theatre

A História e 3D restauração do Teatro antigo de Philippopolis

Ancient theater - the pearl of the Old town As a difference to the unseen and destroyed uniques from all of the epochs of human existence and civilizations in the heart of the old town of Plovdiv shines the only preserved, restorated and functioning ancient theater in Bulgaria. About 20 years after the building of the Coliseum on the ruins of an older construction in Philippopolis began the erection of the Ancient theater. It was finished between 114-117 AD at the dawn of the Rome emperor Thrajan,who was associated and with one of the ereation periods of the Philippopolis Forum.

In the summer of 1968 a bunch of kids playing outside in a field dug at random and found out the remains of an antique theatre. The archaeologist Lilia Botusharova began its excavation that continued until 1984. Despite the excellent restoration executed by architect Vera Kolarova, the data of the archaeological research have not been published. An irreversible damage was inflicted. Our research starts literally from the scratch.

Millions of steps and hundreds of years were required to leave these traces on the marble steps. What do we actually know of this architectural and artistic jewel of the Ancient Thrace, which has brought delight to its citizens for more than 400 years? Rome bears the legacy of the older cultures in its inheritance of the place, and in the theatre's architecture. It was indeed built in the year 117 AD, although it resembles Hellenistic and Asia Minor models.

The epigraphic evidence reading by Nikolay Sharankov reveals that the theatre was built on account of city’s magistrates: Tarsas and his wife; the phylarch Tiberius Claudius Dorzinthes; the three times archipriest of Thrace; aided by the Roman authorities – the procurator Tiberius Claudius Sacerdos Iulianus and the legate Gnaeus Minicius Faustinus,as well as by the Thracian Common Council. Deputies of the ci ty’s ten tribes held the people’s assemblies between the statues of a gods, magistrates and benefactors.