Roman Forum (Plovdiv) Roman Forum (Plovdiv) The Roman forum of Philippopolis (; , "Rimski forum na Plovdiv") is a rectangular forum (plaza) surrounded by the ruins of several ancient administrative buildings at the center of the city of Plovdiv. It was the center of public, administrative, commercial and religious life in the ancient city. Meetings, discussions, celebrations and state events were held there. The forum covers an area of 20 ha (11 ha revealed) which makes it the largest of its kind in Bulgaria. The ancient city center was built in the 1st century AD during the reign of Emperor Vespasian when ancient
Plovdiv in Silistra Eyalet between 1593 and 1826, the sanjak centre in Eyalet of Adrianople between 1826 and1867 and the sanjak centre of Edirne Vilayet between 1867 and 1878. During that period Plovdiv was a major economic center along with Constantinople, Edirne, and Thessaloniki. The richer citizens constructed beautiful houses many of which can still be seen in the Architectural reserve Old Plovdiv. Under the rule of the Ottoman Empire, Filibe (as the city was known at that time) was a focal point for the Bulgarian national movement and survived as one of the major cultural centers for Bulgarian culture and