Odeon of Philippopolis
Location | Plovdiv, Bulgaria |
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Coordinates | 42°08′37″N 24°45′01″E / 42.143607°N 24.750396°E |
Type | Odeon |
History | |
Material | bricks, marble, stone |
Founded | 2nd century AD |
Abandoned | 4th century AD |
Periods | Roman Empire |
Site notes | |
Excavation dates | 1988 |
Condition | Restored |
Ownership | Plovdiv Municipality |
Public access | Yes |
The Odeon of Philippopolis (Bulgarian: Одеон на Филипополис) was the house of the city council of citizens (known as bouleuterion) of ancient Plovdiv.
It was also used as a theatre due to its appropriate structure. The Odeon buildings had four construction periods: from the 2nd century AD (during the reign of Hadrian) when it was initially built to the 4th century AD when it was abandoned. The existence of such a building in ancient Plovdiv is a sign for the importance of Philippopolis as a cultural and political centre.
Evidence of the 250/1 destruction by the Goths has been discovered around the Odeon.[1]
Location
The Odeon of Philippopolis was discovered near General Gurko street in the northeastern corner of the
The Odeon
Part of a series on the ancient city of |
Philippopolis |
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Buildings and structures |
Public
Religious Fortification
Residential
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Related topics |
The Odeon was a rectangular building which comprise typical elements for roofed theatres like
The orchestra had a horseshoe shape which was typical for Roman provinces. In the last construction period of the Odeon, however, size of the orchestra was reduced and its shape became semicircular. The floor was made of large marble slabs surrounded by marble orthostates near the cavea.[2] A wall around the Eastern end of the orchestra supported the lowest part the cavea.
The cavea surrounds the Eastern side of orchestra and had between 300 and 350 spectator seats
Conservation and restoration
The Odeon of Philippopolis was discovered in 1988 by the archeologist Z. Dimitrov and Maya Martinova. In 1995 the ancient monument was listed as a cultural value of national significance. Conservation works were carried out in 2002 with the financial support from the Leventis foundation.