site.btaRestored Nebet Tepe Archaeological Complex in Plovdiv Opens for Visitors

The restored Nebet Tepe archaeological complex in Bulgaria’s city of Plovdiv was officially opened on March 20 for visitors. The sites, Nebet Tepe and the ancient complex of the East Gate of Philippopolis, are part of the Along the Fortress Walls of Philippopolis project of the Municipality of Plovdiv, financed under Operational Programme Regions in Growth 2014-2020 through the European Fund for Regional Development. Work on it, with the total cost of the project amounting to BGN 9.3 million, started in 2022.

Nebet Tepe is one of the hills of Plovdiv where the ancient city was founded, with the earliest settlements on Nebet Tepe dating back to 4000 BC.

Nebet Tepe is one of the most iconic historical sites in Plovdiv and an important piece of Plovdiv’s UNESCO-listed Old Town.

It is one of the three main hills (or tepes) in the Old Town, also known as "Trimontium", the ancient city built on three hills.  Settlements here date back to the Bronze Age (around 4000 BC).

The hill was the location of the first fortified settlement, which later evolved into the ancient city of Philippopolis (under the Thracians and later the Romans). Archaeological findings show layers from Thracian, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman periods.
The Nebet Tepe ruins include portions of a water cistern and elements of defensive structures from different eras.

Nebet Tepe offers panoramic views of modern Plovdiv and is a favorite spot for locals and tourists alike to catch a sunset or explore the ruins.

"Nebet Tepe is not just a symbol of the city, but also proof of the efforts and endeavors for the cultural historical heritage of Plovdiv," Plovdiv Mayor Kostadin Dimitrov said. He underlined that the complex, which tells history and presents the millennium old Plovdiv, expands the archaeological attractions of the oldest continuously inhabited city in Europe. Plovdiv is not just a symbol of culture, it is a combination of history and contemporariness, Dimitrov added. He thanked the archeologists, architects, designers, restorers who worked on the site, as well as his predecessors Ivan Totev and Zdravko Dimitrov.

Deputy Minister of Culture, Todor Chobanov, underlined that Nebet Tepe is not just an archeological site and one of the many old sites in Bulgaria, but a sacred place where the spirit of generations of the city's inhabitants amassed through the millennia. "Under our feet there are traces of all civilizations that existed on Bulgarian lands and the Balkans," Chobanov said.

One of the main qualities of the site is the possibility to see amazing panoramic views, architect Roumiana Proykova, restoration project leader, said. She reminded the visitors that work on the project had started in 1994 and added that it will continue "because there are fabulous archeological treasures here." The archeological sites on Nebet Tepe are monuments of culture of national importance, Proykova pointed out. In her words, the purpose of the exhibiting of the finds was for them to be presented in their authentic form, in harmony with the surroundings.

The head of the archeological excavations, Sofia Hristeva, said that during the last excavations a large part of the fortification, the wall of Nebet Tepe, a street, ancient buildings, some of them farm buildings were uncovered. "Among the most interesting finds is the medieval necropolis from the 13-14th century which we only suspected existed," Hristeva said.

Bulgarian football legend Hristo Stoichkov was a guest of the event. He said that as a local he is proud to step on this emblematic for the city spot.

The official opening included a short musical program with the participation of the choir to the Academy of Music, Dance and Fine Arts "Professor Asen Diamandiev" - Plovdiv, with conductor Nikolai Gurbanov, and vocal pedagogist Associate Professor Danka Tsvetkova, the Percussion Ensemble "Presto" to the National School of Music and Dance "Dobrin Petkov," with artistic director Pencho Penchev and prominent violinist Maestro Micho Dimitrov.

Nebet Tepe will be managed by the Plovdiv Regional Archaeological Museum, and tour guides will give specialized talks to interested groups and individual tourists from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the summer and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the winter. Access to the complex for visitors is free.