The Ancient Roman Walls of Hisarya

Located on the outskirts of the Sredna Gora mount arrive at , almost forty km northward of Plovdiv , inward Central Republic of Bulgaria , lies the ancient town of Hisarya , famous for its nearly 2 dozen mineral springs. This pocket-size wonder of nature has been attracting people since the prehistoric times , amongst traces of village hither that dates dorsum to at to the lowest degree the fourth century BC. It’s the healing waters of Hisarya’s springs in addition to its pleasant climate that brought the Romans to this house inward 46 AD. The Romans overthrew the Thracians in addition to Hisarya became a Roman town.

Not much happened for the adjacent 2 hundred in addition to 50 years , until Emperor Diocletian decided to promote Hisarya to the condition of a Roman metropolis , in addition to renamed it Diocletianopolis. At i time , at that topographic point were constructions all over Hisarya equally the pocket-size town tried to conform itself to the prestigious role. Buildings in addition to john menage were built , in addition to streets were put , but the most striking construction to receive got house were the massive fortification walls to a greater extent than or less the city.

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The southern gate of Hisarya’s Roman walls. Photo credit: Ramon/Flickr

The walls receive got a full length of 2.3 km , in addition to they completely enclose the sometime metropolis where most of the Roman structures reside. Aside from a few breaching at places , the walls are almost completely intact in addition to is i of the best preserved castle walls from the catamenia of Late Antiquity inward the Balkans in addition to inward Europe.

The walls are upwards to xi meters tall , in addition to at the southern gates , it’s taller notwithstanding , at xiii meters. Entrance to the metropolis was guarded yesteryear 4 impressive gates. The southern gate is nicknamed “The Camels” because when the arch of the gate broke inward the middle , it resembled 2 camels looking at each other , earlier it was partially repaired inward the 20th century.

There are Roman ruins everywhere. Public buildings , pocket-size amphitheater , the barracks of the Roman garrison , the foundations of a twain of the oldest churches inward Republic of Bulgaria , too equally the best-preserved Roman fortress inward Bulgaria.

Under the Romans dominion , Hisarya grew in addition to yesteryear the early on fourth century , amongst the advent of Christianity , it became an of import meat of this religion. By the fifth century , it was the tertiary largest metropolis inward the say later Plovdiv in addition to Stara Zagora.

After the autumn of Roman Empire , the prosperous metropolis declined in addition to turned into a pocket-size hamlet amongst simply a few inhabited houses. It was inward these , Turkish times , when Hisarya got its acquaint cite which inward Turkish agency "castle".

After the liberation of Republic of Bulgaria inward 1878 , Hisarya became prosperous i time once again when the mineral springs were re-discovered in addition to the house became a pop recreation spot. Today , it is i of best known spa town inward Bulgaria.

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