Night of museums and galleries (Plovdiv) Night of museums and galleries (Plovdiv) The Long Night of Museums was held for the first time in Berlin in 1997. Since then a similar format has been adopted all over the continent under different names. Today more than 120 cities in Europe organize their local "Night", an event which has turned into popular cultural events. "The Night of Museums" in Bulgaria was held for the first time on 30 September 2005 in the city of Plovdiv. It is now called Share the Night and is three days of art performances in galleries, cafes, and public spaces all over the
History of Plovdiv tradition. The name "Plovdiv" first appeared around that time and is derived from the city's Thracian name "Pulpudeva" (assumed to be a translation of Philippopolis, from Pulpu = Philippou and deva = city), which was rendered by the Slavs first as "Pəldin" ("Пълдин") or "Pləvdin". Under the rule of the Ottoman Empire, Plovdiv was a focal point for the Bulgarian national movement. During that period Plovdiv was an economic center along with Constantinople, Odrin and Thessaloniki. Due to trade, the emerging Bulgarian bourgeoisie became significant in the society. Trading with Russia and Europe these people experienced political and cultural influences.