Escape to myself

Another sunny day in this always surprising town. I realised I had only seen half of the Roman architecture it had to offer. So off I went to get my fill of culture. The bishops basilica was sadly closed but nothing daunted I went to see the small one. The authorities here know how to curate their heritage. Beautifully maintained the ground plan was visible and the mosaics fresh as the day they were created.

Then, in an underpass, the site of a Roman villa again with beautiful mosaic floors. It was so well presented and everything clearly explained.

Split in half by a busy road one half if the Forum was displayed excellently and with care while the other was a little overgrown but interesting. The centre of the town of Philippopolis , it gave an insight into the lives of those of our forbears 2000 years ago: their economy, worship and daily lives. Maybe not much different from our own. Human nature’s desires and longings perhaps remain constant.

After exploring the distant past I wanted to get an insight into the later culture if the city inThe eighteenth and nineteenth centuries when the ottoman empire was in decline but Plovdiv’s merchant class was thriving. Turks, Armenians and Bulgarians created a powerful network of trade and new architectural style. This is evidenced by their opulent and exquisitely decorated courtyard homes in what has been described Ottoman Baroque. I’ve posted some picture before but here are a couple more.

The ceilings and frescoes were pretty stunning in their spacious settings and the courtyards redolent of the Ottoman past and culture with fountains and enclosure. I loved the women’s gossip room which had windows open to the street where they could observe the world over tea and sweetmeats. The extravagance of some rooms and their arrangement gave clues to the way in which life was lived. To have had the opportunity to stay in one of these houses at the hostel has been a privilege.

The evening brought a conversation with Sara, an Italian cycling to Istanbul and a chance to try a little if my terrible Italian. A good day of idle wandering and thinking.