Europe 2019 - Day 37 (Part 2)

12 June 2019, Wednesday

Let me start with the Roman Empire and the ancient Serdica complex. Whilst digging to build a metro station, the people here found an ancient Roman city. Upon investigations, they found that this ancient city dates back to the 4th or 5th century, but was probably founded way back in the 1st century when the Romans first came here, and they named their city Serdica. 

They chose this spot because it was a gateway connecting East and West - west to Western Europe, and east to Istanbul, Middle East, Asia. Indeed, we actually stood on this ancient road. I love it! To walk on the same road walked by other humans thousands of years ago! To imagine an old city come to life. To get a fleeting glance of how life once used to be; contrasted with how life is today. They must have thought they had it all, just like we think we have it all now. 

Another reason they chose this place to build a city was because of the abundant natural hot mineral springs around here, which they believed had healing properties. The ancient city comprised of luxurious villas, sewage and drainage systems, water-conduit, paved streets, baths (near the mineral springs) and latrine, etc.

Even before the Romans arrived, there was already some kind of civilisation there - an old Thracian settlement of the Bronze Age, probably from the 1st century BC. Then in the 1st century AD, it became the military and administrative centre of the Roman province of Thrace. Roman Serdica had its golden age during the reign of Constantine I the Great (307-337).

Around the Serdica complex was the St George Rotunda. This is an orthodox temple built in the 4th century as a rotunda and declared as a church in the 6th century. The building is the oldest preserved from the time of Emperor Constantine I the Great, and it’s still standing! During the early Christian age it served as a baptisterium. It was transformed into a church in the 6th century during the reign of Justinian the Great (527-565) and painted for the first time. Since 2009, the restored rotunda is an active church; there is a daily worship performed in the Old Bulgarian language. Close to it was another ancient building called the St Patrick Church, it was built on top of the ruins of the Roman Empire probably in the 11th century or thereabouts.

The Bulgarian government decided to keep the Roman ruins in tact, and the metro station was built below it. It’s actually pretty cool. 21st century transportation beside 4th century architecture.