Letera Publishing House is pleased to invite the people of Plovdiv to the latest edition of "Spiritual Routes in Plovdiv 2024." This year, the routes will take place in two stages – in June and September-October. Once again, curious enthusiasts of literature, history, archaeology, and art will have the opportunity to explore new and interesting topics, presented in an engaging way by the best guides.

The "Spiritual Routes in Plovdiv 2024" project is funded by the Municipality of Plovdiv and is part of the city's Cultural Calendar.

The first route is dedicated to "The Forum of Philippopolis." The date is June 1, 2024, Saturday, at 10:30 AM. Meeting point: under the clock at the Central Post Office. Guide: archaeologist Maya Martinova-Kyutova.
Maya Martinova-Kyutova is a researcher of some of the most significant archaeological sites in Plovdiv, having participated in projects for the exhibition of the Odeon, Forum-North, the Stadium of Philippopolis, and the Eastern Gate.

The Agora (Forum) of Philippopolis was the commercial, administrative, and religious center of the ancient city, a place where the city's population gathered for meetings, debates, celebrations, and state affairs. The architectural remains are uncovered and displayed around the modern Central Post Office, covering an area of about 25 decares. The commercial part features an open-air square surrounded by porticoes with marble colonnades and chain-linked shops to the south, east, and west. On the northern side of the forum complex are public buildings for the needs of urban governance and other city life events. The Treasury Building is documented epigraphically. In the northeast corner, the Odeon Bouleuterion is revealed. To the west of it, the city library and the civil basilica were discovered. In the northern part of the Agora, many marble statue pedestals and inscriptions in Ancient Greek are displayed, which significantly contribute to the history of Philippopolis during the Roman era – such as the pedestal for a statue of Emperor Commodus and an imperial letter indicating a fine imposed on the city.

The second route is dedicated to "The Small Basilica and the Eastern Gate of Philippopolis." The date is June 8, 2024, Saturday, starting at 10:30 AM. Meeting point: in front of the entrance to the Small Basilica. Guide: archaeologist Maya Martinova-Kyutova.
The Small Basilica was located on the eastern outskirts of fortified Philippopolis. The basilica is uncovered and displayed with part of the fortress wall, a rectangular tower, and an ancient street. It is a three-nave building with an apse to the east and an attached chapel to the south. It had two construction periods, dated to the 5th–6th century. During the second construction period, internal remodeling was carried out, the floor level was raised, a marble ambo was installed, a synthronon was built, and a narthex was formed. In the northeastern corner of the building, a baptistery with a cruciform piscina and a mosaic floor was added. The 5th-century basilica floor is covered with polychrome mosaics in opus tesselatum technique, featuring images of vases, rosettes, Solomon's knots, and more. In the central nave, in front of the altar barrier, a dedicatory inscription is placed in a tabula ansata. The mosaic in the baptistery was laid in the 6th century over an earlier brick floor, depicting figures of two deer and a pair of doves – traditional early Christian symbols. The Eastern Gate of Philippopolis is one of the most important architectural ensembles from Antiquity in Plovdiv. A street 13.20 meters wide, with sidewalks and porticoes on both sides, leads to one of the city's gates. The gate is a tripylon with one central and two small entrances. The complex, with its 4th-century layout, is built over the demolished 2nd-century fortress wall. The "Eastern Gate" holds a crucial place in Philippopolis' defensive system. The monumental design of the architectural ensemble proves it was the most prominent city gate, and the street leading to it was the main entrance and exit artery of the ancient city.