site.btaOne of Largest Roman Buildings in Bulgaria Found during Excavations in Central Sofia

One of Largest Roman Buildings in Bulgaria Found during Excavations in Central Sofia

Sofia, August 5 (BTA) - During excavations in central Sofia's Sveta Nedelya Square, archaeologists have found one of the largest buildings dating from Roman times that has ever been unearthed in the territory of Bulgaria. This is presumably either the praetorium, or palace of Emperor Constantine the Great (reigned AD 306-312), or the thermae of Serdica, City Hall said in a press release, covering an inspection that Mayor Yordanka Fandakova carried out at the site of the research.

The excavations are still at an early stage, but the ancient architectural ruins found shed new light on the urban development of central Serdica in the 2nd - 6th century AD). A huge-size building by the standards of the ancient city rose where the forum was presumably located. Peculiarities of the massive walls of the building suggest that it was used for a long period of time, undergoing various repairs and remodellings. Fragments of marble facing tiles and architectural details show that the building was lavishly decorated.

Over the last five years, Sofia Municipality has invested some 8 million leva in the unearthing and exhibiting of the city's cultural and historical heritage, Fandakova said.

A purposeful and large-scale exploration of Sveta Nedelya Square is being carried out for the first time, on 133,000 leva just for the first stage, provided under the Culture Programme, the Mayor pointed out. In just two weeks since the launch of the project, archaeologists have uncovered a fairly large space and have located finds important for the city.