Great Basilica, Plovdiv

42°08′39″N 24°45′10″E / 42.144118°N 24.752732°E / 42.144118; 24.752732

Bishop's Basilica of Philippopolis
Епископска базилика на Филипопол
bishop's basilica plovdiv
The Bishop's Basilica of Philippopolis
Map of Plovdiv city center
Map of Plovdiv city center
Bishop's basilica
Shown within Plovdiv City Center
LocationPlovdiv, Bulgaria
Coordinates42°08′39″N 24°45′10″E / 42.144118°N 24.752732°E / 42.144118; 24.752732
TypeBasilica
Length86.4 m
Width38.5 m
History
MaterialRoman brick, marble
Founded4th century AD
AbandonedLate 6th century
PeriodsLate Antiquity
CulturesRoman Empire
Site notes
Excavation dates1982–1985, 2015–2019
ArchaeologistsElena Kesyakova
Conditionunder excavation and restoration
OwnershipPlovdiv Municipality

The Bishop's Basilica of Philippopolis, also known as the Great Basilica, (Bulgarian: Епископска базилика на Филипопол) is a ruined church from the ancient city of Philippopolis in Plovdiv and built in the mid-4th century AD.[1] It is the largest late antique early-Christian church discovered in Bulgaria and one of the largest from that period on the Balkans.[2][3] Its architecture included a central and two side naves, an apse, a narthex (anteroom), and a colonnaded atrium (inner court). A marble-decorated presbyterium (a platform for the bishop and the clergy) rose in the central nave.

The Great Basilica with its magnificent floor mosaics has been excavated over many years and is now preserved in a new museum (2021).[4]

  1. ^ [1] www.plovdivmosaics.org
  2. ^ Kesyakova, Elena; Pizhev A.; Shivachev S.; Petrova N. (1999). A Book for Plovdiv. Plovdiv: Polygraph. pp. 54–57. ISBN 954-9529-27-4.
  3. ^ http://www.svetimesta.com (in Bulgarian) The Bishop's basilica in Plovdiv
  4. ^ 4th Century Bishop’s Basilica with Marvelous Early Christian Bird Mosaics Opened for Visitors Bulgaria’s Plovdiv in Big Restoration Project http://archaeologyinbulgaria.com/2021/04/18/4th-century-bishops-basilica-with-marvelous-early-christian-bird-mosaics-opened-for-visitors-bulgarias-plovdiv-in-big-restoration-project-with-us-funding/#more-15280 Archived 2021-04-18 at the Wayback Machine