Archaeological Complex of the Eastern Gate of Philippopolis in Plovdiv – one of the newest and most impressive restored landmarks of the ancient city
- Stefan Ivanov
- Jul 2
- 10 min read
Updated: Jul 23
Dear discoverers, connoisseurs of curiosity, seekers of beauty, lovers of the history of Bulgaria, here is my third publication in a row from the (probably endless and never-ending) series dedicated to one of the most ancient cities in Europe - Plovdiv, forever marked by the colors of different eras and civilizations - Thracians, Macedonians, Romans, Byzantines, Ottomans and Bulgarians, who left a mark on this place and their own charm!
In it, I will reveal to you the secrets of the magnificent archaeological complex of the Eastern Gate of Philippopolis in Plovdiv, which is one of the newest and most impressive restored landmarks of the ancient city!
The archaeological complex of the Eastern Gate of Philippopolis in Plovdiv is of immense importance for understanding the ancient city and its connection with the rest of the Roman world.
First of all, I would like to draw a clear parallel between the archaeological complex of the East Gate of Philippopolis and the eastern gate of the citadel, Hissar Kapia, built within the defensive fortress walls themselves, the foundations of which are actually more ancient and older than the eastern gate discussed in this publication.
The Eastern Gate of Philippopolis Archaeological Complex is located at the northeastern foot of the Plovdiv Trihills, formed by Nebet Tepe, Dzhambaz Tepe and Taksim Tepe, in close proximity to the Architectural and Historical Reserve "Ancient Plovdiv".
The East Gate was the most important and most used gate of ancient Philippopolis, as it was the main connection between Philippopolis and Byzantium (the future Constantinople).
Another important road connecting the city with the Danube Limes - the border defense line of the Roman Empire - passed through here. In essence, this was the main entrance to the city from the east.
In the course of the archaeological research, a complex stratigraphic layering was established. There is continuity in the occupation of the terrain, with some interruptions, from the Hellenistic era (in the period from the 4th century to the 3rd century BC) to the Ottoman period. The cultural layers reach a depth of up to 4 meters in places.
From the Hellenistic era, sectors of residential buildings with walls of stone on a mud mortar and adobe floor levels have been studied.
Despite the fact that during the construction of the late antique complex of a gate with a street flanked by porticoes and rooms in a chain plan, the structures from previous eras were destroyed, the discovered epigraphic monuments and architectural fragments of a representative nature testify to the performance of events related to religious activity and the veneration of the imperial cult.
Important architectural elements discovered here, such as the so-called frieze of the health-giving deities, a frieze-architraves depicting gladiatorial fights, and others, support the hypothesis of the presence of a building related to religious activities.
The exposed massive walls, which apparently belong to the layout of the gate from the 2nd century, were leveled and the late antique buildings were founded on them. The earlier urban planning scheme was abandoned, and the late antique complex was built on the leveled ruins at the beginning of the 4th century. The reason for this is the Gothic invasion of 251, during which Philippopolis was captured and burned, and a large part of its population was massacred. This tragic moment in the history of the ancient city has also found its mark on the terrain as a burned layer, destroyed buildings and structures, which necessitated later repairs to the fortress walls and adjacent terrain.
The archaeological complex of the Eastern Gate of Philippopolis occupies an important place in the urban structure of the ancient city. In the 30s of the 2nd century, an honorary arch was built here, associated with the possible visit of Emperor Hadrian.
After the construction of the fortress wall under Emperor Marcus Aurelius, the combination of the city gate and the arch lead to the conclusion that this was the official entrance to the city, through which emperors and officials entered. It is no coincidence that the bilingual inscription for the construction of the fortress in 172 AD was placed here.
After the disastrous Gothic invasion in 251 AD, the city gradually recovered, but this part of it was radically changed.
At the beginning of the 4th century, a new gate was built with a street, flanked by porticoes and rooms in a chain plan.
The gate was moved to the northeast, and the street was laid out over an abandoned section of the Markavrelian fortress wall.
The pylons of the arch are integrated into the late antique gate. Architectural details from it were reused in the construction.
The impressive street, with its width and architectural design, connects with the central part of the late antique city.
Small streets that descended from the Three Hills connected it with the East Gate complex.
It is obvious that this is the most prominent city gate, and the street that leads to it is the main entrance and exit artery of the antique city..
After leaving the gate, the street bends in a northeasterly direction, where remains of a bridge over the Hebros River (today the Maritsa) have been discovered. In the construction of the bridge, bases for statues (mostly from the 3rd century, most of them of emperors who suffered damnatio memoriae) were used as building material, which were probably taken for this purpose from the East Gate complex.
This direction is undoubtedly connected with the exit of the Diagonal Road (Via Diagonalis), connecting the cities of Singidunum (today Belgrade), Serdica (today Sofia), Philippopolis (today Plovdiv) and Constantinople (today Istanbul).
North of the gate, outside the city walls, a complex of buildings associated with the new Christian religion was formed in late antiquity.
The street that leads to the East Gate of Philippopolis impresses with its layout and monumentality.
Porticoes were built on both sides, which served as the architectural and volumetric framework of the complex.
The separate ambulatio on both sides of the street is a pedestrian area protected from weather influences, which leads to the two porticoes of the gate.
Behind the porticoes, rooms were built in a chain plan with entrances to the portico and the street.
The function of the rooms was probably of a commercial nature. The porticoes and the rooms in a chain plan are united under a common roof space.
The facade of the porticoes facing the street is decorated with a marble colonnade.
The marble architectural elements from the order were found in a collapsed state on the street.
Височината на портика достига до 7.64 метра.
A massive stylobate with a solid subtraction carries the marble colonnade.
The order is in the Roman-Corian style of free-standing columns on pedestals. Elements of earlier date were used, which is a characteristic feature of the late antique construction in Philippopolis.
The water supply system is made of clay pipes, laid in the porticoes next to the stylobate that carries the colonnade.
Between the columns and in front of the porticoes, on marble pedestals, were placed statues of emperors and honorary Philippopolis citizens of high social status.
The monumental design was particularly important and related to the function of the street as the main entrance and exit artery of Philippopolis.
The discovered late antique street differs from the other streets of Philippopolis. It is the widest street not only in the ancient city, but also in general discovered on the territory of Bulgaria from the Roman era, with a width of 13.20 meters. It is equipped with sidewalks, separated by curbs. The pavement is made of syenite slab stones, with a prominent axis line in the middle, along which there are preserved ruts from the continuous passage of vehicles, formed by the centuries-old use of chariots and carts.
The middle of the street is higher, apparently for the drainage of water at the edges.
The sewage channels are built into the paths of the two sidewalks – an unconventional solution for Philippopolis, where the channels are usually in the middle of the street. The sides of the channels are massive walls of stone, bonded with mortar, and the bottom is made of bricks.
The construction of the street followed Roman standards for road construction, with the pavement laid on a layer of river sand 0.50 meters thick, under which was formed a layer of crushed stones, also laid on a layer of river sand.
Built at the beginning of the 4th century AD, the architectural ensemble of a street with sidewalks and porticoes on both sides, which leads to one of the city gates, is consistent with the configuration of the terrain at the eastern foot of the Three Hills.
A small street descends with a large displacement from the hill and through one of the rooms in a chain plan from the west is included in the street with the colonnade. Both streets are not in sync with the planned orthogonal system of the city in the lowland and the built cardines-decumani streets, characteristic of the urban planning of Philippopolis during the Roman era.
The fortress wall of Philippopolis was built in 172 AD during the reign of Emperor Marcus Aurelius. It was part of the emperor's large-scale construction program to protect the cities in the province of Thrace of the Roman Empire from attacks by enemy tribes.
A basic principle in the construction of the outer fortification ring of Philippopolis was the inclusion of the existing fortifications of the Three Hills with a large part of the expanded city in the lowland. The construction of the Marcus Aurelius fortress wall is in the opus quadratum "Binder-Laufer" system - facing masonry of rusticated squares made of monolithic syenite blocks, placed longitudinally and transversely, connected in horizontal rows with U-shaped iron brackets soldered with lead.
We learn about the construction of the wall from the discovered bilingual inscription (in Latin and ancient Greek), which was placed at the most important entrance to Philippopolis. From the text it is clear that the fortress was built with funds allocated from the imperial treasury.
The inscription reads:
The Emperor Caesar Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus, conqueror of the Germans, high priest, with tribunician power for the twenty-sixth (?) time, five times proclaimed commander-in-chief, three times consul and father of the fatherland, built the fortress walls for the city of Philippopolis. Pantulaeus Graptiacus, imperial viceroy with the powers of praetor, was in charge of the construction.
Translation from the Latin
The most brilliant metropolis of Thrace, Philippopolis, built a fortress wall with funds provided to it by the most divine Emperor Caesar Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus, conqueror of the Germans…
Pantulaeus Graptiacus, imperial viceroy with the powers of praetor, was in charge of the construction and governed the province.
Translation from the ancient Greek
The placement of the bilingual inscription here emphasizes the importance of the East Gate itself as a place through which important figures and citizens from all over the empire passed when visiting Philippopolis.
When the late antique gate and the street leading to it were built at the beginning of the 4th century AD, part of the route of the Markavrelian fortress wall remained under the street.
The Eastern Gate of Philippopolis is not just another archaeological landmark, but a living textbook on history and architecture, which immerses visitors directly in the atmosphere of Roman Philippopolis.
The complex has undergone a large-scale conservation and restoration project. About 70% of the original material was used for the restoration of the magnificent colonnade, which is extremely rare in archaeological sites and makes the complex particularly valuable and authentic.
Today, the Archaeological Complex of the Eastern Gate of Philippopolis is open to visitors and is part of the most famous tourist routes in Plovdiv. It has been turned into a kind of open-air museum and is often used for cultural events.
The Archaeological Complex of the Eastern Gate of Philippopolis has been declared an archaeological monument of culture with a category of national importance.
Access to the Archaeological Complex of the East Gate of Philippopolis for visitors is unlimited and no entrance fee is required.
Inspired and in love with Plovdiv adventurers, opposite the Archaeological Complex of the Eastern Gate of Philippopolis is this image of King Philip II of Macedon, which I found for you on a monument located at the foot of the northeastern part of the Three Hills.
This monument is dedicated to the founding of Philippopolis (ancient Plovdiv) by Philip II of Macedon.
From here begins the steep cobblestone street "Tsanko Lavrenov", leading directly into the very heart of the Old Town - in the direction of the impressive and silent Hissar Kapiya gate - the charismatic gate, guarding millennial stories, and a bright and recognizable symbol of Plovdiv.
This is an integral and important part of our joint inquisitive Plovdiv walk, on which I most cordially invite you to accompany me!
How to get to the city of Plovdiv?
Imagine a city that has seen thousands of sunrises and sunsets, that has witnessed the rise and fall of empires, and that today proudly stands, telling its thousand-year history!
Welcome to Plovdiv – one of the most ancient cities in Europe!
Plovdiv is one of the best European tourist destinations!
Plovdiv is one of the best destinations for cultural tourism in Europe!
Dear travelers, get ready!
We will head to an extraordinary place where history is not just a series of dates, but if you reach out, you will touch it!
A place so old that it was born before legends, and so beautiful that it will steal your sleep.
When you step onto the smooth cobblestones of the narrow streets of the Old Town, you can't help but feel the breath of the past.
Every stone here, every house with carved facades, every hidden alley bears the imprint of Thracians, Romans, Byzantines, Ottomans.
Plovdiv is not just another tourist destination, it is an experience!
It is a place where you can drink your morning coffee in a square where Roman legions once marched!
It is a place where you can get lost among the Ancient Theater, which was a stage for gladiatorial fights and dramatic plays!
It is a place where you can admire the sunset from Nebet Tepe – the hill where it all began millennia ago!
Prepare your senses for a celebration – for the aroma of figs and old wood, for the whisper of centuries-old stones, for the bright colors of the Revival houses, and for the pulse of a city that lives in harmony between antiquity and modernity!
Plovdiv will enchant you, excite you, inspire you and make you fall in love.
Are you ready to immerse yourself in this fabulous reality?
Plovdiv stands on:
161 kilometers (about 2 hours and 6 minutes by car) from the capital
376 kilometers (about 4 hours and 14 minutes by car) from the city of Varna
254 kilometers (about 2 hours and 24 minutes by car) from the city of Burgas
How to get to the Archaeological Complex of the East Gate of Philippopolis?
The Eastern Gate of Philippopolis Archaeological Complex is located near Alexander Malinov Square and the intersection of Tsar Ivan Shishman, Maragidik, Stoycho Mushanov and Metropolitan Panaret streets.
And finally, my dear friends,
you shouldn't miss checking out
the special photo album with moments –
discovered, experienced, filmed and shared with you!
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