The Bishop’s Basilica of Philippopolis

Ancient meets modern

Located directly on top of an archaeological site that dates to Roman antiquity and extends through the Middle Ages, the Bishop’s Basilica of Philippopolis, present-day Plovdiv in Bulgaria, is a remarkable cultural heritage site. It was discovered during rescue archaeological excavations. The basilica was built over former monumental buildings and functioned from the middle ot the 4th century until the end of the 6th century and during the Middle Ages a Christian necropolis was built over its ruins. It is about 83 m long and 36 m wide, which makes it the largest 4th-6th century basilica in Bulgaria and one of the largest on the Balkans. The Bishop`s Basilica of Philippopolis is unique provides priceless information about the history of early Christianity. The visitor center of the restored basilica opened its doors to visitors in April 2021 and revealed over 2,000 sq.m. Roman mosaics from the IV-VI century AD, exhibited on two levels. The project for the restoration of the Bishop’s Basilica began in 2014.