Roman Forum (2nd part) - Odeon

The Roman Odeon is part of the ancient Forum complex of Philippopolis, the old name of Plovdiv and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Europe. Set in the heart of the modern city, beside the central square, this small roofed theatre is a vivid reminder of the era when Plovdiv was a major Roman centre in the province of Thrace.

What to see The Odeon was a small theatre-type building used for meetings of the city council, musical recitals and performances. Today you can see the semicircular seating, the stage area and the foundations, carefully restored to suggest the original form. Alongside stretch the ruins of the Roman Forum, the centre of public, commercial and administrative life in ancient Philippopolis, with traces of paved streets, colonnades and public buildings. The site gives a tangible sense of Roman urban planning layered beneath the city of today.

Practical The site sits in central Plovdiv, easily reached on foot from the main pedestrian zone and very close to other Roman landmarks, such as the magnificent Ancient Theatre on the hill above. A visit pairs naturally with a stroll through the Old Town and its Bulgarian Revival houses. Morning or late-afternoon light shows the ancient stone at its best. Being open-air and in the very centre, the place can be taken in freely as you pass; check the on-site information panels for historical details.