View source for Plovdiv

{{Short description|Oldest and second-largest city in Bulgaria}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2018}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name      = Plovdiv
| native_name        = {{Nobold|Пловдив|italics=off}}
| settlement_type    = [[List of cities and towns in Bulgaria|City]]
| image_skyline      = Plovdivcollage.png
| imagesize          = 270
| image_caption      = From top, left to right:
Plovdiv on the banks of Maritsa • The old town at night • A street in the old town • The central street • A street • City Hall • [[Roman theatre of Philippopolis|Plovdiv Roman Theatre]] • Saint Marina Church • The baths and the Cyril and Methodius Church • [[Dzhumaya Mosque]] • Fountain
| image_flag         = Plovdiv flag.svg
| flag_size          = 110px
| image_shield       = Plovdiv-coat-of-arms.svg
| shield_size        = 70px
| nickname           = The city of the seven hills<br />{{native name|bg|Градът на седемте хълма}}<br />''Gradăt na sedemte hălma''{{spaces|1}}<small>(transliteration)</small>
| motto              = Ancient and eternal<br />{{native name|bg|Древен и вечен}}<br />''Dreven i vechen''{{spaces|1}}<small>(transliteration)</small>
| mapsize            = 
| map_caption        = 
| pushpin_map        = Bulgaria#Balkans#Europe
| pushpin_map_caption = Location of Plovdiv within [[Bulgaria]]
| coordinates        = {{coord|42|9|N|24|45|E|region:BG|display=inline}}
| subdivision_type   = [[Country]]
| subdivision_name   = [[Bulgaria]]
| subdivision_type1  = [[Provinces of Bulgaria|Province]]
| subdivision_type2  = [[Municipalities of Bulgaria|Municipalities]]
| subdivision_name1  = [[Plovdiv Province|Plovdiv]]
| subdivision_name2  = Plovdiv-city
| leader_title       = [[List of mayors of Plovdiv|Mayor]]
| leader_name        = Kostadin Dimitrov ([[GERB]])
| area_total_km2     = 101.98
| elevation_m        = 164
| population_as_of   = 15 June 2024
| population_footnotes = <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nsi.bg/en/node/13035|title=Population and Demographic Processes in 2014 (Final data) – National statistical institute|website=www.nsi.bg|access-date=8 December 2015|archive-date=15 November 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161115165503/http://www.nsi.bg/en/node/13035|url-status=live}}</ref>
| population_total   = 490,983
| population_blank1_title = [[Urban area|Urban]]
| population_blank1  = 520,499<ref name="Urban area population - Budapest">{{cite web|url=http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-datasets/-/urb_lpop1|title=Functional Urban Areas – Population on 1 January by age groups and sex|work=[[Eurostat]]|date=1 April 2016|access-date=12 April 2016|archive-date=23 April 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160423092357/http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-datasets/-/urb_lpop1|url-status=live}}</ref>
| population_blank2_title = Metro
| population_blank2  = 675,586<ref name="European Metropolitan regions">{{cite web|title=Population on 1 January by broad age group, sex and metropolitan regions|url=http://appsso.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/nui/show.do?dataset=met_pjanaggr3&lang=en|website=eurostat.ec|publisher=Eurostat|date=8 October 2017|access-date=26 October 2017|archive-date=3 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181203055500/http://appsso.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/nui/show.do?dataset=met_pjanaggr3&lang=en|url-status=live}}</ref>
| population_demonym = Plovdivchanin (m.) <br/> Plovdivchanka (f.) <br/> Пловдивчанин/Пловдивчанка ([[Bulgarian language|bg]])
| postal_code_type   = Postal code
| postal_code        = 4000
| area_code          = (+359) 032
| unemployment_rate  = 
| website            = {{URL|https://www.plovdiv.bg/|plovdiv.bg}}
| footnotes          = 
| timezone           = [[Eastern European Time|EET]]
| utc_offset         = +2
| timezone_DST       = [[Eastern European Summer Time|EEST]]
| utc_offset_DST     = +3
| blank_name         = [[Car plates]]
| blank_info         = PB
| name               = 
}}

'''Plovdiv''' ({{langx|bg|Пловдив}}, {{IPA|bg|ˈpɫɔvdif|pron}}) is the [[List of cities and towns in Bulgaria|second-largest city]] in [[Bulgaria]], 144 km (93 miles) southeast of the capital [[Sofia]]. It had a population of 490,983 {{As of|2024|lc=y||df=US}} and 675,000 in the greater metropolitan area. Plovdiv is a cultural hub in Bulgaria and was the [[European Capital of Culture]] in 1999 and 2019. The city is an important economic, transport, cultural, and educational centre. Plovdiv joined the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities in 2016.

== Archeological symbols of Plovdiv ==

Plovdiv is in a fertile region of south-central Bulgaria on the two banks of the [[Maritsa River]]. The city has historically developed on seven [[syenite]] hills, some of which are {{convert|250|m|abbr=off}} high. Because of these hills, Plovdiv is often referred to in Bulgaria as "The City of the Seven Hills". There is evidence of habitation in the area dating back to the 6th millennium BCE, when the first [[Neolithic]] settlements were established. The city was subsequently a [[Thracians|Thracian]] settlement, later being conquered and ruled also by [[Achaemenid Empire|Persians]], [[Ancient Macedonians]], [[Celtic settlement of Southeast Europe|Celts]], [[Ancient Rome|Romans]], [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantines]], [[Goths]], [[Huns]], [[Bulgarians]], [[Thraco-Roman]]s, [[Bulgars]], [[Seven Slavic tribes|Slavic tribes]], [[Latin Empire|Crusaders]], and [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman Turks]].<ref name="plovdiv1"/>

Philippopolis ([[Greek language|Greek]]: Φιλιππούπολις) was founded as a ''[[polis]]'' by the father of [[Alexander the Great]], [[Philip the Great]] ({{Reign|359|336|era=BCE}}), the king of ancient [[Macedonia (ancient kingdom)|Macedonia]], settling there both Thracians and 2,000 [[Ancient Macedonians|Macedonians]] ([[Ancient Greeks|Greeks]]) in 342 BCE.<ref name=":0">{{Citation|last=Hammond|first=Nicholas Geoffrey Lemprière|title=Philippopolis|url=https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780199545568.001.0001/acref-9780199545568-e-4980|work=The Oxford Classical Dictionary|volume=|pages=|year=2012|editor-last=Hornblower|editor-first=Simon|edition=4th|publisher=Oxford University Press|language=en|doi=10.1093/acref/9780199545568.001.0001|isbn=978-0-19-954556-8|access-date=2020-12-27|author-link=N. G. L. Hammond|editor2-last=Spawforth|editor2-first=Antony|editor3-last=Eidinow|editor3-first=Esther|archive-date=29 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210529150559/https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780199545568.001.0001/acref-9780199545568-e-4980|url-status=live|url-access=subscription}}</ref> Control of the city alternated between the Macedonian kingdom and the Thracian [[Odrysian kingdom]] during the [[Hellenistic period]]; the Macedonian king [[Philip V of Macedon|Philip V]] ({{Reign|221|179|era=BCE}}) reoccupied the city in 183 BCE and his successor [[Perseus of Macedon|Perseus]] ({{Reign|179|168|era=BCE}}) held the city with the Odrysians until the [[Roman Republic]] conquered the Macedonian kingdom in 168 BCE.<ref name=":0" /> Philippopolis became the capital of the [[Roman province]] of [[Thracia]].<ref name=":0" /> The city was at the centre of the road network of inland Thrace, and the strategic ''[[Via Militaris]]'' was crossed by several other roads at the site, leading to the [[Danube]], the [[Aegean Sea]], and the [[Black Sea]]. The [[Roman emperor]] [[Marcus Aurelius]] ({{Reign|161|180|era=CE}}) built a new [[Defensive wall|wall]] around the city.<ref name=":0" />

In [[Late Antiquity]], Philippopolis was an important stronghold, but was sacked in 250 during the [[Crisis of the Third Century]],<ref name=":0" /> after the [[Siege of Philippopolis (250)|Siege of Philippopolis]] by the [[Goths]] led by [[Cniva]]. After this the settlement contracted, though it remained a major city, with the city walls rebuilt and new Christian [[basilicas]] and [[Roman baths]] constructed in the 4th century.<ref name=":1">{{Citation|last=Kazhdan|first=Alexander P.|title=Philippopolis|url=https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780195046526.001.0001/acref-9780195046526-e-4300|work=The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium|volume=|pages=|year=2005|editor-last=Kazhdan|editor-first=Alexander P.|orig-date=1991|edition=online|publisher=Oxford University Press|language=en|doi=10.1093/acref/9780195046526.001.0001|isbn=978-0-19-504652-6|access-date=2020-12-27|author-link=Alexander Kazhdan|archive-date=29 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210529150600/https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780195046526.001.0001/acref-9780195046526-e-4300|url-status=live|url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Citation|last=Rizos|first=Efthymios|title=Philippopolis|url=https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780198662778.001.0001/acref-9780198662778-e-3702|work=The Oxford Dictionary of Late Antiquity|volume=|pages=|year=2018|editor-last=Nicholson|editor-first=Nicholson|edition=online|publisher=Oxford University Press|language=en|doi=10.1093/acref/9780198662778.001.0001|isbn=978-0-19-866277-8|access-date=2020-12-27|archive-date=6 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201206144218/https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780198662778.001.0001/acref-9780198662778-e-3702|url-status=live}}</ref> The city was again sacked by the [[Huns]] in 441/442, and the walls were again rebuilt.<ref name=":2" /> Roman Philippopolis resisted another attack, by the [[Pannonian Avars|Avars]] in the 580s, after the walls were renewed yet again by [[Justinian the Great]] ({{Reign|527|565}}).<ref name=":2" />

In the [[Middle Ages]], Philippopolis fell to the [[Bulgars]] of the [[First Bulgarian Empire]] in 863, during the reign of [[Boris I]] ({{Reign|852|889}}), having been briefly abandoned by the Christian inhabitants in 813 during a dispute with the ''[[Khan of Bulgaria|khan]]'' [[Krum]] ({{Reign|{{circa|803}}|814}}).<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":1" /> During the [[Byzantine–Bulgarian wars]], the emperor [[Basil the Bulgar-Slayer]] ({{Reign|960|1025}}) used Philippopolis as a major strategic fortification, governed by the ''[[protospatharios]]'' [[Nikephoros Xiphias]].<ref name=":1" /> In the middle 11th century, the city was attacked by the [[Pechenegs]], who occupied it briefly around 1090.<ref name=":1" /> The city continued to prosper, with the walls restored in the 12th century, during which the historian and politician [[Niketas Choniates]] was its governor and the physician [[Michael Italikos]] was its [[metropolitan bishop]].<ref name=":1" />

According to the Latin historian of the [[Fourth Crusade]], [[Geoffrey of Villehardouin]], Philippopolis was the third largest city in the Byzantine Empire, after [[Constantinople]] ([[Istanbul]]) and [[Thessalonica]] ([[Thessaloniki]]).<ref name=":1" /> It suffered damage from the armies passing through the city during the [[Crusades]] as well as from sectarian violence between the [[Eastern Orthodox]] and the [[Armenian Orthodox]] and [[Paulician]] denominations.<ref name=":1" /> The city was destroyed by [[Kaloyan of Bulgaria]] ({{Reign|1196|1207}}) in 1206 and rebuilt thereafter.<ref name=":1" /> In 1219, the city became the capital of the Crusader [[Duchy of Philippopolis]], part of the [[Latin Empire]].<ref name=":1" /> The [[Second Bulgarian Empire]] recovered the city in 1263, but lost it to Byzantine control before recapturing it in 1323.<ref name=":1" /> The [[Ottoman Empire]] conquered Philippopolis ({{langx|tr|Filibe}}) in 1363 or 1364.<ref name=":1" /> During the 500 years of Ottoman rule, Filibe served as one of the important commercial and transportation nodes in the Ottoman Balkans. It also played a role as an administrative centre of various [[sanjak]]s and [[eyalet]]s.

On 4 January 1878, at the end of the [[Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878)]], Plovdiv was taken away from Ottoman rule by the [[Russian Empire|Russian]] army. It remained within the borders of Bulgaria until July of the same year, when it became the capital of the autonomous Ottoman region of [[Eastern Rumelia]]. In 1885, Plovdiv and Eastern Rumelia [[Bulgarian unification|joined]] Bulgaria.

There are many preserved ruins such as the ancient [[Plovdiv Roman theatre]], a Roman [[odeon (building)|odeon]], a [[Roman aqueduct]], the [[Plovdiv Roman Stadium]], the archaeological complex Eirene, and others. Plovdiv is host to a huge variety of cultural events such as the [[International Fair Plovdiv]], the international theatrical [[festival]] "A stage on a crossroad", the TV festival "The golden chest", and many more novel festivals, such as Night/Plovdiv in September, Kapana Fest, and Opera Open. The oldest American educational institution outside the [[United States]], the [[American College of Sofia]], was founded in Plovdiv in 1860 and later moved to Sofia.

==Etymology==
[[File:Teritoriul onomastic al elementului dava - Sorin Olteanu.jpg|thumb|left|Ancient settlements with names related to "deva". Pulpudeva denotes Plovdiv in which the latter name is rooted.]]
[[File:Thraciae-veteris-typvs.jpg|thumb|left|Map describing the city as "Philippopolis, que et Poneropolis, Duloupolis, Eumolpiada, item Trimontium, at que Pulpudena"]]
Plovdiv has been given various names throughout its long history. The [[Odrysian kingdom|Odrysian]] capital ''Odryssa'' ({{langx|grc|Οδρυσσα}}, is suggested to have been modern Plovdiv by numismatic research<ref name=arc/><ref>[http://sofiaculture.com/obekti/index.php?idxP=4&pT=2&wT=37 Odrison] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304213507/http://sofiaculture.com/obekti/index.php?idxP=4&pT=2&wT=37 |date=4 March 2016 }}</ref> or [[Odrin]].<ref name="academia"/>
The Greek historian [[Theopompus]]<ref name=theopompi>{{cite web |url=http://heml.mta.ca/lace/sidebysideview2/8316488 |title=Index |access-date=4 June 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160630065827/http://heml.mta.ca/lace/sidebysideview2/8316488 |archive-date=30 June 2016 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> mentioned it in the 4th century BCE as a town named ''Poneropolis'' ({{langx|grc|Πονηρόπολις}}) "town of villains") in pejorative relation to the conquest by king [[Philip II of Macedon]] who is said to have settled the town with 2,000 men who were false-accusers, sycophants, lawyers, and other possible disreputables.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc%3DPerseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0198%3Abook%3D7%3Achapter%3D6 |title=Strabo, Geography, Book 7, chapter 6 |access-date=4 June 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150226101717/http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0198%3Abook%3D7%3Achapter%3D6 |archive-date=26 February 2015  }} 32 quote</ref> According to [[Plutarch]], the town was named by this king after he had populated it with a crew of rogues and vagabonds,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A2008.01.0292%3Asection%3D10 |title=Plutarch, de curiositate, section 10 |website=www.perseus.tufts.edu |access-date=22 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170216050213/http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A2008.01.0292%3Asection%3D10 |archive-date=16 February 2017 }}</ref> but this is possibly a folk name that did not actually exist.<ref name="academia"/> The names ''Dulon polis''  ({{langx|grc|Δουλωνπολις}} "slaves' town") and possibly ''Moichopolis'' ({{langx|grc|Μοιχοπολις}} "adulterer's town") likely have similar origins.{{citation needed|date=November 2017}}

The city has been called ''Philippopolis'' (Φιλιππόπολις) {{IPA|grc|pʰilipopolis|pron}}; Modern {{langx|el|Φιλιππούπολη|Philippoupoli}} {{IPA|grc|filipupoli|pron}}) or "the city of Philip", from {{langx|grc|Φίλοππος|Philippos}} "horse-lover", most likely in honor of [[Philip II of Macedon]]<ref name=col>{{cite encyclopedia |url=https://www.questia.com/read/1E1-Plovdiv/plovdiv |title= Plovdiv |encyclopedia=The Columbia Encyclopedia |edition=6th |access-date=13 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304090405/https://www.questia.com/read/1E1-Plovdiv/plovdiv |archive-date=4 March 2016  }}</ref> after his death or in honor of [[Philip V of Macedon|Philip V]],<ref name=arc>[http://www.archaeologicalmuseumplovdiv.org/_m1709/The%20Collection Arch museum] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160327063340/http://www.archaeologicalmuseumplovdiv.org/_m1709/The%20Collection |date=27 March 2016 }}</ref><ref name="pld"/> as this name was first mentioned in the 2nd century BCE by [[Polybius]] in connection with the campaign of Philip V.<ref name=arc/><ref name="pld">[http://www.desant.net/show-news/32250/ Kamen Kolev] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305022530/http://www.desant.net/show-news/32250/ |date=5 March 2016 }}</ref> ''Philippopolis'' was identified later by [[Plutarch]] and [[Pliny the Elder|Pliny]] as the former ''Poneropolis''. [[Strabo]] identified Philip II's settlement of most "evil, wicked" (Modern {{langx|el|πονηροτάτους|ponerotatous}} ) as Calybe ([[Kabyle (ancient city)|Kabyle]]),<ref>[https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Strabo/7F*.html#ref385 Strabo, ''Geography'' VII.6.2] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928202148/https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Strabo/7F%2A.html#ref385 |date=28 September 2023 }} (see the [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0197:book=7:chapter=6&highlight=*kalu%2Fbh original Greek] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210602215523/http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0197:book=7:chapter=6&highlight=*kalu/bh |date=2 June 2021 }}).</ref> whereas [[Ptolemy]] considered the location of Poneropolis different from the rest.

''Kendrisia'' ({{langx|grc|Κενδρεισεια}}) was an old name of the city.<ref name="plovdiv1"/> Its earliest recorded use is on an artifact mentioning that king [[Beithys]], priest of the Syrian goddess, brought gifts to Kendriso [[Apollo]];<ref>Ἀπόλλωνι Κενδρισῳ Βειθυς Κοτυος ἱερεὺς Συρίας θεᾶς δῶρον ἀνε-</ref> the deity is recorded to be named multiple times after different cities. Later Roman coins mentioned the name which is possibly derived from Thracian god Kendriso who is equated with Apollo,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID%3D62054 |title=CNG-Ancient Greek, Roman, British Coins |access-date=4 June 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160806025816/http://cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=62054 |archive-date=6 August 2016  }}</ref> the [[cedrus|cedar]] forests, or from the Thracian tribe artifacts known as the kendrisi.<ref name="plovdiv1">[http://www.plovdiv.bg/en/about-plovdiv/history/ History (Plovdiv)] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304074804/http://www.plovdiv.bg/en/about-plovdiv/history/ |date=4 March 2016 }} Official website in English</ref><ref name="pld"/> Another assumed name is the 1st century CE ''Tiberias'' in honor of the Roman emperor [[Tiberius]], under whom the [[Odrysian Kingdom]] was a [[client state|client]] of Rome.<ref name="academia">{{cite web|url=https://www.academia.edu/5373164|archive-url=https://archive.today/20141210164035/http://www.academia.edu/5373164/Philippopolis_Thrace_I-VII_c._|title=Philippopolis, Thrace (I-VII c.) - Ivo Topalilov - Academia.edu|date=10 December 2014|archive-date=10 December 2014 |last1=Topalilov |first1=Ivo }}</ref> After the Romans had taken control of the area, the city was named in {{langx|la|Trimontium}}, meaning "The Three Hills", and mentioned in the 1st century by [[Pliny the Elder|Pliny]]. At times the name was ''[[Ulpia gens|Ulpia]]'', ''[[Flavia gens|Flavia]]'', ''[[Julia gens|Julia]]'' after the Roman families.

[[Ammianus Marcellinus]] wrote in the 4th century CE that the then city had been the old ''Eumolpias''/''Eumolpiada,'',<ref>{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id%3D8i5EAAAAcAAJ%26pg%3DPA140 |title=De re nummaria antiqua, opera quae extant universa - Hubertus Goltzius - Google Books |access-date=4 June 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160911224216/https://books.google.com/books?id=8i5EAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA140 |archive-date=11 September 2016  }}{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id%3DZefRkZlhHVYC%26pg%3DPA95 |title=Ammianus Marcellinus - Google ブックス |access-date=4 June 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160623205058/https://books.google.com/books?id=ZefRkZlhHVYC&pg=PA95 |archive-date=23 June 2016  }}</ref> the oldest name chronologically.<ref name=academia/> It was named after the mythical Thracian king [[Eumolpos]], son of [[Poseidon]]<ref>{{cite book|last1=Mikalson|first1=Jon D.|title=Ancient Greek religion|date=2010|publisher=Wiley-Blackwell|location=Chichester, West Sussex, U.K.|isbn=978-1-4443-5819-3|page=57|edition=2nd|quote=...whose champion was the Thracian Eumolpus, a son of Poseidon.}}</ref> or [[Jupiter (mythology)|Jupiter]],<ref>{{cite web|title=A Classical Dictionary|year=1831|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JYuNyzOxyAkC&pg=PA289|access-date=1 January 2017|archive-date=19 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200819133812/https://books.google.com/books?id=JYuNyzOxyAkC&pg=PA289|url-status=live}}</ref> who may have founded the city around 1200 BCE<ref>{{cite book |editor1-first=Alicia Morales |editor1-last=Ortiz |editor2-first=Cristóbal Pagán |editor2-last=Cánovas |editor3-first=Carmen Martínez |editor3-last=Campillo |title=The Teaching of Modern Greek in Europe |year=2010 |publisher=EditumM |isbn=978-84-8371-938-1 |page=64 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ktd7tk5pqisC&pg=PA64 |access-date=14 November 2015 |archive-date=19 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200819140158/https://books.google.com/books?id=ktd7tk5pqisC&pg=PA64 |url-status=live }}</ref> or 1350 BCE.<ref>{{cite web|title = Plovdiv Encyclopedia|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=Tl4sAQAAIAAJ&q=1350+evmolpias|last1 = Raĭchevski|first1 = Georgi|year = 2002|access-date = 1 January 2017|archive-date = 29 May 2021|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210529150559/https://books.google.com/books?id=Tl4sAQAAIAAJ&q=1350+evmolpias|url-status = live}}</ref> It is also possible that it was named after the [[Vestal Virgins]] in the temples – evmolpeya.<ref name="plovdiv1"/>

In the 6th century CE, [[Jordanes]] wrote that the former name of the city was ''Pulpudeva''and that [[Philip the Arab]] named the city after himself. This name is most likely a [[Thracian language|Thracian]] oral translation<ref name="plovdiv1"/> of the other as it kept all consonants of the name Philip + [[Dava (Dacian)|deva (city)]]. Although the two names sound similar, they may not share the same origin as [[Odrin]] and [[Adrianople]] do, and ''Pulpudeva'' may have predated the other names<ref name=uk>{{cite web |url=http://www.britannica.com/place/Plovdiv |title=Plovdiv &#124; Bulgaria |access-date=13 December 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160228001421/http://www.britannica.com/place/Plovdiv |archive-date=28 February 2016  }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0006%3Aalphabetic+letter%3DP%3Aentry+group%3D4%3Aentry%3Dphilippopolis-2 |title=The Princeton Encyclopedia of Classical Sites, PACHIA AMMOS ("Minoa") Ierapetra district, Crete., PHAISTOS Kainourgiou, Crete., PHILIPPOPOLIS or Eumolpia or Trimontium (Plovdiv） Bulgaria |website=www.perseus.tufts.edu |access-date=22 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170107191013/http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0006%3Aalphabetic+letter%3DP%3Aentry+group%3D4%3Aentry%3Dphilippopolis-2 |archive-date=7 January 2017 }}</ref> meaning "lake city" in [[Thracian language|Thracian]].<ref name="pld"/> Since the 9th century CE the Slavic name began to appear as ''Papaldiv/n, Plo(v)div, Pladiv, Pladin, Plapdiv, Plovdin,'' which originate from ''Pulpudeva''.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eUjV1Fd3W8oC&q=plovdiv+thracian++neolithic&pg=PT333|title=Between Two Motherlands: Nationality and Emigration Among the Greeks of Bulgaria, 1900–1949|first=Theodora|last=Dragostinova|publisher=Cornell University Press|year=2011|section=underline remark # 47|isbn=978-0-8014-4945-1|access-date=19 October 2020|archive-date=29 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210529150559/https://books.google.com/books?id=eUjV1Fd3W8oC&q=plovdiv+thracian++neolithic&pg=PT333|url-status=live}}</ref> As a result, the name has lost any meaning. In British English the Bulgarian variant Пловдив ''Plòvdiv'' has become prevalent after [[World War I]].{{citation needed|date=July 2020}} The [[Crusaders]] mentioned the city as ''Prineople'', ''Sinople'' and ''Phinepople''.<ref name="pld"/> The Ottomans called the city ''Filibe'', a corruption of "Philip", in a document from 1448.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7WEXAQAAIAAJ&q=%D1%84%D0%B8%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0%B1%D0%B5 |title=Славяните и славянската филология: очерк по история на славистиката и булгаристиката от втората половина на XIX до началото на XXI век |isbn=978-954-423-244-3 |access-date=22 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200818161248/https://books.google.com/books?hl=bg&id=7WEXAQAAIAAJ&dq=%D0%9F%D1%8A%D0%BF%D1%8A%D0%BB%D0%B4%D0%B8%D0%BD&focus=searchwithinvolume&q=%D1%84%D0%B8%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0%B1%D0%B5 |archive-date=18 August 2020 |last1=Куцаров |first1=Иван |year=2002 |publisher=Пловдивско унивєрситєтско изд-во }}</ref>

==History==
{{Main|Philippopolis (Thracia)|Timeline of Plovdiv|History of Plovdiv}}
{{Timeline of Plovdiv}}

===Antiquity===
[[File:Roman Trimontium(Phillipopolis).JPG|left|200px|thumb|Plan of the known parts of the Roman city superimposed on a plan of modern Plovdiv.]]

{{Philippopolis sidebar}}
The history of the region spans more than eight millennia. Numerous nations have left their traces on the {{convert|12|m|ft|adj=mid|spell=in|lk=out|abbr=off|-thick}} cultural layers of the city. The earliest signs of habitation in the territory of Plovdiv date as far back as the 6th millennium BCE.<ref name="filipopol">"Philippopolis Album", Kesyakova Elena, Raytchev Dimitar, Hermes, Sofia, 2012, {{ISBN|978-954-26-1117-2}}</ref><ref name="plovdiv1"/> Plovdiv has settlement traces including necropolises dating from the Neolithic era (roughly 6000–5000 BCE) like the mounds Yasa Tepe 1 in the Philipovo district and Yasa Tepe 2 in Lauta park.<ref name="райчевски">{{cite book| last = Райчевски| first = Георги | year = 2002 | title = Пловдивска енциклопедия | publisher = Издателство ИМН | location = Пловдив | page = 341| isbn = 978-954-491-553-7}}</ref><ref name="кесякова">{{cite book | last = Кесякова | first = Елена |author2=Александър Пижев |author3=Стефан Шивачев |author4=Недялка Петрова | year = 1999 |script-title=bg:Книга за Пловдив | publisher = Издателство "Полиграф" | location = Пловдив | pages = 17–19 | isbn = 954-9529-27-4 |language=bg}}</ref><ref>[http://dariknews.bg/view_article.php?article_id=1097386 Darik] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305021410/http://dariknews.bg/view_article.php?article_id=1097386 |date=5 March 2016}}</ref> 

Archaeologists have discovered fine pottery{{citation needed|date=May 2023}} and objects of everyday life on [[Nebet Tepe]] from as early as the [[Chalcolithic]] era, showing that at the end of the 4th millennium BCE, there was already an established settlement there which was [[List of oldest continuously inhabited cities|continuously inhabited]] since then.<ref>Детев П., Известия на музейте в Южна България т. 1 (Bulletin des musees de la Bulgarie du sud), 1975г., с.27, [http://www.bg.cobiss.net/scripts/cobiss?ukaz=DISP&id=0955075541846121&rec=11&sid=2] {{ISSN|0204-4072}} {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160923020722/http://www.bg.cobiss.net/scripts/cobiss?ukaz=DISP&id=0955075541846121&rec=11&sid=2|date=23 September 2016}}</ref><ref>Детев, П. ''Разкопки на Небет тепе в Пловдив'', ГПАМ, 5, 1963, pp. 27–30.</ref><ref>Ботушарова, Л. ''Стратиграфски проучвания на Небет тепе'', ГПАМ, 5, 1963, pp. 66–70.</ref> Thracian necropolises dating back to the 2nd–3rd millennium BCE have been discovered, while the Thracian town was established between the 2nd and the 1st millennium BCE.{{citation needed|date=May 2023}}

The town was a fort of the independent local [[Thracians|Thracian]] tribe [[Bessi]].<ref>{{cite book | author1 = Елена Кесякова | author2 = Александър Пижев |author3 = Стефан Шивачев |author4 = Недялка Петрова | year = 1999 | title = Книга за Пловдив | publisher = Издателство "Полиграф" | location = Пловдив | isbn = 954-9529-27-4 | language = bg | pages=20–21}}</ref> In 516 BCE during the rule of [[Darius the Great]], Thrace was included in the [[Achaemenid Empire|Persian empire]].<ref>The Oxford Classical Dictionary by Simon Hornblower and Antony Spawforth, {{ISBN|0-19-860641-9}}", page 1515, "The Thracians were subdued by the Persians by 516"</ref> In 492 BCE, the Persian general [[Mardonius (general)|Mardonius]] subjugated Thrace again, and it nominally became a vassal of Persia until 479 BCE and the early rule of [[Xerxes I]].<ref>Dimitri Romanoff, ''The orders, medals, and history of the Kingdom of Bulgaria'', p. 9</ref> The town became part of the [[Odrysian kingdom]] (460 BCE – 46 CE), a [[Thracians|Thracian]] tribal union. The town was conquered by [[Philip II of Macedon]],<ref>''История на България'', Том 1, Издателство на БАН, София, 1979, p. 206.</ref> and the Odrysian king was deposed in 342 BCE. Ten years after the Macedonian invasion, the Thracian kings started to exercise power again after the Odrysian [[Seuthes III]] had re-established their kingdom under Macedonian suzerainty as a result of a successful revolt against [[Alexander the Great]]'s rule resulting in a stalemate.<ref>A. B. Bosworth, ''Conquest and Empire: The Reign of Alexander the Great'', page 12, Cambridge University Press</ref> The Odrysian kingdom gradually overcame the Macedonian suzerainty, while the city was destroyed by the [[Celts]] as part of the [[Celtic settlement of Eastern Europe]], most likely in the 270s BCE.<ref>{{cite book|year=1979|title=Bulgaria|location=University of Indiana|page=4}}</ref> In 183 BCE, [[Philip V of Macedon]] conquered the city, but shortly after, the Thracians re-conquered it.

In 72 BCE, the city was seized by the Roman general [[Marcus Terentius Varro Lucullus|Marcus Lucullus]] but was soon restored to Thracian control. In 46 CE, the city was finally incorporated into the [[Roman Empire]] by emperor [[Claudius]];<ref>{{Cite book |last=Dimitrov |first=B. |title=The Bulgarians – the first Europeans |publisher=University press "St Climent of Ohrid" |location=Sofia |page=17 |language=bg |isbn=954-07-1757-4 |year=2002 }}</ref> it served as the capital of the province of [[Thrace]]. Although it was not the capital of the Province of Thrace, the city was the largest and most important centre in the province.<ref>Lenk, B. – RE, 6 A, 1936 col. 454 sq.</ref> As such, the city was the seat of the Union of Thracians.<ref>Римски и ранновизантийски градове в България, p. 183</ref> In those times, the [[Via Militaris]] (or Via Diagonalis), the most important military road in the [[Balkans]], passed through the city.<ref>{{cite web
 |url=http://www.seecorridors.eu/index.php?w_p=27&w_l=2&w_c=3&w_id=450
 |title=Cultural Corridors of South East Europe/Diagonal Road
 |publisher=Association for Cultural Tourism
 |access-date=25 January 2007
 |archive-date=8 October 2007
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071008071205/http://www.seecorridors.eu/index.php?w_p=27&w_l=2&w_c=3&w_id=450
 |url-status=live
 }}</ref><ref>Николов, Д. ''Нови данни за пътя Филипопол-Ескус'', София, 1958, p. 285</ref> The Roman times were a period of growth and cultural excellence.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Dimitrov |first=B. |title=The Bulgarians – the first Europeans |publisher=University press "St Climent of Ohrid" |location=Sofia |pages=18–19 |language=bg |isbn=954-07-1757-4 |year=2002 }}</ref> The ancient ruins tell a story of a vibrant, growing city with numerous public buildings, shrines, baths, theatres, a stadium, and the only developed ancient water supply system in Bulgaria. The city had an advanced water system and [[sanitary sewer|sewerage]].{{citation needed|date=April 2022}} In 179 a second wall was built to encompass Trimontium which had already extended out of the Three hills into the valley. Many of those are still preserved and can be seen by tourists. Today only a small part of the ancient city has been excavated.<ref name=pldiv>[http://www.plovdivcity.net/bg/plovdiv_history.html PlovdivCity.net] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080412054326/http://www.plovdivcity.net/bg/plovdiv_history.html |date=12 April 2008 }}, посетен на 10 ноември 2007 г.</ref>

In 250 the city was captured and looted after the [[Battle of Philippopolis (250)|Battle of Philippopolis]] by the [[Goths]], led by their ruler [[Cniva]]. Many of its citizens, 100,000 according to [[Ammianus Marcellinus]], died or were taken captive.<ref>{{cite book | author1 = Елена Кесякова | author2 = Александър Пижев |author3 = Стефан Шивачев |author4 = Недялка Петрова | year = 1999 | title = Книга за Пловдив | publisher = Издателство "Полиграф" | location = Пловдив | isbn = 954-9529-27-4 | language = bg | pages=47–48}}</ref> It took a century and hard work to recover the city. However, it was destroyed again by [[Attila]]'s [[Hun]]s in 441–442 and by the [[Goths]] of Teodoric Strabo in 471.<ref>[http://www.romanplovdiv.org/en/history/6 Roman Plovdiv: History] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304185326/http://www.romanplovdiv.org/en/history/6 |date=4 March 2016 }}</ref>

An ancient Roman inscription written in Ancient Greek dated to 253 – 255 AD were discovered in the [[Great Basilica, Plovdiv|Great Basilica]]. The inscription refers to the [[Dionysian Mysteries]] and also mentions Roman Emperors [[Valerian (emperor)|Valerian]] and [[Gallienus]]. It has been found on a large stele which was used as construction material during the building of the Great Basilica.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://archaeologyinbulgaria.com/2019/07/18/huge-roman-inscription-of-dionysus-cult-secret-society-after-251-goth-invasion-found-in-early-christian-great-basilica-in-bulgarias-plovdiv/ |title=HUGE ROMAN INSCRIPTION OF DIONYSUS CULT SECRET SOCIETY AFTER 251 GOTH INVASION FOUND IN EARLY CHRISTIAN GREAT BASILICA IN BULGARIA'S PLOVDI |work=Archaeology in Bulgaria. and Beyond - Archaeology, History & Nature: the Human - Earth Connection |date=18 July 2019 |access-date=1 December 2019 |archive-date=6 November 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191106175429/http://archaeologyinbulgaria.com/2019/07/18/huge-roman-inscription-of-dionysus-cult-secret-society-after-251-goth-invasion-found-in-early-christian-great-basilica-in-bulgarias-plovdiv/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In August 2024, archaeologists from the Regional Archaeological Museum announced the discovery of a well-preserved Thracian temple dated to the third century BCE. The 10-metre-long temple is made of dry joints and clay-sand mortar and has two rooms.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Archaeologists Discover 3rd Century BC Thracian Temple in Plovdiv |url=https://www.bta.bg/en/news/culture/729806-archaeologists-discover-3rd-century-bc-thracian-temple-in-plovdiv |access-date=2024-09-02 |website=www.bta.bg |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=staff |first=The Sofia Globe |date=2024-08-22 |title=Archaeology: Third century BCE Thracian temple found fully preserved in Bulgaria's Plovdiv |url=https://sofiaglobe.com/2024/08/22/archaeology-third-century-bce-thracian-temple-found-fully-preserved-in-bulgarias-plovdiv/ |access-date=2024-09-02 |website=The Sofia Globe |language=en-US}}</ref>

===Middle Ages===
[[File:Monument of Khan Krum in Plovdiv.jpg|left|thumb|220px|Monument of [[Krum of Bulgaria|Krum]] in Plovdiv, who was the first Bulgarian ruler to capture Plovdiv.]]
The [[Slavic peoples|Slavs]] had fully settled in the area by the middle of the 6th century. This was done peacefully as there are no records for their attacks.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Dimitrov |first=B. |title=The Bulgarians – the first Europeans |publisher=University press "St Climent of Ohrid" |location=Sofia |page=25 |language=bg |isbn=954-07-1757-4 |year=2002 }}</ref> With the establishment of [[Bulgaria]] in 681, Philippoupolis, the name of the city then, became an important border fortress of the [[Byzantine Empire]]. It was captured by Khan [[Krum of Bulgaria|Krum]] in 812, but the region was fully incorporated into the [[First Bulgarian Empire|Bulgarian Empire]] in 834 during the reign of Khan [[Malamir of Bulgaria|Malamir]].<ref>Аndreev, J. ''The Bulgarian Khans and Tsars'' (''Balgarskite hanove i tsare'', ''Българските ханове и царе''), Veliko Tarnovo, 1996, p. 66 {{ISBN|954-427-216-X}}.</ref> It was reconquered by the [[Byzantine Empire]] in 855–856 for a short time until it was returned to [[Boris I of Bulgaria]].<ref>Gjuzelev, p. 130 (Gjuzelev, V., (1988) Medieval Bulgaria, Byzantine Empire, Black Sea, Venice, Genoa (Centre Culturel du Monde Byzantin). Published by Verlag Baier).</ref><ref>Bulgarian Historical Review, p. 9 (Bulgarian Historical Review (2005), United Center for Research and Training in History, published by Publishing House of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, v.33:no.1–4).</ref> From Philippopolis, the influence of [[Dualistic cosmology|dualistic]] doctrines spread to Bulgaria forming the basis of the [[Bogomil]] heresy. The city remained in Bulgarian hands until 970.<ref>Делев, "Българската държава и общество при управлението на цар Петър", ''История и цивилизация за 11. клас'', 2006.</ref> However, the city is described at the time of [[Constantine VII]] in the 10th century as being within the Byzantine province ([[theme (Byzantine district)|theme]] of [[Macedonia (theme)|Macedonia]]).{{citation needed|date=August 2020}} Philippopolis was captured by the Byzantines in 969, shortly before it was sacked by the ruler of [[Kievan Rus'|Rus']] [[Sviatoslav I of Kiev]] who impaled 20,000 citizens.<ref>Fine, pp. 160–161, 186: John V. A. Fine Jr., The Early Medieval Balkans, Ann Arbor, 1983.</ref> Before and after the Rus' massacre, the city was settled by [[Paulician]] heretics transported from Syria and Armenia to serve as military settlers on the European frontier with Bulgaria. Aime de Varennes in 1180 encountered the singing of Byzantine songs in the city that recounted the deeds of Alexander the Great and his predecessors over 1300 years before.<ref>Vacalopoulos, Apostolos E. ''Origins of the Greek Nation''. (New Brunswick, New Jersey: [[Rutgers University Press]], 1970) p. 22.</ref>

Byzantine rule was interrupted by the [[Third Crusade]] (1189–1192) when the army of the [[Holy Roman Empire|Holy Roman]] emperor [[Frederick Barbarossa]] conquered Philippopolis. [[Ivanko (boyar)|Ivanko]] was appointed as the governor of the Byzantine Theme of Philippopolis in 1196, but between 1198 and 1200 separated it from Byzantium in a union with [[Second Bulgarian Empire|Bulgaria]].{{citation needed|date=October 2023}} The [[Latin Empire]] conquered Philippopolis in 1204, and there were two short interregnum periods as the city was twice occupied by [[Kaloyan of Bulgaria]] before his death in 1207.<ref name=pldv>[https://archive.today/20120804175444/http://www.focus-news.net/?id=n819663 Агенция Фокус – Цар Калоян получава корона, скиптър и знаме от кардинал Лъв], посетен на 17 ноември 2007 г.</ref> In 1208, Kaloyan's successor [[Boril of Bulgaria|Boril]] was defeated by the Latins in the [[Battle of Philippopolis (1208)|Battle of Philippopolis]].<ref>Аndreev, J. ''The Bulgarian Khans and Tsars'' (''Balgarskite hanove i tsare'', ''Българските ханове и царе''), Veliko Tarnovo, 1996, p. 180 {{ISBN|954-427-216-X}}.</ref> Under Latin rule, Philippopolis was the capital of the [[Duchy of Philippopolis]], which was governed by [[Renier de Trit]] and later on by Gerard de Strem. The city was possibly at times a vassal of Bulgaria or [[Republic of Venice|Venice]]. [[Ivan Asen II of Bulgaria|Ivan Asen II]] conquered the duchy finally in 1230 but the city had possibly been conquered earlier.<ref>{{cite book |first=John V. A. |last=Fine |title=The Late Medieval Balkans |year=1994 |isbn=978-0-472-08260-5 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Hh0Bu8C66TsC |page=125 |publisher=University of Michigan Press |access-date=13 December 2015 |archive-date=30 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190330024852/https://books.google.com/books?id=Hh0Bu8C66TsC |url-status=live }}</ref> Afterwards, Philippopolis was conquered by Byzantium. According to some information, by 1300 Philippopolis was a possession of [[Theodore Svetoslav]] of Bulgaria. It was conquered from Byzantium by [[George II of Bulgaria|George Terter II]] of Bulgaria in 1322.<ref>Аndreev, J. ''The Bulgarian Khans and Tsars'' (''Balgarskite hanove i tsare'', ''Българските ханове и царе''), Veliko Tarnovo, 1996, p. 253 {{ISBN|954-427-216-X}}.</ref> [[Andronikos III Palaiologos]] unsuccessfully besieged the city, but a treaty restored Byzantine rule once again in 1323. In 1344 the city and eight other cities were surrendered to Bulgaria by the regency for [[John V Palaiologos]] as the price for [[Ivan Alexander of Bulgaria]]'s support in the [[Byzantine civil war of 1341–47]].<ref>Аndreev, J. ''The Bulgarian Khans and Tsars'' (''Balgarskite hanove i tsare'', ''Българските ханове и царе''), Veliko Tarnovo, 1996, p. 272 {{ISBN|954-427-216-X}}.</ref>

===Ottoman rule===
In 1364 the [[Ottoman Turks]] under [[Lala Shahin Pasha]] seized Plovdiv.<ref>Аndreev, J. ''The Bulgarian Khans and Tsars'' (''Balgarskite hanove i tsare'', ''Българските ханове и царе''), Veliko Tarnovo, 1996, p. 274 {{ISBN|954-427-216-X}}.</ref><ref name="pat">{{Cite book |title=Пътеводител България |publisher=ТАНГРА ТанНакРа ИК |location=София |page=139 |language=bg |isbn=954-9942-32-5 |year=2002 |author=Evgeni Dinchev |display-authors=etal}}</ref> According to other data, Plovdiv was not an Ottoman possession until the [[Battle of Maritsa]] in 1371, after which, the citizens and the Bulgarian army fled leaving the city without resistance. Refugees settled in [[Asenovgrad|Stanimaka]]. During the [[Ottoman Interregnum]] in 1410, [[Musa Çelebi]] conquered the city killing and displacing inhabitants.<ref name="egeweb2.ege.edu.tr">{{cite web|url=http://www.egeweb2.ege.edu.tr/tid/dosyalar/XXII-2_2007/TIDXXII-2_2007-04.pdf |title=1695 Tarihli Mufassal Avâriz Defterine Gore Filibe Kazâsinda Nüfus Ve Yerleşme Duzeni |website=Ege Üniversite |access-date=26 August 2017|archive-date=16 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170316144332/http://egeweb2.ege.edu.tr/tid/dosyalar/XXII-2_2007/TIDXXII-2_2007-04.pdf |language=tr}}</ref> The city was the centre of the [[Rumelia Eyalet]] from 1364 until 1443, when it was replaced by [[Sofia]] as the capital of [[Rumelia]]. Plovdiv served as a sanjak centre within Rumelia between 1443 and 1593, the sanjak centre in [[Silistra Eyalet]] between 1593 and 1826, the sanjak centre in [[Eyalet of Adrianople]] between 1826 and 1867, and the sanjak centre of [[Edirne Vilayet]] between 1867 and 1878. During that period, Plovdiv was one of the major economic centers in the Balkans, along with [[Istanbul]] ([[Constantinople]]), [[Edirne]], [[Thessaloniki]], and Sofia. The richer citizens constructed beautiful houses, many of which can still be seen in the architectural reserve of Old Plovdiv. From the early 15th century till the end of 17th century the city was predominantly inhabited by Muslims.<ref>{{citation |author=Grigor Boykov |title=Demographic features of Ottoman Upper Thrace: A case study on Filibe, Tatar Pazarcık and İstanimaka (1472–1614) |publisher=Department of History, Bilkent University, Ankara |date=September 2004 |url=http://www.thesis.bilkent.edu.tr/0002749.pdf |access-date=8 May 2019 |archive-date=8 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170808235201/http://www.thesis.bilkent.edu.tr/0002749.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

====National revival====
{{Main|Bulgarian National Revival}}
[[File:St. Bogoroditza plovdiv.jpg|200px|thumb|right|The [[Church of the Holy Mother of God, Plovdiv|Virgin Mary Church]].]]
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 tradition.

Filibe was described as consisting of Turks, Bulgarians, Hellenized Bulgarians, Armenians, Jews, Vlachs, Arvanites, Greeks, and Roma people. In the 16–17 century a significant number of [[Sephardic Jews]] settled along with a smaller Armenian community from [[Galicia (Eastern Europe)|Galicia]]. The [[Paulician]]s adopted Catholicism or lost their identity. The abolition of [[Old Church Slavonic|Slavonic]] as the language of the [[Archbishop of Ohrid|Bulgarian Church]] as well as the complete abolition of the church in 1767 and the introduction of the [[Millet (Ottoman Empire)|Millet System]] led to ethnic division among people of different religions. Christian and Muslim Bulgarians were subjected to [[Hellenization]] and [[Turkification]] respectively. A major part of the inhabitants was fully or partly Hellenized due to the Greek patriarchate. The "Langeris" are described as Greeks from the area of the nearby [[Asenovgrad|Stenimachos]]. The process of Hellenization flourished until the 1830s but declined with the [[Tanzimat]] as the idea of the [[Kingdom of Greece (Wittelsbach)|Hellenic nation]] of Christians grew and was associated with ethnic Greeks.

The re-establishment of the Bulgarian Church in 1870 was a sign of ethnic and national consciousness. Thus, although there is a little doubt about the Bulgarian origin of the Gulidas, the city could be considered of Greek or Bulgarian majority in the 19th century.<ref>{{cite book|last=Detrez|first=Raymon|title=Relations between Greeks and Bulgarians: The Gudilas of Plovid|year=2003|publisher=Ashgate|location=Aldershot, England|isbn=978-0-7546-0998-8|page=34|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=s1VpAAAAMAAJ&q=stanimaka|quote=deciding whether Plovdiv had a Bulgarian or a Greek majority depends on whether the Gudilas are considered as Bulgarians or Greeks|access-date=19 October 2020|archive-date=29 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210529150559/https://books.google.com/books?id=s1VpAAAAMAAJ&q=stanimaka|url-status=live}}</ref> Raymond Detrez has suggested that when the Gudilas and Langeris claimed to be Greek it was more in the sense of "[[Byzantine Greels|Romei]] than Ellines, in a cultural rather than an ethnic sense".<ref name="balkanologie">[http://balkanologie.revues.org/2342 Graecomans] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160219171700/http://balkanologie.revues.org/2342 |date=19 February 2016 }}</ref> According to the statistics by the Bulgarian and Greek authors, there were no Turks in the city; according to an alternative estimate the city was of Turkish majority.<ref>{{cite book|editor-last1=Roth|editor-first1=Ralf|editor-last2=Beachy|editor-first2=Robert|title=Who ran the cities?: city elites and urban power structures in Europe and North America, 1750–1940|date=2007|publisher=Ashgate|location=Aldershot [u.a.]|isbn=978-0-7546-5153-6|pages=189–190|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UQzGUZasbQkC&q=plovdiv+muslim+majority&pg=PA189|access-date=19 October 2020|archive-date=29 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210529150559/https://books.google.com/books?id=UQzGUZasbQkC&q=plovdiv+muslim+majority&pg=PA189|url-status=live}}</ref>

Filibe had an important role in the struggle for Church independence which was, according to some historians, a peaceful bourgeois revolution. Filibe became the center of that struggle with leaders such as [[Nayden Gerov]], Dr Valkovich, [[Joakim Gruev]], and whole families. In 1836 the first Bulgarian school was inaugurated, and in 1850, modern secular education began when the "St Cyrill and Methodius" school was opened. On 11 May 1858, the day of [[Saints Cyril and Methodius]] was celebrated for the first time; this later became a National holiday which is still celebrated today (but on 24 May due to Bulgaria's 1916 transition from the [[Old Style]] ([[Julian calendar|Julian]]) to the [[Adoption of the Gregorian calendar#Adoption in Eastern Europe|New Style]] ([[Gregorian calendar|Gregorian]]) calendar). In 1858 in the [[Church of the Holy Mother of God, Plovdiv|Church of Virgin Mary]], the Christmas liturgy was served for the first time in the [[Bulgarian language]] since the beginning of the Turkish occupation in the 14th century. Until 1906 there were Bulgarian and Greek bishops in the city. In 1868 the school expanded into the first grammar school. Some of the intellectuals, politicians, and spiritual leaders of the nation graduated that school.<ref name="pld"/>

The city was conquered by the Russians under [[Aleksandr Burago]] for several hours during the [[Battle of Philippopolis (1878)|Battle of Philippopolis]] on 17 January 1878.<ref name="pat"/> It was the capital of the [[Provisional Russian Administration in Bulgaria]] between May and October. According to the Russian census of the same year, Filibe had a population of 24,000 citizens, of which ethnic [[Bulgarians]] comprised 45.4%, [[Turkish people|Turks]] 23.1% and [[Greeks]] 19.9%.

===Eastern Rumelia===
{{Main|Bulgarian unification}}
[[File:Plovdiv 1885 the graphic 3.jpg|thumb|left|Nebet Tepe, drawing from The Graphic – London, 1885]]
[[File:Plovdiv 1885 the graphic 1.jpg|thumb|right|Taat tepe, in Plovdiv, with the governor's palace and Maritsa river in the foreground. Drawing from The Graphic – London, 1885]]
According to the [[Treaty of San Stefano]] on 3 March 1878, the Principality of Bulgaria included the lands with predominantly Bulgarian population. Plovdiv which was the biggest and most vibrant Bulgarian city was selected as a capital of the restored country and for a seat of the Temporary Russian Government.<ref name="ocertsi">Очерци из историята на Пловдив (стр. 80 – Космополитен град. Махали и квартали в ново време)</ref> Great Britain and [[Austria-Hungary]], however, did not approve that treaty and the final result of the war was concluded in the [[Congress of Berlin]] which divided the newly liberated country into several parts. It separated the autonomous region of [[Eastern Rumelia]] from Bulgaria, and Plovdiv became its capital. The Ottoman Empire created a constitution and appointed a governor.<ref>[http://www.mfa.bg/en/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7915&Itemid=367 Ministry of Foreign Affairs, History and Geography]  [https://web.archive.org/web/20060220095752/http://www.omg.org/images/homepage/omg_banner3.gif Archived copy] at [[WebCite]] (20 April 2006).</ref>

In the spring of 1885, [[Zahari Stoyanov]] formed the Secret Bulgarian Central Revolutionary Committee in the city which actively conducted propaganda for the unification of Bulgaria and Eastern Rumelia. On 5 September, several hundred armed rebels from Golyamo Konare (now [[Saedinenie, Plovdiv Province|Saedinenie]]) marched to Plovdiv. In the night of 5–6 September, these men, led by Danail Nikolaev, took control of the city and removed from office the General-Governor [[Gavril Krastevich]]. A provisional government was formed led by [[Georgi Stranski]], and universal mobilization was announced.<ref>Аndreev, J. ''The Bulgarian Khans and Tsars'' (''Balgarskite hanove i tsare'', ''Българските ханове и царе''), Veliko Tarnovo, 1996, p. 322 {{ISBN|954-427-216-X}}.</ref> After the Serbs were defeated in the [[Serbo-Bulgarian War]], Bulgaria and Turkey reached an agreement that the Principality of Bulgaria and Eastern Rumelia had a common government, Parliament, administration, and army. Today, 6 September is celebrated as the Unification Day and the Day of Plovdiv.

===Recent history===
After the unification, Plovdiv remained the second most populous city in Bulgaria after the capital [[Sofia]]. The first railway in the city was built in 1874 connecting it with the Ottoman capital [[Istanbul|Constantinople]], and in 1888, it was linked with Sofia. In 1892 Plovdiv became the host of the First Bulgarian Fair with international participation which was succeeded by the [[International Fair Plovdiv]]. After the liberation, the first brewery was inaugurated in the city.

The noteworthy English travel writer Patrick Leigh Fermor visited Plovdiv in the late summer of 1934 and he was charmed by the town and a local woman named Nadjeda.<ref>Patrick Leigh Fermor, The Broken Road: From the Iron Gates to Mouth Athos (London: John Murray, 2013), pp. 15ff.</ref>

In the beginning of the 20th century, Plovdiv grew as a significant industrial and commercial center with well-developed light and food industry. In 1927 the electrification of Plovdiv has started. German, French, and [[Belgium|Belgian]] capital was invested in the city in the development of modern trade, banking, and industry. In 1939, there were 16,000 craftsmen and 17,000 workers in manufacturing factories, mainly for food and tobacco processing.{{citation needed|date=December 2022}} During the Second World War, the tobacco industry expanded as well as the export of fruit and vegetables. In 1943, 1,500 Jews were saved from deportation in [[concentration camp]]s by the archbishop of Plovdiv, [[Patriarch Cyril of Bulgaria|Cyril]], who later became the Bulgarian Patriarch. In 1944, the city was bombed by the British-American coalition.{{citation needed|date=December 2022}}

Tobacco Depot workers [[Plovdiv tobacco workers' strike|went on strike on 4 May 1953]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=КОНЕЦ ЕВРОПЕЙСКОГО ЛАГЕРЯ.НРБ: ТРУДНЫЙ РАЗЖИМ |url=https://solidarizm.ru/txt/trura.shtml |access-date=2024-09-23 |website=solidarizm.ru |language=ru}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Nick Heath |url=https://archive.org/details/afterthedeathofstalin/page/n1/mode/2up |title=After the Death of Stalin: The First Revolt- The Plovdiv Tobacco Workers' Strike, May 1953}}</ref>

On 6 April 1956, the first trolleybus line was opened and in the 1950s the Trimontsium Hotel was constructed. In the 1960s and 1970s, there was a construction boom and many of the modern neighborhoods took shape. In the 1970s and 1980s, antique remains were excavated and the Old Town was fully restored. In 1990 the sports complex "Plovdiv" was finished. It included the largest stadium and rowing canal in the country. In that period, Plovdiv became the birthplace of Bulgaria's movement for democratic reform, which by 1989 had garnered enough support to enter government.

Plovdiv has hosted specialized exhibitions of the [[World's Fair]] in 1981, 1985, and 1991.

{{wide image|Plovdiv panorama.jpg|1600px}}
{{wide image|Plovdivpanorama.jpg|1600px}}

==Geography==
[[File:Plovdiv Bulgaria by Sentinel-2 20190608.jpg|thumb|right|Plovdiv seen from space]]
[[File:Plovdiv3.jpg|left|thumb|200x200px|A view of Nebet tepe hill]]
[[File:Plovdiv balkan-1-.jpg|left|200px|thumb|A view of Plovdiv with the [[Balkan Mountains|Stara Planina Mountain]] in the background.]]
Plovdiv is located on the banks of the [[Maritsa]] river, southeast of the Bulgarian capital [[Sofia]]. The city is in the southern part of the ''Plain of Plovdiv'', an [[alluvial plain]] that forms the western portion of the [[Upper Thracian Plain]]. From there, the peaks of the [[Sredna Gora]] mountain range rise to the northwest, the Chirpan Heights to the east, and the [[Rhodope mountains]] to the south.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Пътеводител България |publisher=ТАНГРА ТанНакРа ИК |location=София |page=145 |language=bg |isbn=954-9942-32-5 |year=2002 |author=avtori Evgeni Dinchev ...|display-authors=etal}}</ref> Originally, Plovdiv's development occurred south of Maritsa, with expansion across the river taking place only within the last 100 years. Modern Plovdiv covers an area of {{convert|101|km2|sqmi|0|abbr=on}}, less than 0.1% of Bulgaria's total area. It is the most densely populated city in Bulgaria, with 3,769 inhabitants per km<sup>2</sup>.

Inside the city proper are six [[syenite]] hills. At the beginning of the 20th century, there were seven syenite hills, but one ([[Markovo tepe]]) was destroyed. Three of them are called the Three Hills ({{langx|bg|Трихълмие}} ''Trihalmie''), the others are called the Hill of the Youth ({{langx|bg|Младежки хълм}}, ''Mladezhki halm''), the Hill of the Liberators ({{langx|bg|Хълм на освободителите}}, ''Halm na osvoboditelite''), and the Hill of [[Hristo G. Danov|Danov]] ({{langx|bg|Данов хълм}}, ''Danov halm'').<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.milarodino.com/bg/13_centuries/city/plovdiv/ |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120904074310/http://www.milarodino.com/bg/13_centuries/city/plovdiv/ |archive-date=4 September 2012 |title=Седемте чудеса на България – Пловдив |publisher=Milarodino.com |access-date=7 January 2011 }}</ref>

===Climate===
Plovdiv has a [[humid subtropical climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification]] ''Cfa'') with considerable [[humid continental]] influences. There are four distinct seasons with large temperature jumps between seasons.

Summer (mid-May to late September) is hot, moderately dry and sunny, with July and August having an average high of {{convert|33|°C|0|abbr=on}}. Plovdiv sometimes experiences very hot days which are typical in the interior of the country. Summer nights are mild.

Autumn starts in late September; days are long and relatively warm in early autumn. The nights become chilly by September. The first frost usually occurs by November.

Winter is normally cold and snow is common. The average number of days with snow coverage in Plovdiv is 15. The average depth of snow coverage is {{convert|2|to|4|cm|in|0|abbr=on}}, and the maximum is normally {{convert|6|to|13|cm|in|0|abbr=on}}, but some winters coverage can reach {{convert|70|cm|in|0|abbr=on}} or more. The average January temperature is {{convert|-0.4|°C|0|abbr=on}}.

Spring begins in March and is cooler than autumn. The frost season ends in March. The days are mild and relatively warm in mid-spring.

The average relative humidity is 73% and is highest in December at 86% and the lowest in August at 62%. The total precipitation is {{convert|540|mm|2|abbr=on}} and is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year. The wettest months of the year are May and June, with an average precipitation of {{convert|66.2|mm|2|abbr=on}}, and the driest month is August, with an average precipitation of {{convert|31|mm|2|abbr=on}}.

Gentle winds (0 to 5&nbsp;m/s) are predominant in the city with wind speeds of up to 1&nbsp;m/s, representing 95% of all winds during the year. Mists are common in the cooler months, especially along the banks of the Maritsa. On average there are 33&nbsp;days with [[mist]] during the year.<ref>[http://new.plovdiv.bg/files/OPR_END.pdf Общински план за развитие на Пловдив 2005 – 2013 г.] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120214084451/http://new.plovdiv.bg/files/OPR_END.pdf |date=14 February 2012 }}, посетен на 10 ноември 2007 г.</ref>
{{Weather box
|location = Plovdiv (1952–2000; extremes 1942–present)
|metric first = yes
|single line = yes
|Jan record high C = 23.0
|Feb record high C = 24.0
|Mar record high C = 30.0
|Apr record high C = 34.2
|May record high C = 36.0
|Jun record high C = 41.0
|Jul record high C = 45.0
|Aug record high C = 42.5
|Sep record high C = 37.6
|Oct record high C = 36.8
|Nov record high C = 27.0
|Dec record high C = 22.9
|year record high C = 45.0
|Jan high C = 5.4
|Feb high C = 8.5
|Mar high C = 13.5
|Apr high C = 18.7
|May high C = 24.0
|Jun high C = 28.7
|Jul high C = 31.4
|Aug high C = 31.6
|Sep high C = 26.3
|Oct high C = 19.6
|Nov high C = 12.5
|Dec high C = 6.5
|year high C = 18.9
|Jan mean C = 1.1
|Feb mean C = 3.3
|Mar mean C = 7.6
|Apr mean C = 12.6
|May mean C = 17.7
|Jun mean C = 22.0
|Jul mean C = 24.4
|Aug mean C = 24.2
|Sep mean C = 19.2
|Oct mean C = 13.2
|Nov mean C = 7.4
|Dec mean C = 2.3
|year mean C = 12.9
|Jan low C = -2.9
|Feb low C = -1.5
|Mar low C = 2.1
|Apr low C = 6.5
|May low C = 11.3
|Jun low C = 15.3
|Jul low C = 17.3
|Aug low C = 17.2
|Sep low C = 13.0
|Oct low C = 7.6
|Nov low C = 3.0
|Dec low C = -1.4
|year low C = 7.3
|Jan record low C = -31.5
|Feb record low C = -29.1
|Mar record low C = -17.5
|Apr record low C = -4.0
|May record low C = -0.3
|Jun record low C = 6.0
|Jul record low C = 8.2
|Aug record low C = 5.6
|Sep record low C = 0.7
|Oct record low C = -5.9
|Nov record low C = -9.1
|Dec record low C = -22.7
|year record low C = -31.5
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 27
|Feb precipitation mm = 34
|Mar precipitation mm = 37
|Apr precipitation mm = 41
|May precipitation mm = 77
|Jun precipitation mm = 57
|Jul precipitation mm = 39
|Aug precipitation mm = 43
|Sep precipitation mm = 35
|Oct precipitation mm = 37
|Nov precipitation mm = 36
|Dec precipitation mm = 39
|year precipitation mm = 502
|Jan precipitation days = 4.8
|Feb precipitation days = 5.1
|Mar precipitation days = 5.8
|Apr precipitation days = 4.7
|May precipitation days = 6.5
|Jun precipitation days = 6.2
|Jul precipitation days = 3.8
|Aug precipitation days = 3.1
|Sep precipitation days = 3.1
|Oct precipitation days = 3.9
|Nov precipitation days = 5.8
|Dec precipitation days = 6.2
|year precipitation days = 60.7
|Jan humidity = 76
|Feb humidity = 67
|Mar humidity = 60
|Apr humidity = 53
|May humidity = 53
|Jun humidity = 50
|Jul humidity = 45
|Aug humidity = 46
|Sep humidity = 48
|Oct humidity = 59
|Nov humidity = 69
|Dec humidity = 76
|year humidity = 59
|Jan sun = 94
|Feb sun = 110
|Mar sun = 170
|Apr sun = 200
|May sun = 252
|Jun sun = 281
|Jul sun = 328
|Aug sun = 315
|Sep sun = 230
|Oct sun = 162
|Nov sun = 120
|Dec sun = 77
|year sun = 2339
|source 1 = Climatebase.ru
|source 2 = [[Danish Meteorological Institute]] (sun and relative humidity),<ref name=DMI>{{cite web | last1 = Cappelen | first1 = John | last2 = Jensen | first2 = Jens | url = http://www.dmi.dk/dmi/tr01-17.pdf | work = Climate Data for Selected Stations (1931–1960) | title = Bulgarien – Plovdiv | page = 42 | publisher = Danish Meteorological Institute | language = da | access-date = 16 April 2013 | archive-date = 16 January 2013 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130116071752/http://www.dmi.dk/dmi/tr01-17.pdf | url-status = live }}</ref>
|date=June 2012
}}

{{Weather box
| width = auto
| location = Plovidiv (2008-2024)
| metric first = Y
| single line = Y
| source = Stringmeteo.com{{page needed|date=August 2024}}
Meteomanz<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.meteomanz.com/sy3?l=1&cou=6250&ind=15626&m1=01&y1=2000&m2=07&y2=2024 |title=Plovdiv - Weather data by months |access-date=8 July 2024 |website=meteomanz}}</ref>(precipitation and days 2000-2013)
| Jan mean C = 2.2
| Feb mean C = 4.5
| Mar mean C = 8.5
| Apr mean C = 14.3
| May mean C = 19.3
| Jun mean C = 23.4
| Jul mean C = 26.5
| Aug mean C = 26.5
| Sep mean C = 22.1
| Oct mean C = 16.3
| Nov mean C = 10.7
| Dec mean C = 4.6
| year mean C = 14.0
| Jan high C = 7.6
| Feb high C = 10.2
| Mar high C = 16.2
| Apr high C = 19.3
| May high C = 25.2
| Jun high C = 28.7
| Jul high C = 32.3
| Aug high C = 32.1
| Sep high C = 27.1
| Oct high C = 21.6
| Nov high C = 15.3
| Dec high C = 8.8
| year high C = 21
| Jan low C = -1.0
| Feb low C = -0.3
| Mar low C = 3.6
| Apr low C = 8.3
| May low C = 13.5
| Jun low C = 17.3
| Jul low C = 19.2
| Aug low C = 19.1
| Sep low C = 15.3
| Oct low C = 10.8
| Nov low C = 6.3
| Dec low C = 0.5
| date = March 2025

| precipitation colour  =  green
| Jan precipitation mm  =41.6
| Feb precipitation mm  =34.9
| Mar precipitation mm  =42.3
| Apr precipitation mm  =40.0
| May precipitation mm  =59.5
| Jun precipitation mm  =61.7
| Jul precipitation mm  =56.1
| Aug precipitation mm  =45.9
| Sep precipitation mm  =44.6
| Oct precipitation mm  =44.3
| Nov precipitation mm  =24.0
| Dec precipitation mm  =60.2
| year precipitation mm =
| unit precipitation days =  0.1 mm
| precip days colour      =  
| Jan precipitation days  =10.1
| Feb precipitation days  =7.8
| Mar precipitation days  =8.1
| Apr precipitation days  =9.6
| May precipitation days  =11.6
| Jun precipitation days  =10.2
| Jul precipitation days  =8.1
| Aug precipitation days  =5.7
| Sep precipitation days  =7.4
| Oct precipitation days  =8.1
| Nov precipitation days  =5.7
| Dec precipitation days  =11
| year precipitation days =
| unit snow days = 
| Jan snow days  =5.8
| Feb snow days  =4.5
| Mar snow days  =1.8
| Apr snow days  =0.2
| May snow days  =0
| Jun snow days  =0
| Jul snow days  =0
| Aug snow days  =0
| Sep snow days  =0
| Oct snow days  =0
| Nov snow days  =0.6
| Dec snow days  =5.1
| year snow days =
}}

==Population==
{{historical populations|1887|33032|1900|43033|1910|47981|1920|63415|1934|99883|1946|126563|1956|161836|1965|222508|1975|299638|1985|342131|1992|341058|2001|338224|2011|338153|2021|319612|align=right|cols=1|source=<ref name="BAN">{{cite web |url=http://www.geography.iit.bas.bg/2009/1-09/13-17.pdf |title=Урбанизацията в България от освобождението до края на втората световна война|trans-title=Urbanisation in Bulgaria since the liberation at the end of World War II |language=bg|access-date=2010-02-14 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706142758/http://www.geography.iit.bas.bg/2009/1-09/13-17.pdf |archive-date=2011-07-06 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Cities of Bulgaria|url=http://pop-stat.mashke.org/bulgaria-cities.htm}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=POPULATION BY STATISTICAL REGIONS, DISTRICS, MUNICIPALITIES, SETTLEMENTS, SEX AND AGE (2021 Census)|url=https://infostat.nsi.bg/infostat/pages/reports/query.jsf?x_2=1962|publisher=[[National Statistical Institute (Bulgaria)|National Statistical Institute]]}}</ref>}}The population by permanent address for the municipality of Plovdiv in 2007 was 380,682,<ref name="grao.bg">{{cite web |url=http://www.grao.bg/tna/tab02.txt |title=General Directorate of Citizens' Registration and Administrative Services: Population Chart by permanent and tempoprary address (for provinces and municipalities) as of 15 September 2010, (Bulgarian). Retrieved on 17 September 2010 |access-date=7 January 2011 |archive-date=29 March 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130329013416/http://www.grao.bg/tna/tab02.txt |url-status=live }}</ref> which makes it the second most populated in the nation. According to data from the National Institute of Statistics (NSI), the population of people who actually live in Plovdiv is 346,790.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://grao.bg/tna/tab02.txt |title=Grao.bg |access-date=3 July 2011 |archive-date=15 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160315231858/http://www.grao.bg/tna/tab02.txt |url-status=live }}</ref>
According to the 2011 census, 339,077 live within the city limits and 403,153 in the municipal triangle of Plovdiv, including [[Maritsa municipality]] and [[Rodopi municipality]].<ref name=census>{{cite web |url=http://www.nsi.bg/census2011/pagebg2.php?p2=36&sp2=37&SSPP2=39 |title=Население към 01.02.2011 година в област Пловдив |publisher=Nsi.bg |access-date=3 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110714103411/http://www.nsi.bg/census2011/pagebg2.php?p2=36&sp2=37&SSPP2=39 |archive-date=14 July 2011  }}</ref>
Population of Plovdiv:<timeline>
ImageSize = width:750 height:280
PlotArea = left:50 right:20 top:25 bottom:30
TimeAxis = orientation:vertical
AlignBars = late
Colors =
 id:linegrey2 value:gray(0.9)
 id:linegrey value:gray(0.7)
 id:cobar value:rgb(0.2,0.7,0.8)
 id:cobar2 value:rgb(0.6,0.9,0.6)
DateFormat = yyyy
Period = from:0 till:400
ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:100 start:0 gridcolor:linegrey
ScaleMinor = unit:year increment:50 start:0 gridcolor:linegrey2
PlotData =
 color:cobar width:19 align:left
 bar:1887 from:0 till:33
 bar:1910 from:0 till:48
 bar:1934 from:0 till:100
 bar:1946 from:0 till:126
 bar:1956 from:0 till:161
 bar:1965 from:0 till:225
 bar:1975 from:0 till:300
 bar:1985 color:cobar2 from:0 till:342
 bar:1985 from:0 till:342
 bar:1990 color:cobar2 from:0 till:379
 bar:1992 from:0 till:341
 bar:2001 from:0 till:338
 bar:2011 from:0 till:338
 bar:2013 from:0 till:341
 bar:2014 from:0 till:341
 bar:2015 from:0 till:341
PlotData=
 textcolor:black fontsize:S
 bar:1887 at: 33 text: 33,0 shift:(-8,5)
 bar:1910 at: 48 text: 48,0 shift:(-11,5)
 bar:1934 at: 100 text: 99,9 shift:(-14,5)
 bar:1946 at: 126 text: 126,6 shift:(-14,5)
 bar:1956 at: 161 text: 161,8 shift:(-14,5)
 bar:1965 at: 225 text: 225,5 shift:(-14,5)
 bar:1975 at: 300 text: 299,6 shift:(-14,5)
 bar:1985 at: 342 text: 342,1 shift:(-14,5)
 bar:1990 at: 379 text: 379 shift:(-14,5)
 bar:1992 at: 341 text: 341,1 shift:(-14,5)
 bar:2001 at: 338 text: 338,2 shift:(-14,5)
 bar:2011 at: 338 text: 338,2 shift:(-14,5)
 bar:2013 at: 341 text: 341 shift:(-14,5)
 bar:2014 at: 341 text: 341,5 shift:(-14,5)
 bar:2015 at: 341 text: 341,6 shift:(-14,5)
</timeline>

At the first census after the [[Liberation of Bulgaria]] in 1880 with 24,053 citizens,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://historymuseumplovdiv.com/index.php?lang_id%3D1%26prm%3Dactions%26subprm%3D+Zfdghkl%3A |title=Исторически Музей - Пловдив |access-date=11 January 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110711171419/http://historymuseumplovdiv.com/index.php?lang_id=1&prm=actions&subprm=%20Zfdghkl%3A |archive-date=11 July 2011  }}</ref> Plovdiv was the third largest city behind [[Stara Zagora]], which had 25,460 citizens prior to being burnt to the ground<ref>{{cite web |url=https://dolap.bg/2016/07/20/%D1%82%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%B0-%D0%B4%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%82%D0%BE%D0%B9%D0%BD%D0%B8-%D0%B2%D1%8A%D0%B7%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B4%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%BB%D0%B8-%D0%BD%D0%B0-%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B0-%D0%B7/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171011173842/http://dolap.bg/2016/07/20/%D1%82%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%B0-%D0%B4%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%82%D0%BE%D0%B9%D0%BD%D0%B8-%D0%B2%D1%8A%D0%B7%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B4%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%BB%D0%B8-%D0%BD%D0%B0-%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B0-%D0%B7/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=11 October 2017 |title=Трима достойни възродители на Стара Загора }}</ref> as well as [[Ruse, Bulgaria|Ruse]], which had 26,163 citizens then,<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://www.geography.iit.bas.bg/2009/1-09/13-17.pdf |script-title=bg:УРБАНИЗАЦИЯТА В БЪЛГАРИЯ ОТ ОСВОБОЖДЕНИЕТО ДО КРАЯ НА ВТОРАТА СВЕТОВНА ВОЙНА |script-journal=bg:ГЕОГРАФИЯ '21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706142758/http://www.geography.iit.bas.bg/2009/1-09/13-17.pdf |archive-date=6 July 2011 |language=bg}}</ref> and ahead of the capital [[Sofia]], which had 20,501 citizens then. As of the 1887 census, Plovdiv was the largest city in the country for several years with 33,032 inhabitants compared to 30,428 for Sofia. According to the 1946 census, Plovdiv was the second largest city with 126,563 inhabitants compared to 487,000 for the capital.<ref name="ocertsi"/>

===Ethnicity and religion===
{| class="wikitable"
|+Households of the Ottoman city by ethnoreligious groups
|-
! style="width:9%;"| Year<ref>{{Cite thesis |url=https://www.academia.edu/952671 |title=Demographic Features of Ottoman Upper Thrace: A Case Study On Filibe, Tatar Pazarcik and Stanımaka (1472–1614)| publisher=The Institute of Economics and Social Sciences of Bilkent University|first=Grigor|last=Boykov|degree=MA|access-date=25 August 2017 |archive-date=22 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180922185748/http://www.academia.edu/952671/Demographic_Features_of_Ottoman_Upper_Thrace_A_Case_Study_on_Filibe_Tatar_Pazarcik_and_Istanimaka_1472-1614 |url-status=live |date=January 2004 }}</ref>
! style="width:9%;"| [[Muslims]]
! style="width:9%;"| [[Christians]]
! style="width:9%;"| [[Roma people|Roma]]
! style="width:9%;"| [[Jews]]
|-
! 1472
| 81.7%||18.3% || ||
|-
! 1489
| 87.1% || 8.2%||3.5% ||
|-
! 1490 (households)<ref>Art and Society of Bulgaria in the Turkish Period: A Sketch of the Economic, Juridical, and Artistic Preconditions of Bulgarian Post-Byzantine Art and Its Place in the Development of the Art of the Christian Balkans, 1360/70-1700 : a New Interpretation, p. 83</ref>
| 796||78||33 ||
|-
! 1516
| 86.7%|| 7%|| 2.8%|| 2.5% 
|-
! 1525
| 85.2%|| 7.5%|| 3.2%|| 3% 
|-
! 1530
| 82.1%|| 9.1%|| 3.8%|| 3.7% 
|-
! 1570
| 82%|| 9.3%|| 2.7%|| 5.4% 
|-
! 1595
| 78.2%|| 14%|| 2.9%|| 4.8% 
|-
! 1614
| 68.3%|| 22.6%|| 7.7%|| 4.1%
|- 
! 1695<ref name="egeweb2.ege.edu.tr"/>
| 81% || 14% || ||
|-
! 1876<ref>{{cite web |last=Demeter |first=Gabor |title=New series of ethnic maps by Zsolt Bottlik |website=Academia |url=https://www.academia.edu/25242517 |access-date=9 March 2019 |archive-date=29 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210529150601/https://www.academia.edu/25242517/New_series_of_ethnic_maps_by_Zsolt_Bottlik |url-status=live }}</ref>
| 33% ||  || ||
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Population by ethnic groups under [[Provisional Russian Administration in Bulgaria|Russian administration]], [[Eastern Rumelia]] and Bulgaria
|-
! style="width:9%;"| Census
! style="width:9%;"| Total
! style="width:9%;"| [[Bulgarians]]
! style="width:9%;"| [[Turks in Bulgaria|Turks]]
! style="width:9%;"| [[Jews in Bulgaria|Jews]]
! style="width:9%;"| [[Greeks in Bulgaria|Greeks]]
! style="width:9%;"| [[Armenians in Bulgaria|Armenians]]
! style="width:9%;"| [[Roma in Bulgaria|Roma]]
! style="width:9%;"| Others
! style="width:9%;"| Unspecified
|-
! 1878
| {{val|24053}}<ref>[http://historymuseumplovdiv.com/index.php?lang_id=1&prm=actions&subprm=%20Zfdghkl: ИЗТОЧНА РУМЕЛИЯ МЕЖДУ ЕВРОПА И ОРИЕНТА] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110711171419/http://historymuseumplovdiv.com/index.php?lang_id=1&prm=actions&subprm=%20Zfdghkl: |date=11 July 2011 }}, посетен на 17 януари 2008 г.</ref> || {{val|10909}} (45.35%)|| {{val|5558}} (23.10%) || {{val|1134}} (4.71%) || {{val|4781}} (19.88%) || 806 (3.35%) || 865 (3.60%) || 902 (3.75%)
|-
! 1884<ref name="histmuseum">{{cite web|url=http://historymuseumplovdiv.com/index.php?lang_id=1&prm=actions&subprm=%20Zfdghkl:|title=Източна Румелия между Европа и Ориента|publisher=Регионален исторически музей Пловдив|language=bg|access-date=11 January 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110711171419/http://historymuseumplovdiv.com/index.php?lang_id=1&prm=actions&subprm=%20Zfdghkl:|archive-date=11 July 2011|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
–
| {{val|33442}} || {{val|16752}} (50.09%)|| {{val|7144}} (21.36%)|| {{val|2168}} (6.48%)|| {{val|5497}} (16.44%)|| 979 (2.93%)|| 112 || 902 (2.70%)
|-
! 1887
| {{val|33032}} || {{val|19542}} ||{{val|5615}} ||{{val|2202}} ||{{val|3930}} ||903 ||348 ||492
|-
! 1892
| {{val|36033}} || {{val|20854}} ||{{val|6381}} ||{{val|2696}}||{{val|3906}} ||{{val|1024}} ||237 ||935
|-
! 1900
| {{val|43033}} || {{val|24170}} ||{{val|4708}} ||{{val|3602}} ||{{val|3908}} ||{{val|1844}} ||{{val|1934}} ||{{val|2869}}
|-
! 1910
| {{val|47981}} || {{val|32727}}||{{val|2946}}||{{val|4436}} ||{{val|1571}} ||{{val|1794}} ||{{val|3524}} ||983
|-
! 1920
| {{val|64415}} || {{val|46889}} ||{{val|5605}} ||{{val|5144}} ||{{val|1071}}||{{val|3773}}||{{val|1342}} ||591
|-
! 1926
| {{val|84655}} || {{val|63268}} ||{{val|4748}}||{{val|5612}} ||549||{{val|5881}}||{{val|2746}} ||{{val|1851}}
|-
! 1934
| {{val|99883}} || {{val|77449}}||{{val|6102}} ||{{val|5574}} ||340 ||{{val|5316}}||{{val|2728}} ||{{val|2374}}
|-
! 1939
| {{val|105643}} (100%) || {{val|82012}} (77.63%)||{{val|6462}} (6.12%)||{{val|5960}} (5,64%)||200 (0.19%)||{{val|6591}} (6.24%)||{{val|2982}} (2.82%) ||{{val|1436}} (1.36%)
|-
! 2001<ref name="mncp">{{cite web |url=http://new.plovdiv.bg/files/OPR_END.pdf |title=Municipal development plan of Plovdiv (incl. 2001 census data) |access-date=10 August 2011 |archive-date=14 February 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120214084451/http://new.plovdiv.bg/files/OPR_END.pdf }}</ref>
| {{val|338224}} || {{val|302858}} (89.5%)||{{val|22501}} (6.7%)||||||||{{val|5192}} (1.5%) ||{{val|5764}} (1.7%)||{{val|1909}}
|-
! 2011<ref>{{in lang|bg}} [http://www.nsi.bg/ORPDOCS/Census2011_1.pop_by_age.xls Population on 01.02.2011 by provinces, municipalities, settlements and age; National Statistical Institute] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130908134107/http://www.nsi.bg/ORPDOCS/Census2011_1.pop_by_age.xls |date=8 September 2013 }}</ref><ref>[http://www.nsi.bg/ORPDOCS/Census2011_4.pop_by_ethnos.xls Population by province, municipality, settlement and ethnic identification, by 01.02.2011; Bulgarian National Statistical Institute] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130521202356/http://www.nsi.bg/ORPDOCS/Census2011_4.pop_by_ethnos.xls |date=21 May 2013 }} {{in lang|bg}}</ref>
|{{val|338153}} || {{val|277804}} (82.2%) || {{val|16032}} (4.7%)|||||||1436 (0.4%) ||9438 (2.8%)||{{val|3105}} (0.9%)||{{val|31774}} (9.4%)
|}

In its ethnic character Plovdiv is the second or the third-largest cosmopolitan city inhabited by [[Bulgarians]], after [[Sofia]] and possibly [[Varna, Bulgaria|Varna]]. According to the 2001 census, out of a population of 338,224 inhabitants, the Bulgarians numbered 302,858 (90%). [[Stolipinovo]] in Plovdiv is the largest Roma neighbourhood in the [[Balkans]], having a population of around 20,000 alone; further Roma ghettos are [[Hadji Hassan Mahala]] and [[Sheker Mahala]]. Therefore, the census number is a deflation of the number of Roma people, and they are most likely the second-largest group after the Bulgarians, most of all because the Muslim Roma in Plovdiv claim to be of Turkish ethnicity and Turkish-speaking at the census ("[[Xoraxane]] Roma").<ref>[http://facta.junis.ni.ac.rs/facta/pas/pas99/pas99-09.pdf "The Relations of Ethnic and Confessional Consciousness of Roma in Bulgaria", Elena Marushiakova, Vesselin Popov]{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> For further information see the article [[The Roma in Plovdiv|Roma people in Plovdiv]]. Like elsewhere in the country, Roma people are subjected to discrimination and segregation (See the Bulgaria section of the article [[Antiziganism]]).

After the Wars for National Union ([[Balkan Wars]] and World War I), the city became home for thousands of refugees from the former Bulgarian lands in [[Macedonia (region)|Macedonia]], [[Western Thrace|Western]] and [[Eastern Thrace]]. Many of the old neighbourhoods are still referred to as ''Belomorski'', ''Vardarski''. Most of the Jews left the city after the foundation of [[Israel]] in 1948, as well as most of the Turks and Greeks. Prior to the population exchange, as of 1 January 1885, the city of Plovdiv had a population of 33,442, of which 16,752 were [[Bulgarians]] (50%), 7,144 [[Turkish people|Turks]] (21%), 5,497 [[Greeks]] (16%), 2,168 Jews (6%), 1,061 [[Armenians]] (3%), 151 [[Italians]], 112 [[Germans]], 112 [[Romani people]], 80 [[French people]], 61 [[Russians]] and 304 people of other nationalities.<ref name="histmuseum"/>

The vast majority of the inhabitants are Christians, mostly [[Eastern Orthodox]], Catholics, [[Eastern Catholic]]s, and Protestant trends ([[Seventh-day Adventist Church|Adventists]], [[Baptists]] and others). There are also some [[Muslims]] and Jews. In Plovdiv, there are many churches, two mosques and one synagogue (see [[Plovdiv Synagogue]]).

Some [[Aromanians]] also inhabit Plovdiv.<ref>{{cite journal|url=https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/IJSL.2006.029/pdf|title=The Aromânians: an ethnos and language with a 2000-year history|first=Nikolai|last=Kyurkchiev|journal=[[International Journal of the Sociology of Language]]|issue=179|pages=115–129|year=2006|doi=10.1515/IJSL.2006.029|s2cid=144939846|url-access=subscription}}</ref>

<gallery>
File:Sveta-Bogoroditsa-Church-Plovdiv.jpg|The Virgin Mary Eastern Orthodox Church
File:Synagogue_in_Plovdiv_D.jpg|The [[Plovdiv Synagogue]]
File:ProtestantChurchPlovdiv (2).JPG|A Protestant church
File:StLouisPlovdiv-2.jpg|The [[Cathedral of St Louis (Plovdiv)|St Louis Roman Catholic Cathedral]]
File:St-George-Armenian-Church.jpg|St George Armenian Church
File:Filibe cami.JPG|The [[Dzhumaya Mosque]]
File:Plovdiv-Seminary-St.-Cyril-and-Methodius.jpg|The Orthodox [[seminary]]
</gallery>

==City government==
Plovdiv is the administrative center of [[Plovdiv Province]] which consists of the Municipality of Plovdiv, the [[Maritsa municipality]], and the [[Rodopi municipality]]. The mayor of the Municipality of Plovdiv, [[Kostadin Dimitrov]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.plovdiv.bg/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=192&Itemid=196 |title=Кмет |publisher=www.plovdiv.bg |access-date=8 July 2009 |archive-date=17 May 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080517115049/http://www.plovdiv.bg/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=192&Itemid=196 |url-status=live }}</ref> with the six district mayors represent the local executive authorities. The Municipal Council which consists of 51 municipal counsellors, represents the legislative power, and is elected according to the proportional system by parties' lists.<ref>{{cite web
 |url=http://new.plovdiv.bg/?lang_id=1&prm=power&subprm=plovdiv
 |title=Община Пловдив
 |access-date=16 August 2006
 |archive-date=6 July 2011
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706143457/http://new.plovdiv.bg/?lang_id=1&prm=power&subprm=plovdiv
 |url-status=live
 }}</ref> The executive government of the Municipality of Plovdiv consists of a mayor who is elected by majority representation, five deputy mayors, and one administrative secretary. All the deputy mayors and the secretary control their administrative structured units.

According to the ''Law for the territorial subdivision of the Capital municipality and the large cities,''<ref>[http://lex.bg/laws/ldoc.php?IDNA=2133624321 Law for the territorial subdivision of the Capital municipality and the large cities] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080530004423/http://lex.bg/laws/ldoc.php?IDNA=2133624321 |date=30 May 2008 }}, посетен на 16 ноември 2007 г.</ref> the territory of Plovdiv Municipality is subdivided into six district administrations with their mayors being appointed following approval by the Municipal Council.

==Districts and neighbourhoods==
{{Plovdiv districts}}
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Number
! Neighbourhood
! Number
! Neighbourhood
! Number
! Neighbourhood
! Number
! Neighbourhood
|-
| 1 || Center
| 12 || Sadiiski
| 23 || Hristo Smirnenski
| 34 || Sheker Mahala
|-
| 2 || Old Town
| 13 || Stochna Gara
| 24 || Proslav
|-
| 3 || Kamenitsa 1
| 14 || Kyutchuk Paris
| 25 || Mladezhki Halm
|-
| 4 || Kamenitsa 2
| 15 || Vastannicheski
| 26 || Otdih i Kultura
|-
| 5 || Izgrev
| 16 || Belomorski
| 27 || Marasha
|-
| 6 || Stolipinovo
| 17 || Institut po Ovoshtarstvo
| 28 || Maritsa Sever
|-
| 7 || Izgrev
| 18 || Ostromila
| 29 || Zaharna Fabrika
|-
| 8 || Industrial zone – East
| 19 || Yuzhen
| 30 || Karshiaka
|-
| 9 || Trakia
| 20 || Tsentralna Gara
| 31 || Gagarin
|-
| 10 || Industrial zone – Trakia
| 21 || Komatevo
| 32 || Industrial Zone – North
|-
| 11 || Industrial zone – South
| 22 || Komatevski Vazel
| 33 || Filipovo
|-
|}

In 1969 the villages of [[Proslav]] and [[Komatevo]] were incorporated into the city. In 1987 the municipalities of Maritsa and Rodopi were separated from Plovdiv which remained their administrative center. In the last several years, the inhabitants from those villages had taken steps to rejoin the "urban" municipality.<ref>[http://news.plovdiv24.com/36695.html Темите на 2007–ма: Ягодово – квартал на Пловдив, Plovdiv24.com] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080906180635/http://news.plovdiv24.com/36695.html |date=6 September 2008 }}, 3 February 2008 г.</ref>

==Main sights==
The city has more than 200 archaeological sites,<ref>{{Cite book |last=Balabanov |first=G. |title=This is Bulgaria |location=Sofia |page=371 |language=bg, en |isbn=954-91672-1-6 |year=2005 }}</ref> 30 of which are of national importance. There are many remains from antiquity. Plovdiv is among the few cities with two ancient theatres; remains of the medieval walls and towers; Ottoman baths and mosques; a well-preserved old quarter from the National Revival period with beautiful houses; churches; and narrow paved streets. There are numerous museums, art, galleries and cultural institutions. Plovdiv is host to musical, theatrical, and film events. The [[Knyaz Alexander I Street]] is the main street in Plovdiv.

The city is a starting point for trips to places in the region, such as the [[Bachkovo Monastery]] at {{convert|30|km|0|abbr=on}} to the south, the ski-resort [[Pamporovo]] at {{convert|90|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} to the south or the [[spa resort]]s to the north [[Hisarya]], [[Banya, Plovdiv Province|Banya]], Krasnovo, and [[Strelcha]].<ref name="autogenerated3">{{Cite book|last=Balabanov |first=G. |title=This is Bulgaria |location=Sofia |page=395 |language=bg, en |isbn=954-91672-1-6 |year=2005}}</ref>

===Roman City===
{{Location map many|Bulgaria Plovdiv city centre
| width        = 300px
| caption      = Ancient monuments in Plovdiv
| alt          = Ancient monuments in Plovdiv
<!-- -->
| label1       = [[Plovdiv Roman theatre|Theatre]]
| label1_size  = 70
| position1    = 
| mark1        = Museum black icon.svg
| mark1size    = 15
| lat1         = 42.146868
| long1        = 24.751169
<!-- -->
| label2       = [[Nebet Tepe]]
| label2_size  = 70
| position2    = 
| mark2        = CL_icon.svg
| mark2size    = 15
| lat2         = 42.151236
| long2        = 24.752182
<!-- -->
| label3       = [[Hisar Kapia]]
| label3_size  = 70
| position3    = 
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The [[Plovdiv Roman theatre|Ancient theatre (Antichen teatur)]] is probably the best-known monument from [[classical antiquity|antiquity]] in Bulgaria.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.purebulgaria.com/bg_version/cities.php?city_id=165 |title=Античен театър – Пловдив, информация за градове, региони, забележителности:: |publisher=PureBulgaria |date=9 April 2009 |access-date=8 July 2009 |archive-date=4 July 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080704082650/http://www.purebulgaria.com/bg_version/cities.php?city_id=165 |url-status=live }}</ref> During recent archaeological survey, an inscription was found on a postament of a statue at the theatre. It revealed that the site was constructed at the 90s of the 1st century CE. The inscription itself refers to Titus Flavius Cotis, the ruler of the ancient city during the reign of Emperor Domitian.

The Ancient theatre is situated in the natural saddle between two of the Three Hills. It is divided into two parts with 14 rows each divided with a horizontal lane. The theatre could accommodate up to 7,000 people.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ideabg.com/clients/oldtown/en/mesta/antichen.php |title=The Ancient theatre |publisher=Ideabg.com |access-date=7 January 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101017044044/http://ideabg.com/clients/oldtown/en/mesta/antichen.php |archive-date=17 October 2010  }}</ref> The three-story scene is on the southern part and is decorated with [[frieze]]s, cornices, and statues. The theatre was studied, conserved, and restored between 1968 and 1984. Many events are still held on the scene<ref>{{Cite book |title=Пътеводител България |publisher=ТАНГРА ТанНакРа ИК |location=София |page=140 |language=bg |isbn=954-9942-32-5 |year=2002 |author=avtori Evgeni Dinchev ...|display-authors=etal}}</ref> including the Opera Festival Opera Open, the Rock Festival Sounds of the Ages, and the International Folklore festival. The Roman Odeon was restored in 2004.<ref>[http://www.plovdivsite.hit.bg/index_files/Page1308.htm The Roman odeon] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141025224250/http://www.plovdivsite.hit.bg/index_files/Page1308.htm |date=25 October 2014 }}.</ref> It was built in the 2nd–5th centuries and is the second (and smaller) antique [[Odeon of Philippopolis|theatre of Philipopolis]] with 350 seats. It was initially built as a bulevterion, an edifice of the city council, and was later reconstructed as a theatre.

The [[Plovdiv Roman Stadium|Ancient Stadium]]<ref>[http://ancient-stadium-plovdiv.eu/?p=12&l=2 The Ancient stadium of Philippopolis] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160414210531/http://ancient-stadium-plovdiv.eu/?p=12&l=2 |date=14 April 2016 }}</ref> is another important monument of the ancient city. It was built in the 2nd century during the reign of the [[Roman Empire|Roman]] Emperor [[Hadrian]]. It is situated between Danov Hill and one of the Three Hills, beneath the main street from Dzhumaya Square to Kamenitsa Square. It was modelled after the stadium in [[Delphi]]. It was approximately {{convert|240|m|abbr=off}} long and {{convert|50|m|abbr=off}} wide, and could seat up to 30,000 spectators. The athletic games at the stadium were organised by the General Assembly of the province of Thrace. In their honour, the royal mint of Philippopolis coined money featuring the face of the ruling emperor as well as the types of athletic events held in the stadium. Only a small part of the northern section with 14 seat rows can be seen today; the larger part lies under the main street and a number of buildings.

[[Roman Forum (Plovdiv)|The Roman forum]] dates from the reign of [[Vespasian]] in the 1st century and was finished in the 2nd century. It is near the modern post office next to the Odeon. It has an area of 11 hectares and was surrounded by shops and public buildings. The forum was a focal point of the streets of the ancient city.<ref name="ppdv">{{Cite book |title=Пътеводител България |publisher=ТАНГРА ТанНакРа ИК |location=София |page=138 |language=bg |isbn=954-9942-32-5 |year=2002 |author=avtori Evgeni Dinchev ...|display-authors=etal}}</ref>

The [[Eirene Residence (Plovdiv)|Eirene Residence]] is in the southern part of the Three Hills on the northern part of an ancient street in the Archeological underpass. It includes remains of a public building from the 3rd–4th centuries which belonged to a noble citizen. Eirene is the Christian name for Penelopa, a maiden from Megadon, who was converted to Christianity in the 2nd century. There are colourful mosaics which have geometrical forms and figures.<ref>[https://archive.today/20141108121902/http://www.plovdivsite.hit.bg/index_files/Page910.htm Eirene Archaeological complex].</ref>

On [[Nebet Tepe|Nebet hill]] are the remains of the first settlement which in 12th century BCE grew to the [[Thrace|Thracian]] city of Eumolpias, one of the first cities in Southeastern Europe. Massive walls surrounding a temple and a palace have been excavated. The oldest part of the fortress was constructed from large syenite blocks, the so-called "cyclopean construction".
<gallery mode="packed-hover" class="center" caption="Ancient monuments">
File:Bulgaria Bulgaria-0785 - Roman Theatre of Philippopolis (7432772486).jpg|[[Plovdiv Roman theatre|Theatre]]
File:Roman stadium.jpg|Roman stadium
File:Odeon plovdiv.jpg|[[Odeon of Philippopolis|Odeon]]
File:Plovdiv forum panorama.jpg|[[Roman Forum (Plovdiv)|Forum]]
File:The Bishop`s basilica.jpg|The Bishop's basilica of Phiippopolis
File:Bazilika golyama2.jpg|[[Great Basilica, Plovdiv|Bishop basilica]]
File:Small basilica.jpg|[[Small Basilica, Plovdiv|Small basilica]]
File:Small basilica1.jpg|Small basilica
File:Round tower plovdiv.jpg|3rd century round tower
File:Eirene mosaics5.jpg|Mosaics in [[Eirene Residence (Plovdiv)|Eirene residence]]
File:Wodo.jpg|Aqueduct
File:Plovdiv6.jpg|Nebet tepe
</gallery>

===Museums and protected sites===
The Archaeological Museum was established in 1882 as the People's Museum of [[Eastern Rumelia]].<ref>[http://www.archaeologicalmuseumplovdiv.org/_bg/?id=main&prm=welcome Archaeological Museum Plovdiv] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061018015407/http://www.archaeologicalmuseumplovdiv.org/_bg/?id=main&prm=welcome |date=18 October 2006 }}</ref> In 1928 the museum was moved to a 19th-century edifice on Saedinenie Square built by Plovdiv architect [[Josef Schnitter]]. The museum contains a rich collection of Thracian art. The three sections "Prehistory",<ref>[http://www.archaeologicalmuseumplovdiv.org/_bg/?id=collection&prm=prehist Archaeological Museum Plovdiv – Prehistoric art]. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080418041917/http://www.archaeologicalmuseumplovdiv.org/_bg/?id=collection&prm=prehist |date=18 April 2008 }}</ref> "Antiquity",<ref>[http://www.archaeologicalmuseumplovdiv.org/_bg/?id=collection&prm=roman Archaeological Museum Plovdiv – Roman art]. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081004220700/http://www.archaeologicalmuseumplovdiv.org/_bg/?id=collection&prm=roman |date=4 October 2008 }}</ref> and "Middle Ages"<ref>[http://www.archaeologicalmuseumplovdiv.org/_bg/?id=collection&prm=medieval Archaeological Museum Plovdiv – Middle Ages art]. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081004220639/http://www.archaeologicalmuseumplovdiv.org/_bg/?id=collection&prm=medieval |date=4 October 2008 }}</ref> contain precious artifacts from the [[Paleolithic]] to the early Ottoman period (15th–16th centuries).<ref name="mus">[http://www.plovdivsite.hit.bg/index_files/Page1719.htm Museums of Plovdiv] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141026003333/http://www.plovdivsite.hit.bg/index_files/Page1719.htm |date=26 October 2014 }}.</ref> The famous [[Panagyurishte treasure]] is part of the museum's collection.<ref>[http://www.archaeologicalmuseumplovdiv.org/_bg/?id=collection&prm=thracian Archaeological Museum Plovdiv – Panagyurishte treasure]. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081006141314/http://www.archaeologicalmuseumplovdiv.org/_bg/?id=collection&prm=thracian |date=6 October 2008 }}</ref>

The [[Plovdiv Regional Historical Museum]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://historymuseumplovdiv.com/?lang_id=2 |title=Plovdiv Regional Historical Museum |publisher=Historymuseumplovdiv.com |access-date=7 January 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110317200133/http://historymuseumplovdiv.com/?lang_id=2 |archive-date=17 March 2011  }}</ref> was founded in 1951 as a scientific and cultural institute for collecting, saving, and researching historical evidence about Plovdiv and the surrounding region from 16th to 20th centuries. The exhibition is situated in three buildings.<ref name="mus"/>

The [[Plovdiv Regional Ethnographic Museum]] was inaugurated in 1917. On 14 October 1943, it was moved to a house in the Old Town. In 1949 the Municipal House-museum was reorganized as a People's Ethnographic Museum and in 1962 it was renovated. There are more than 40,000 objects.<ref name="mus"/>

The Museum of Natural Science was inaugurated in 1955 in the old edifice of the Plovdiv Municipality built in 1880. It is among the most important museums in the country with rich collections in its [[Paleontology]], [[Mineralogy]], and [[Botany|Botanic]] sections. There are several rooms for wildlife and it contains Bulgaria's largest freshwater aquarium with 40 fish species.<ref name="mus"/> It has a collection of minerals from the [[Rhodope mountains]].

The Museum of Aviation was established on 21 September 1991 on the territory of the Krumovo airbase<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.infoplovdiv.com/bg/catalog/profile/23/98/104/index.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191209203451/http://www.infoplovdiv.com/bg/catalog/profile/23/98/104/index.html |archive-date=9 December 2019 |title=Museum of Aviation |publisher=Infoplovdiv |date=16 February 2008 |access-date=7 January 2011 }}</ref> {{convert|12|km|0|abbr=on}} to the southeast of the city. The museum possesses 59 aircraft and indoor and outdoor exhibitions.<ref name="mus"/>

The Old Town of Plovdiv is a historic preservation site known for its Bulgarian Renaissance architectural style. The Old Town covers the area of the three central hills (Трихълмие, ''Trihalmie''). Almost every house in the Old Town has its characteristic exterior and interior decoration.
<gallery mode="packed-hover" class="center" caption="The Old Town">
File:Old town Plovdiv2.jpg|Balabanov house
File:Old town3.jpg|Lamartine House
File:Old town14.jpg|[[Church of St Constantine and Helena]]
File:Klianti.jpg|Klianti House
File:Old town Plovdiv.jpg|Old town
File:Old town of Plovdiv.jpg|Street of Old town
File:Bulgaria Bulgaria-0743 - Plovdiv Regional Ethnographic Museum (7432394622).jpg|[[Plovdiv Regional Ethnographic Museum]]
File:Old town Plovdiv4.jpg|Old town
File:Old town Plovdiv1.jpg|Old town - Plovdiv
File:Old town georgiadi.jpg|[[Plovdiv Regional Historical Museum]]
File:Casa Hindliyan - 01 (5641181670).jpg|[[Hindliyan House]]
File:Old town hisar kapia.jpg|Hisar gate with the ethnographical museum
</gallery>

===Churches, mosques and synagogues===
There are a number of 19th-century churches, most of which follow the distinctive [[Eastern Orthodox]] construction style. They are the Saint Constantine and Saint Helena, the Saint Marina, the Saint Nedelya, the Saint Petka, and the Holy Mother of God Churches. As the city has been a gathering center for Orthodox Christians for a long period of time, Plovdiv is surrounded by several monasteries located at the foot of the Rhodope Mountains such as "St. George", "St. Kozma and Damian", St. Kirik, and Yulita (Ulita). They remain good examples of the late Middle Age Orthodox architecture and iconography masterpieces typical for the region. There are also Roman Catholic cathedrals in Plovdiv, the [[Cathedral of St Louis, Plovdiv|Cathedral of St Louis]] being the largest. There are several more modern Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, and other Protestant churches, as well as older style [[Armenian Apostolic|Apostolic]] churches.

Two mosques remain in Plovdiv from the time of Ottoman rule. The [[Dzhumaya Mosque|Djumaya Mosque]] is considered the oldest European mosque outside Moorish Spain.

The [[Sephardic]] [[Plovdiv Synagogue]] is at Tsar Kaloyan Street 13 in the remnants of a small courtyard in what was once a large Jewish quarter. Dating to the 19th century, it is one of the best-preserved examples of the so-called "Ottoman-style" synagogues in the Balkans. According to author Ruth E. Gruber, the interior of the [[Plovdiv Synagogue]] is a "hidden treasure...a glorious, if run-down, burst of color." An exquisite Venetian glass chandelier hangs from the center of the ceiling, which has a richly painted dome. All surfaces are covered in elaborate, Moorish-style, geometric designs in once-bright greens and blues. Torah scrolls are kept in the gilded Aron-ha-Kodesh.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.heritageabroad.gov/projects/bulgaria2.html |title=Synagogue of Plovdiv, Bulgaria |publisher=Heritageabroad.gov |date=5 October 2009 |access-date=14 June 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090907192519/http://www.heritageabroad.gov/projects/bulgaria2.html |archive-date=7 September 2009  }}</ref>

== Culture ==

===Theatre and music===
[[File:Small Plovdiv street.JPG|thumb|left|200px|A preserved medieval street in the Old town]]
[[File:Odeon021.jpg|200px|thumb|right|A performance in the [[Odeon of Philippopolis|Roman Odeon]]]]
The Plovdiv Drama Theatre<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dt-plovdiv.org/main.php?lang_id=2 |title=Drama Theatre Plovdiv |publisher=Dt-plovdiv.org |access-date=7 January 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110726004921/http://www.dt-plovdiv.org/main.php?lang_id=2 |archive-date=26 July 2011  }}</ref> is a successor of the first professional theatre group in Bulgaria founded in 1881. The Plovdiv Puppet Theatre, founded in 1948, remains one of the leading institutions in this genre. The Plovdiv Opera was established in 1953.

Another pillar of Plovdiv's culture is the Philharmonic, founded in 1945.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://petracho.ofd-plovdiv.org/philharmony.html |title=Philharmonic of Plovdiv |publisher=Petracho.ofd-plovdiv.org |access-date=7 January 2011 |archive-date=3 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303183245/http://petracho.ofd-plovdiv.org/philharmony.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Soloists such as [[Dmitri Shostakovich]], [[Sviatoslav Richter]], [[Mstislav Rostropovich]], Yuri Boukov, and Mincho Minchev have worked with the Plovdiv Philharmonic. The orchestra has toured in almost all of the European countries.

The Trakiya Folklore Ensemble, founded in 1974, has performed thousands of concerts in Bulgaria and more than 42 countries.<ref>[http://www.ensembletrakia.hit.bg/ Trakiya Folklore Ensemble] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141229231745/http://www.ensembletrakia.hit.bg/ |date=29 December 2014 }} (in [[Bulgarian language|Bulgarian]]).</ref> The Trakiya Traditional Choir was nominated for a [[Grammy Award]]. The [[Detska Kitka Choir]] is one of the oldest and best-known youth choirs in Bulgaria and the winner of numerous awards from international choral competitions. [[Evmolpeya|The Evmolpeya choir]] is another girls' choir from Plovdiv, whose establishing patron, [[Ivan Chomakov]], became the then mayor in 2006. The choir was appointed a [[Goodwill Ambassador]] and a municipal choir.

===Literature===
Plovdiv is among the nation's primary literary centres. In 1855 [[Hristo G. Danov]] created the first Bulgarian publishing company and printing-press.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pero-publishing.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=121&Itemid=27 |title=Hristo Danov |publisher=Pero-publishing.com |access-date=7 January 2011 |archive-date=6 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806072357/http://www.pero-publishing.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=121&Itemid=27 |url-status=live }}</ref> The city's traditions as a literary centre are preserved by the first public library in Bulgaria, the [[Ivan Vazov National Library]], the 19 ''[[chitalishta]]'' (cultural centres), and by numerous booksellers and publishers. The library was founded in 1879<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.libplovdiv.com/history.html |title=History of the Ivan Vazov National Library |publisher=Libplovdiv.com |access-date=7 January 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713203853/http://www.libplovdiv.com/history.html |archive-date=13 July 2011  }}</ref> and named after the famous Bulgarian writer and poet [[Ivan Vazov]] who worked in Plovdiv for five years creating some of his best works.<ref>With the exception of ''[[Under the Yoke]]'', the other significant works of Ivan Vazov (''Nemili-nedragi'', ''Eppopee of the Forgotten'', ''Uncles'') were written in Plovdiv.</ref> Today the Ivan Vazov National Library is the second largest national library institution with more than 1.5&nbsp;million books,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.libplovdiv.com/structure.html |title=Structure of the Ivan Vazov National Library |publisher=Libplovdiv.com |access-date=7 January 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713203928/http://www.libplovdiv.com/structure.html |archive-date=13 July 2011  }}</ref> owning rare Bulgarian and European publications.

===Arts===
[[File:Plovdiv Art Gallery P5030085.JPG|thumb|200px|right|The Art Gallery of Plovdiv]]
The city has traditions in [[iconography]] since the Middle Ages. During the Period of National Revival, a number of notable icon-painters (called in Bulgarian ''zografi'', ''зографи'') from all regions of the country worked in Plovdiv such as{{spaced ndash}} [[Dimitar Zograf]], his son Zafir Zograf, [[Zahari Zograf]], Georgi Danchov, and others.<ref name="pat"/> After the Liberation, the Bulgarian painter of [[Czechs|Czech]] origin [[Ivan Mrkvička]] came to work in the city. The Painters' Society was established there by artists from southern Bulgaria in 1912 whose members included painters [[Zlatyu Boyadzhiev]], [[Tsanko Lavrenov]] and [[Sirak Skitnik]].

Today the city has more than 40 art galleries with most of them being privately owned. The Art Gallery of Plovdiv was founded in the late 19th century.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://art.domino.bg/gallery.php?galID=6 |title=Art Gallery of Plovdiv |publisher=Art.domino.bg |language=bg |access-date=7 January 2011 |archive-date=6 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706142802/http://art.domino.bg/gallery.php?galID=6 |url-status=live }}</ref> It possesses 5,000 pieces of art in four buildings. Since 1981, it has had a section for [[Culture of Mexico|Mexican]] art donated by Mexican painters in honour of the 1,300-year anniversary of the Bulgarian State.

===European Capital of Culture===
On 5 September 2014, Plovdiv was selected as the Bulgarian host of [[European Capital of Culture]] in 2019.<ref name=culturecapital>{{cite web |url=http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-14-973_en.htm?locale=en |title=Plovdiv to be 2019 European Capital of Culture in Bulgaria |publisher=Official website of the European Union |access-date=5 September 2014 |archive-date=6 September 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140906171312/http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-14-973_en.htm?locale=en |url-status=live }}</ref> The city co-hosted the event with [[Matera]].

After Plovdiv was elected as European Capital of Culture in 2019, an ambitious cultural program has started its realisation. For 2019 the City Under the Hills had a number of concerts, including "Balkan Music in Plovdiv". The city held the Plovdiv Biennale and a number of international forums, such as a meeting of collectors from Europe, a summer art school, dance projects, etc.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://bulgariatravel.org/en/topical/129 |title=Plovdiv will be the European Capital of Culture in 2019 |website=bulgariatravel.org |access-date=22 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161107011551/http://bulgariatravel.org/en/topical/129 |archive-date=7 November 2016 }}</ref>

The Fusion 2019 Urban Games Festival in Plovdiv was one of the standout events of the year, bringing together participants from across Europe—including Bulgaria, Italy, Poland, Germany, the UK, and Russia — to engage in five innovative games and cultural volunteering. This collaborative initiative, part of the European Capitals of Culture project, united Plovdiv and Matera in a two-part journey to explore and reimagine the cultural and historical dimensions of these cities. The diverse backgrounds of the participants and game scenarios (spy plots, space adventures, and mysterious stories, etc.) played a crucial role in this exploration <ref>Matera European Capital of Culture. (2019, November 18) The Fusion Urban Games Festival in Matera from 31 October to 2 November  https://www.matera-basilicata2019.it/en/news/2388-the-fusion-urban-games-festival-in-matera-from-31-october-to-2-november.html</ref>.

The insightful interview with Italian volunteers Giuseppe Nuzzi and Matteo Lilliu, which offers a closer look at their experiences, was conducted by Tatyana Garkavaya. An award-winning multilingual communication specialist, Garkavaya is renowned for her support of the volunteers involved in Plovdiv 2019. Having conducted dozens of interviews and written numerous articles in English, Bulgarian, and Italian, she has been instrumental in promoting the activities and stories of these volunteers <ref>Cultural Insights. (2020, February 15) From Plovdiv 2019 to Galway 2020: the Origin of the Cultural Insights  https://artnatureinsights.github.io/tg/plovdiv-2019.html</ref> amid scandals surrounded the implementation of the Plovdiv 2019 programme <ref>The Guardian (2019, April 7) Homophobia scandal hits Plovdiv, Bulgaria's European capital of culture https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/apr/07/homophobia-scandal-hits-plovdiv-bulgaria-european-capital-of-culture</ref>.

Plovdiv 2019 has become a promising opportunity for the advancement of volunteering in Bulgaria through innovative creative practices. The country has historically exhibited some of the lowest rates of both formal and informal volunteering in the European Union. According to Eurostat's comparative statistics on voluntary activities, only about 6% of Bulgarians participate in organized volunteering, compared to the EU average of 19%—placing the country at the bottom of the rankings <ref>Eurostat. (2021). Voluntary activities by type and sex – EU-SILC survey. Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/ilc_scp19/default/table?lang=en 
</ref>.

==Economy==
{{Main|Economy of Plovdiv}}
{{Pie chart
 | radius = 75 
 | caption = GVA by sector (2013)
 | label1 = Agriculture| value1 = 5
 | label2 = Industry| value2 = 57
 | label3 = Services| value3 = 38
}}
{{Pie chart
 | radius = 75
 | caption = Employees by sector (2014)
 | label1 = Manufacturing| value1 = 36
 | label2 = Commerce| value2 = 16
 | label3 = Education| value3 = 8
 | label4 = Healthcare| value4 = 7
 | label5 = Transport| value5 = 6
 | label6 = Other| value6 = 27
}}
Although it is located in the middle of a rich agricultural region, Plovdiv's economy has shifted from agriculture to industry since the beginning of the 20th century. [[Food processing]], [[tobacco]], [[brewing]], and [[textiles]] formed the pillars of the industrial economic shift.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://bg.bgp.bg/BGP_articles_191/%d0%9f%d0%bb%d0%be%d0%b2%d0%b4%d0%b8%d0%b2 |title=Plovdiv – BGP |publisher=Bg.bgp.bg |access-date=7 January 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706142720/http://bg.bgp.bg/BGP_articles_191/%d0%9f%d0%bb%d0%be%d0%b2%d0%b4%d0%b8%d0%b2 |archive-date=6 July 2011  }}</ref> During [[Communism|Communist]] rule, the city's economy expanded and was dominated by heavy industry. After the fall of Communism in 1989 and the collapse of Bulgaria's [[planned economy]], a number of industrial complexes were closed; production of lead and [[zinc]], [[machinery]], [[electronics]], [[motor truck]]s, [[chemical industry|chemicals]], and cosmetics have continued.

Plovdiv is the economic capital of Bulgaria as it has the country's largest economy and contributes 7.5% of Bulgaria's GDP {{As of|2014|lc=y}}.<ref name="nsi">https://web.archive.org/web/20140119050340/http://www.nsi.bg/bg/content/11420/%D0%BE%D0%B1%D0%BB%D0%B0%D1%81%D1%82-%D0%BF%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B4%D0%B8%D0%B2 NSI (in Bulgarian)</ref> In 2014, more than 35 thousand companies operate in the region which create jobs for 285,000 people.<ref name="nsi"/> The advantages of Plovdiv include the central geographic location, good infrastructure, and large population. Plovdiv has an international airport, terminal for intermodal transport, several connections with [[Trakia motorway]] (connecting [[Sofia]] and [[Burgas]]), proximity to [[Maritsa motorway]] (the main corridor to [[Turkey]]), and well-developed road and rail infrastructure which all led to the development of the city as the leading city in terms of industrial output in Bulgaria. Established in 1970, the [[Toplofikatsiya Plovdiv]] company provides generation of electric power and heat and heat distribution for Plovdiv.<ref>{{cite web |title=EVN BULGARIA TOPLOFIKATSIA EAD (BULGARIA) |url=https://www.emis.com/php/company-profile/BG/EVN_Bulgaria_Toplofikatsia_EAD__%D0%95%D0%92%D0%9D_%D0%91%D1%8A%D0%BB%D0%B3%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%8F_%D0%A2%D0%BE%D0%BF%D0%BB%D0%BE%D1%84%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%B0%D1%86%D0%B8%D1%8F_%D0%95%D0%90%D0%94__en_1403605.html |website=EMIS.COM |publisher=EMIS |access-date=3 June 2023 |date=August 30, 2022 |archive-date=3 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230603014326/https://www.emis.com/php/company-profile/BG/EVN_Bulgaria_Toplofikatsia_EAD__%D0%95%D0%92%D0%9D_%D0%91%D1%8A%D0%BB%D0%B3%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%8F_%D0%A2%D0%BE%D0%BF%D0%BB%D0%BE%D1%84%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%B0%D1%86%D0%B8%D1%8F_%D0%95%D0%90%D0%94__en_1403605.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

The economy of Plovdiv has long tradition in [[manufacturing]], [[commerce]], [[transport]], [[communications]], and [[tourism]]. Apart from the industrial development of Plovdiv, there has been a significant surge in the IT and outsourcing service sector in the recent years, as well as a double-digit increase in the tourism growth in the city every year for the past 5 years.<ref name="tourism">http://www.plovdiv.bg/%D0%BF%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B4%D0%B8%D0%B2-%D0%B5-%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D1%80-%D0%B2-%D0%BA%D1%83%D0%BB%D1%82%D1%83%D1%80%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%8F-%D1%82%D1%83%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%B7%D1%8A%D0%BC-%D0%B2-%D0%B1/ {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170826113136/http://www.plovdiv.bg/%D0%BF%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B4%D0%B8%D0%B2-%D0%B5-%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D1%80-%D0%B2-%D0%BA%D1%83%D0%BB%D1%82%D1%83%D1%80%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%8F-%D1%82%D1%83%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%B7%D1%8A%D0%BC-%D0%B2-%D0%B1/ |date=26 August 2017 }} Tourism (in Bulgarian)</ref>

===Economic Indicators===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%"
|-
! Indicator
! Unit
! 2010
! 2011
! 2012
! 2013
! 2014
|-
| align="left" | GDP
| align="center" | BGN million
| align="right" | 5,539
| align="right" | 6,062
| align="right" | 6,178
| align="right" | 6,374
| align="right" | 6,273
|-
| align="left" | Share in Bulgaria's GDP
| align="center" | %
| align="right" | 7.5
| align="right" | 7.6
| align="right" | 7.6
| align="right" | 7.8
| align="right" | 7.5
|-
| align="left" | GDP per capita
| align="center" | BGN
| align="right" | 7,924
| align="right" | 8,888
| align="right" | 9,087
| align="right" | 9,394
| align="right" | 9,268
|-
| align="left" | Population
| align="center" | Number
| align="right" | 696,300
| align="right" | 680,884
| align="right" | 678,860
| align="right" | 678,197
| align="right" | 675,586
|-
| align="left" | Average annual number of employees under labor contract
| align="center" | Number
| align="right" | 208,438
| align="right" | 207,599
| align="right" | 205,876
| align="right" | 203,933
| align="right" | 207,057
|-
| align="left" | Average salary of employees under labor contract
| align="center" | BGN
| align="right" | 6,462
| align="right" | 6,889
| align="right" | 7,418
| align="right" | 7,922
| align="right" | 8,504
|-
| align="left" | Economic activity rate 
| align="center" | %
|align="right" | 64.9
|align="right" | 64.2
|align="right" | 67.7
|align="right" | 70.7
|align="right" | 71.7
|-
| align="left" | Unemployment rate
| align="center" | %
|align="right" | 8.5
|align="right" | 8.8
|align="right" | 11.2
|align="right" | 13.4
|align="right" | 13.1
|-
| align="left" | FDI
| align="center" | EUR million
|align="right" | 1.118
|align="right" | 1.259
|align="right" | 1.340
|align="right" | 1.648
|align="right" | 1.546
|}
Source: The National Statistical Institute<ref name="nsi"/>

===Industry===
Industry has been the sole leader in attracting investment. Industry has been expanding since the late 1990s, with manufacturing plants being built in the city or in its outskirts mainly the municipality of Maritsa. In this period, some €500,000,000 has been invested in the construction of new factories. [[Trakia Economic Zone]] which is one of the largest industrial zones in Eastern Europe, is located around Plovdiv. Some of the biggest companies in the region include the Austrian utility company [[EVN Group|EVN]], PIMK  (transport), Insa Oil (fuels), [[Liebherr]] (refrigerator plant), [[Magna International]] (automotive industry), Bella Bulgaria (food manufacturing), Socotab (tobacco processing), [[ABB Group]], [[Schneider Electric]], [[Osram]], Sensata Technologies, etc.

===Shopping and commerce===
The commercial sector is developing quickly. Shopping centers have been built mainly in the Central district and the district of Trakiya. Those include Shopping Center Grand,<ref>[http://plovdiv.imotibg.com/plovdiv/%D0%BF%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B4%D0%B8%D0%B2-%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%B8-%D1%82%D1%8A%D1%80%D0%B3%D0%BE%D0%B2%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8-%D1%86%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%82%D1%8A%D1%80-enno170932.html Grand Trade Center to open in Plovdiv]. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091011105414/http://plovdiv.imotibg.com/plovdiv/%D0%BF%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B4%D0%B8%D0%B2-%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%B8-%D1%82%D1%8A%D1%80%D0%B3%D0%BE%D0%B2%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8-%D1%86%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%82%D1%8A%D1%80-enno170932.html |date=11 October 2009 }}</ref> Market Center,<ref name="autogenerated2">{{cite web |url=http://big.bg/modules/news03/article.php?storyid=21452 |title=Пет големи търговски центъра слагат край на сергиите в центъра на Пловдив |publisher=Big.bg |access-date=7 January 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720082819/http://big.bg/modules/news03/article.php?storyid=21452 |archive-date=20 July 2011  }}</ref> and two more all on the Kapitan Raycho Street,<ref name="autogenerated2"/> Forum in Trakiya, Excelsior, and others. Plovdiv has three large shopping centers: the €40&nbsp;million Mall of Plovdiv (opened 2009) with a shopping area of {{convert|22000|m2|2|abbr=on}}, 11 cinema halls, and parking for 700 cars;<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.plovdiv24.com/news/21968.html|title=Construction of Mall of Plovdiv begins|date=18 December 2006|publisher=Plovdiv24.com|access-date=7 January 2011|archive-date=12 June 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080612064436/http://www.plovdiv24.com/news/21968.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Markovo tepe Mall (opened 2016);<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.comfort.bg/bg/public/news_2425_36.html |title=A Bulgarian-Israeli company to build a mall in Plovdiv |publisher=Comfort.bg |access-date=7 January 2011 |archive-date=6 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706142759/http://www.comfort.bg/bg/public/news_2425_36.html |url-status=live }}</ref> and Plovdiv Plaza Mall which is 6 stories high with 127 000 m<sup>2</sup> area, half of which is the parking lot and the rest is shopping area.

Due to the high demand for business office space, new office and commercial buildings have been built. Several hypermarkets have been built mainly on the outskirts of the city: [[Metro AG|Metro]], [[Kaufland]], [[Triumf (hypermarket)|Triumf]], [[Praktiker]], [[Billa (supermarket)|Billa]], [[Mr. Bricolage]], [[Baumax]], Technopolis, Technomarket Europa, and others. The main shopping area is the central street with its shops, cafés, and restaurants. A number of cafés, craftsmen workshops, and souvenir shops are in the Old Town and the small streets in the centre, known among the locals as "The Trap" ({{langx|bg|Капана}}).

The [[Plovdiv International Fair]], held annually since 1892, is the largest and oldest fair in the country and all of southeastern Europe, gathering companies from all over the world in an exhibition area of {{convert|138000|m2|2|abbr=on}} located on a territory of {{convert|352000|m2|2|abbr=on}} on the northern banks of the Maristsa river.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fair.bg/bg/fair/ |title=Plovdiv International Fair |publisher=Fair.bg |access-date=3 July 2011 |archive-date=6 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706143020/http://www.fair.bg/bg/fair/ |url-status=live }}</ref> It attracts more than 600,000 visitors from many countries.<ref name="autogenerated1">{{Cite book |last=Balabanov |first=G. |title=This is Bulgaria |location=Sofia |page=393 |language=bg, en |isbn=954-91672-1-6 |year=2005}}</ref>

The city has had a duty-free zone since 1987. It has a customs terminal handling cargo from trucks and trains.<ref name="autogenerated1"/>
<gallery mode="packed-hover">
File:Plovdiv Plaza.jpg|Mall Plovdiv Plaza
File:MallMakrovo.jpg|Mall Markovo tepe
File:Mall Plovdiv.jpg|Mall Plovdiv
File:Trade Center Forum, Trakiya, Plovdiv.JPG|Forum Trakia shopping center
</gallery>

==Transport==
[[File:Plovdiv Railway Station TB 1.jpg|right|thumb|[[Plovdiv Central railway station]].]]
Plovdiv's geographical position makes it an international transport hub. Three of the ten [[Pan-European corridors]] run into or near the city: Corridor IV ([[Dresden]]–[[Bucharest]]–[[Sofia]]-Plovdiv-[[Istanbul]]), Corridor VIII ([[Durrës]]-Sofia-Plovdiv-[[Varna, Bulgaria|Varna]]/[[Burgas]]), and [[Pan-European Corridor X|Corridor X]] ([[Salzburg]]–[[Belgrade]]-Plovdiv-Istanbul).<ref name="trans">[http://www.plovdivsite.hit.bg/index_files/Page1439.htm Transport in Plovdiv] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100704160240/http://www.plovdivsite.hit.bg/index_files/Page1439.htm |date=4 July 2010 }}.</ref><ref>See the [[:File:Paneuropetransport.png|map]].</ref> A major tourist centre, Plovdiv lies at the foot of the [[Rhodope Mountains]], and most people wishing to explore the mountains choose it as their trip's starting point.

The city is a major road and railway hub in southern Bulgaria with<ref>{{Cite book |title=Пътеводител България |publisher=ТАНГРА ТанНакРа ИК |location=София |pages=143–144 |language=bg |isbn=954-9942-32-5 |year=2002 |author=avtori Evgeni Dinchev ...|display-authors=etal}}</ref> the [[Trakia motorway]] (A1) only {{convert|5|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} to the north. It lies on the important national route from Sofia to Burgas via Stara Zagora. First-class roads lead to Sofia to the west, [[Karlovo]] to the north, [[Asenovgrad]], [[Kardzhali]] to the south, and [[Stara Zagora]] and [[Haskovo]] to the east. There are [[intercity bus]]es which link Plovdiv with cities and towns all over the country and many European countries. They are based in three [[bus station]]s: South, Rodopi, and North.

Railway transport in the city dates back to 1872 when it became a station on the [[Lyubimets]]–[[Belovo, Bulgaria|Belovo]] railway line. There are railway lines to Sofia, [[Panagyurishte]], Karlovo, [[Peshtera]], Stara Zagora, [[Dimitrovgrad, Bulgaria|Dimitrovgrad]], and Asenovgrad. There are three [[railway station]]s:{{spaced ndash}} [[Plovdiv Central railway station|Plovdiv Central]], Trakia, and Filipovo{{spaced ndash}} as well as a freight station.<ref name="trans"/>

[[File:Bus in Plovdiv 2006.jpg|thumb|left|Bus in Plovdiv]]
[[File:AG280T07.jpg|thumb|left|Trolleybus in Plovdiv]]
Plovdiv has a large public transport system<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.snimka.bg/album.php?album_id=47688 |title=A map of the Plovdiv Public transport |publisher=Snimka.bg |access-date=3 July 2011 |archive-date=15 January 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090115112608/http://www.snimka.bg/album.php?album_id=47688 |url-status=live }}</ref> including around 30 main and 2 extra bus lines. However, there are no [[tram]]s in the city, and the [[Trolleybuses in Plovdiv|Plovdiv trolleybus system]] was closed in autumn 2012.<ref>''Trolleybus Magazine'' No. 308 (March–April 2013), p. 47. National Trolleybus Association (UK). {{ISSN|0266-7452}}.</ref> Six bridges span the [[Maritsa]] river including a railway bridge and a [[covered bridge]]. There are important road junctions to the south, southwest, and north.
[[File:Velomap plovdiv.png|thumb|right|Map of Plovdiv's [[cycling infrastructure]]<br />Green: built<br />Orange: planned]]
Plovdiv has a well-developed cycling infrastructure which covers almost all districts of the city. The total length of the cycling roads is {{convert|60|km|abbr=off}} ({{convert|48|km|abbr=off}} are completed and {{convert|12|km|abbr=off}} are under construction). The city has a total of 690 bike parkings.

<gallery mode="packed-hover" class="center" caption="Cycling Infrastructure">
 File:Velo1.jpg
 File:Velo2.jpg
 File:Velo3.jpg
 File:Velo4.jpg
 File:Velo5.jpg
 File:Velo6.jpg
</gallery>

The number of registered private automobiles in the city increased from 178,104 in 2005 to 234,298 in 2009.<ref>[https://archive.today/20120913051228/http://www.nsi.bg/spagebg.php?SHP=31 "Statistics of the European Cities{{spaced ndash}} City of Plovdiv] (in [[Bulgarian language|Bulgarian]]).</ref> There are around 658 cars per 1,000 inhabitants<ref>[https://archive.today/20120708190611/http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/tgm/refreshTableAction.do?ab=table&plugin=1&pcode=tgs00089&language=en "Eurostat. Transport in Urban Audit cities, core city"].</ref>
[[File:Pldairportjpg.jpg|right|thumb|[[Plovdiv Airport]].]]
[[Plovdiv International Airport]] is near the village of [[Krumovo]], {{convert|5|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} southeast of the city. It takes charter flights from Europe and has scheduled services with Ryanair to London Stansted and Dublin and S7 to Moscow. Wizz Air have services to London Luton, Dortmund, and Munich West.Many small airports are in the city's surroundings, including the [[Graf Ignatievo Air Base]] in [[Graf Ignatievo]] to the north of Plovdiv.

The [[Bulgarian International Air Festival|BIAF Airshow]] is held every two years on the [[Krumovo]] airbase and is one of the biggest airshows in the Balkans.{{citation needed|date=August 2012|reason=particularly for the "one of the biggest...in the balkans" assertion}}

==Education==
Around two thirds of the citizens (62,38%) have secondary, specialized, or higher education. That percentage increased from 1992 to 2001.<ref name="edu">{{dead link|date=August 2012}} {{cite web |url=http://www.pd.e-gov.bg/index.php?f=obstini&p=obstini&obst=plovdiv |title=Information for Plovdiv – Education |publisher=Pd.e-gov.bg |access-date=3 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706142802/http://www.pd.e-gov.bg/index.php?f=obstini&p=obstini&obst=plovdiv |archive-date=6 July 2011  }}</ref>

Plovdiv has 78 schools including elementary, high, foreign language, mathematics, technical, and art schools. There are also 10 private schools and a [[seminary]]. The number of pupils in 2005 was 36,964 and has been constantly decreasing since the mid-1990 due to lower birth rate.<ref name="edu"/> Among the most prestigious schools are the [[Plovdiv Language School]], the High School of Mathematics, the Ivan Vazov Language School, the [[Sts. Cyril and Methodius High School of Humanities, Plovdiv|Sts. Cyril and Methodius High School of Humanities]], the National School of Commerce, and the French High School.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://podtepeto.com/aktualno/top-10-na-gimnaziite-v-plovdiv/#google_vignette |title=Pod Tepeto-online media |date=12 June 2024 |publisher=podtepeto.com |access-date=7 July 2024}}</ref>

The city has six universities and a number of state and private colleges and branches of other universities. Those include [[Plovdiv University]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.uni-plovdiv.bg |title=University of Plovdiv "Paisiy Hilendarski" |publisher=Uni-plovdiv.bg |access-date=3 July 2011 |archive-date=5 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110705111907/http://uni-plovdiv.bg/ |url-status=live }}</ref> with 900 lecturers and employees and 13,000 students; the [[Plovdiv Medical University]], with 2,600 students;<ref>{{cite web |url=http://meduniversity-plovdiv.bg/ |title=Medical University |publisher=Meduniversity-plovdiv.bg |date=29 June 2011 |access-date=3 July 2011 |archive-date=6 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706143155/http://meduniversity-plovdiv.bg/ |url-status=live }}</ref> the Medical College; the Technical University of Sofia{{spaced ndash}}Branch Plovdiv;<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tu-plovdiv.bg |title=Technical University of Sofia, Plovdiv branch |publisher=Tu-plovdiv.bg |access-date=3 July 2011 |archive-date=27 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200327142400/http://www.tu-plovdiv.bg/ |url-status=live }}</ref> the Agricultural University{{spaced ndash}} Plovdiv;<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.au-plovdiv.bg |title=University of Agriculture |publisher=Au-plovdiv.bg |access-date=3 July 2011 |archive-date=6 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706142718/http://www.au-plovdiv.bg/ |url-status=live }}</ref> the University of Food Technologies;<ref>[http://www.uft-plovdiv.bg/index_ie.htm University of Food Technologies]. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080410085650/http://www.uft-plovdiv.bg/index_ie.htm |date=10 April 2008 }}</ref> the Academy for Music, Dance and Fine Arts;<ref>[http://www.artacademyplovdiv.com/home_en.htm Academy of Music, Dance and Fine Arts]. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061206104954/http://www.artacademyplovdiv.com/home_en.htm |date=6 December 2006 }}</ref> and others.<ref name="edu"/>

The 2009 [[International Olympiad in Informatics]] (IOI) was held at the [[Plovdiv University|University of Plovdiv "Paisiy Hilendarski"]], between 8 and 15 August 2009. The 2009 IOI Honorary Patron was [[President of Bulgaria|Bulgarian President]] [[Georgi Parvanov]].{{citation needed|date=August 2012}}

Between 1875 and 1906, the [[Zariphios School]] was one of the local Greek educational institutions that provided elementary and secondary education.<ref>{{cite book | last1= Cornis-Pope | first1= Marcel | last2= Neubauer | first2= John | title= History of the literary cultures of East-Central Europe: junctures and disjunctures in the 19th and 20th centuries | publisher= John Benjamins Publishing Company | year= 2006 | url= https://books.google.com/books?id=5pAwqsSyTlsC&q=%22zariphios%22&pg=PA143 | isbn= 978-960-98903-5-9 | page= 143 | access-date= 19 October 2020 | archive-date= 29 May 2021 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210529150601/https://books.google.com/books?id=5pAwqsSyTlsC&q=%22zariphios%22&pg=PA143 | url-status= live }}</ref>

==Sports and recreation==
[[Plovdiv Sports Complex]] consists of [[Plovdiv Stadium]] with several additional football fields, tennis courts, [[swimming pool]]s, a [[rowing (sport)|rowing base]] with a 2&nbsp;km-long channel, restaurants, and cafés in a spacious park in the western part of the city just south of the [[Maritsa]] river. There are also playgrounds for children. It is popular among the citizens and guests of Plovdiv who use it for jogging, walking, and relaxation. Plovdiv Stadium (55,000 seats) is the largest football venue in Bulgaria.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.worldstadiums.com/europe/countries/bulgaria.shtml |title=World Stadiums |publisher=World Stadiums |access-date=3 July 2011 |archive-date=5 August 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110805140219/http://www.worldstadiums.com/europe/countries/bulgaria.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref>

Other stadiums include [[Hristo Botev Stadium (Plovdiv)|Stadion Botev]] (19,000 seats), [[Lokomotiv Stadium (Plovdiv)|Lokomotiv]] (10,000 seats), [[Maritsa Stadium]] (5,000 seats), and [[Todor Diev Stadium]] (7,000 seats). There are seven indoor [[sports hall]]s: [[Kolodruma]], University Hall, Olimpia, Lokomotiv, Dunav, Stroitel, Chaika, Akademik, and Total Sport. In 2006, [[Aqualand]], a water park, was opened near the city centre.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.plovdivguide.com/newsfiles/news.php?id=2127&lang_id=1 |title=Aqualand |publisher=Plovdivguide.com |date=4 August 2006 |access-date=3 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061103030221/http://www.plovdivguide.com/newsfiles/news.php?id=2127&lang_id=1 |archive-date=3 November 2006  }}</ref> Several smaller water parks are in the city as well.
<gallery mode="packed-hover" class="center" caption="Sport Facilities">
 File:Plovdiv_Stadium.JPG|[[Plovdiv Stadium]] and sport complex
 File:Гребната през есента.jpg|Rowing base
 File:Kolezha.jpg|[[Hristo Botev Stadium (Plovdiv)|Hristo Botev Stadium]]
 File:Lokomotiv Stadium 2022.jpg|[[Lokomotiv Stadium (Plovdiv)|Lokomotiv Stadium]]
 File:Sports hall of Plovdiv University, Plovdiv, Bulgaria 2.jpg|Plovdiv University sports hall
</gallery>
[[association football|Football]] is the most popular sport in the city; Plovdiv has four professional teams. The city has [[PFC Botev Plovdiv]], founded in 1912 and [[PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv|PFC Lokomotiv]], founded in 1926.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lokomotivpd.com/ |title=Official site of Lokomotiv Plòvdiv |publisher=Lokomotivpd.com |date=28 May 2011 |access-date=3 July 2011 |archive-date=26 February 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120226131542/http://lokomotivpd.com/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Both teams are a regular fixture in the [[Bulgarian A Professional Football Group|top Bulgarian league]]. The rivalry between them is considered to be even more fierce than the one between [[PFC Levski Sofia|Levski]] and [[PFC CSKA Sofia|CSKA]] of [[Sofia]]. There are two other football clubs in the city – [[Maritsa Plovdiv|Maritsa FC]] (founded in 1921) and [[Spartak Plovdiv]] (1947).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.spartakpd.info/ |title=Spartak Plovdiv |publisher=Spartakpd.info |access-date=3 July 2011 |archive-date=19 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719045859/http://www.spartakpd.info/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Plovdiv is host of the international [[boxing]] tournament "Strandzha" which has taken place since 1949.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://boxing.mdkbg.com/eng/index.html |title=International boxing tournament Strandzha |publisher=Boxing.mdkbg.com |access-date=3 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110714063510/http://boxing.mdkbg.com/eng/index.html |archive-date=14 July 2011  }}</ref> In 2007, 96 boxers from 20 countries participated in the tournament. There is a [[horse racing]] club and a horse base near the city. Plovdiv has several volleyball and basketball teams.
[[File:Plovdiv-tsar-simeon-garden-201704.jpg|thumb|right|A view from the "singing fountains" in Tsar Simeon's garden.]]
[[File:City Garden P5030039.jpg|thumb|right|A view from the City garden.]]
Three of the city's seven hills are protected natural territories since 1995. Two of the first parks in Bulgaria are located in the city center {{spaced ndash}} ''Tsar Simeon garden – city garden'', where the very first work of the Italian sculptor [[Arnoldo Zocchi]] could be seen, and ''Dondukov garden – old city garden''. Some of the larger parks include the ''Botanical garden'', ''Beli Brezi'', ''Ribnitsa'', and ''Lauta''.

==Notable people==
[[File:Georgi ivanov-676x1024.jpg|thumb|140px|[[Georgi Ivanov (cosmonaut)|Georgi Ivanov]]]]
[[File:Mutkurovsava.jpg|thumb|140px|[[Sava Mutkurov]]]]
[[File:Ivan Vazov Coloured Improved.jpg|thumb|140px|[[Ivan Vazov]]]]
* [[Ahmad Hilmi of Filibe]] – (1865–1914), writer, thinker
* [[Ivan Andonov]]{{spaced ndash}} (1934–2011), actor
* [[Vladimir Arabadzhiev]]{{spaced ndash}} (born 1984), racing driver
* [[Zlatyu Boyadzhiev]]{{spaced ndash}} (1903–1976), painter
* [[Boris Christoff]]{{spaced ndash}} (1914–1993), basso
* [[Hristo G. Danov]]{{spaced ndash}} (1828–1911), publisher
* [[Dimcho Debelyanov]]{{spaced ndash}} (1887–1916), writer
* [[Samuel Finzi]]{{spaced ndash}} (born 1966), German actor
* [[George Ganchev]]{{spaced ndash}} (1939–2019), actor, writer, politician and fencer
* [[Nayden Gerov]]{{spaced ndash}} (1823–1900), linguist, folklorist and writer
* [[Ivan Evstratiev Geshov]]{{spaced ndash}} (1849–1924), former [[Prime Minister of Bulgaria]]
* [[Todor Kableshkov]]{{spaced ndash}} (1851–1876), a 19th-century Bulgarian revolutionary
* [[Petko Karavelov]]{{spaced ndash}} (1843–1903), revolutionary and former [[Prime Minister of Bulgaria]]
* [[Asen Kisimov]]{{spaced ndash}} (1936–2005), actor
* [[Georgios Kleovoulos]]{{spaced ndash}} (ca.1785-1828), Greek scholar and educator
* [[Antonios Komizopoulos]]{{spaced ndash}} (19th.C.), Greek merchant and the 4th member of Filiki Eteria
* [[Milcho Leviev]] {{spaced ndash}} (1937–2019), musician
* [[Andrey Lyapchev]]{{spaced ndash}} (1866–1933), former [[Prime Minister of Bulgaria]]
* [[Aleksandar Malinov]]{{spaced ndash}} (1867–1938), former [[Prime Minister of Bulgaria]]
* [[Stoika Milanova]]{{spaced ndash}} (born 1945), classical violinist
* [[Ivan Mrkvička]] {{spaced ndash}} (1856–1938), painter
* [[Sava Mutkurov]]{{spaced ndash}} (1852–1891), former [[regency|Regent]] of Bulgaria, the chief architect of the [[Bulgarian unification]]
* [[Kiril Petkov]]{{spaced ndash}} (born 1980), acting [[Prime Minister of Bulgaria]]
* [[Silvena Rowe]]{{spaced ndash}} (born 1967), British chef, food writer, TV personality and restaurateur
* [[Nanka Serkedzhieva]] {{spaced ndash}} (1925–2012), female military officer
* [[Pencho Slaveykov]]{{spaced ndash}} (1866–1912), writer and poet
* [[Konstantin Stoilov]]{{spaced ndash}} (1853–1901), former [[Prime Minister of Bulgaria]]
* [[Petar Stoyanov]]{{spaced ndash}} (born 1952), former [[President of Bulgaria]]
* [[Slavik Tabakov]]{{spaced ndash}} medical physicist, President [[IOMP]]
* [[Emma Tahmizian]]{{spaced ndash}} (born 1957), pianist
* [[Nayden Todorov]]{{spaced ndash}} (born 1974), conductor
* [[Christos Tsigiridis]]{{spaced ndash}} (1877-1947), Greek [[electrical engineer]] and technological pioneer
* [[Ivan Vazov]]{{spaced ndash}} (1850–1921), writer
* [[Zhan Videnov]]{{spaced ndash}} (born 1959), former [[Prime Minister of Bulgaria]]
* [[Angel Wagenstein]] (1922-2023), screenwriter and author
* [[Sonya Yoncheva]]{{spaced ndash}} (born 1981), opera singer
* [[Yordan Yovkov]]{{spaced ndash}} (1880–1937), writer

[[File:Hristo stoichkov-2010.jpg|thumb|140px|[[Hristo Stoichkov]]]]

=== Sport ===
* [[Miro (wrestler)|Miroslav Barnyashev]]{{spaced ndash}} (born 1984), professional wrestler, performing under the name of Rusev
* [[Georgi Hristov (footballer, born 1985)|Georgi Hristov]]{{spaced ndash}} (born 1985), former professional footballer
* [[Stefka Kostadinova]]{{spaced ndash}} (born 1965), world-record holder in the women's high jump
* [[Apostolos Nikolaidis (athlete)|Apostolos Nikolaidis]]{{spaced ndash}} (1896–1980), Greek athlete
* [[Tsvetana Pironkova]]{{spaced ndash}} (born 1987), professional tennis player
* [[Iva Prandzheva]]{{spaced ndash}} (born 1972), long jumper and triple jumper
* [[Hristo Stoichkov]]{{spaced ndash}} (born 1966), football player
* [[Serafim Todorov]]{{spaced ndash}} (born 1969), boxer
* [[Yordan Yovchev]]{{spaced ndash}} (born 1973), gymnast

==Twin towns – sister cities==
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Bulgaria}}

[[File:Direction signs - Plovdiv's sister cities, Bulgaria.JPG|thumb|Sign showing Plovdiv's sister cities]]
Plovdiv is [[Twin towns and sister cities|twinned]] with:<ref>{{cite web|title=Побратимени градове|url=https://www.plovdiv.bg/en/about-plovdiv/%D0%BF%D0%BE%D0%B1%D1%80%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B8-%D0%B3%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B4%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B5/|website=plovdiv.bg|publisher=Plovdiv|access-date=2019-10-29|archive-date=23 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190323130759/https://www.plovdiv.bg/en/about-plovdiv/%D0%BF%D0%BE%D0%B1%D1%80%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B8-%D0%B3%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B4%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B5/|url-status=live}}</ref>
{{div col|colwidth=15em}}
<!--Brno, Leipzig, Poznań - not twinning-->
*{{flagicon|TUR}} [[Bursa]], Turkey
*{{flagicon|CHN}} [[Changchun]], China
*{{flagicon|USA}} [[Columbia, South Carolina|Columbia]], United States
*{{flagicon|KOR}} [[Daegu]], South Korea
*{{flagicon|UKR}} [[Donetsk]], Ukraine
*{{flagicon|ARM}} [[Gyumri]], Armenia
*{{flagicon|KSA}} [[Jeddah]], Saudi Arabia
*{{flagicon|TUR}} [[Istanbul]], Turkey
*{{flagicon|RUS}} [[Ivanovo]], Russia
*{{flagicon|GRC}} [[Kastoria]], Greece
*{{flagicon|SVK}} [[Košice]], Slovakia
*{{flagicon|MKD}} [[Kumanovo]], North Macedonia
*{{flagicon|GEO}} [[Kutaisi]], Georgia
*{{flagicon|SRB}} [[Leskovac]], Serbia
*{{flagicon|CHN}} [[Luoyang]], China
*{{flagicon|MKD}} [[Ohrid]], North Macedonia
*{{flagicon|JPN}} [[Okayama]], Japan
*{{flagicon|JOR}} [[Petra]], Jordan
*{{flagicon|ITA}} [[Rome]], Italy
*{{flagicon|RUS}} [[Saint Petersburg]], Russia
*{{flagicon|UZB}} [[Samarkand]], Uzbekistan
*{{flagicon|CHN}} [[Shenzhen]], China
*{{flagicon|GRE}} [[Thessaloniki]], Greece
*{{flagicon|VEN}} [[Valencia, Carabobo|Valencia]], Venezuela
*{{flagicon|RUS}} [[Yekaterinburg]], Russia
{{div col end}}

==Honour==
The [[asteroid]] ([[minor planet]]) [[List of minor planets: 3001–4000#860|3860 Plovdiv]] is named after the city. It was discovered by the [[Belgians|Belgian]] astronomer [[Eric Walter Elst|Eric W. Elst]] and the [[Bulgarians|Bulgarian]] astronomer [[Violeta G. Ivanova]] on 8 August 1986. [[Plovdiv Peak]] ({{convert|1040|m|ft|0|abbr=on|disp=or}}) on [[Livingston Island]] in the [[South Shetland Islands]], [[Antarctica]], is also named after Plovdiv.

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Plovdivpanorama.jpg|A panoramic view
File:Plovdiv Bulgaria street view.JPG|Looking down one of the streets in Plovdiv.
File:Plovdiv Fortress Plan.png|Plan of the medieval fortress
</gallery>

==See also==
* [[List of airports in Bulgaria]]
* [[List of cities and towns in Bulgaria]]
* [[List of mayors of Plovdiv]]
{{Portal bar|Bulgaria|Geography}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Plovdiv}}
{{Wikivoyage|Plovdiv}}
{{EB1911 poster|Philippopolis}}
* [http://www.plovdiv.bg/ Official website]
* [http://www.visitplovdiv.com/en Tourism department – Visit Plovdiv]

{{Plovdiv}}
{{Ancient Monuments in Plovdiv}}
{{Cities of Bulgaria}}
{{Plovdiv Province}}
{{Districts of Plovdiv}}
{{Maritsa Municipality}}
{{Rodopi}}
{{European Capital of Culture}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Coord|42|9|N|24|45|E|type:city|display=title}}

[[Category:Plovdiv| ]]
[[Category:Argead colonies]]
[[Category:Former capitals of Bulgaria]]
<!--please leave the empty space as standard-->
[[Category:Populated places in Plovdiv Province]]