In addition, one found copper coins of 2nd and 3rd centuries with the Greek legends mentioning the name of the town of Philippopolis and that of the Roman governor of Thrace which had ordered their striking.

The Slaves settle in the area in the middle of the 6th century. Plovdiv became Bulgarian for the first time in 815. During centuries, it successively passes between the hands of the Byzantine and the Bulgares, before the city is conquered by the Ottoman Empire in 1364. The name “Plovdiv” appears for the first time at the 15th century and drift of one of the ancient names of the city, “Pulpudeva”, known by the Slavic ones initially like “Puldin” (Пълдин).

Under the reign of the Othoman , Plovdiv was the center of the Bulgarian national movement in Roumélie Eastern. Even if the city were released from the Othomans during the Bataille of Plovdiv in 1878, it did not belong to the Principality of Bulgaria, lately established. Instead of that, it was the capital of the semi-indépendante area of Roumélie Eastern, until this area finally joins Bulgaria in 1885 after the Reunification of Bulgaria. This event is commemorated by a statue on the place of the Reunification, площадСъединение (ploshtad Sâedinenie). At that time the city had a population of approximately 33.500 inhabitants, of which 45% were the Bulgarian ones, 25% of Greeks, Turk 21%, 6% of Jews and 3% of the Armenians.

Under the communist , controlling the country since the end of the Second world war, Plovdiv was the center of the democratic movement, which finally reversed the mode pro-Soviet in 1989. Plovdiv accommodated exposures specialized within the framework of its International exhibition by three times (in 1981,1985 and 1991).

It is the birthplace of the singer Boris Christoff.

Twin towns

• Columbia (South Carolina), the United States
• Kumanovo, Macedonia
• Kutaisi, Georgia
• , for the seven hills
• Valencia, Venezuela

Internal bonds

• Amphitheater of Plovdiv

External bonds

• Seen satellite of the ancient theater of Plovdiv on WikiMapia
• Photographs and bonds of Plovdiv

In image