The ruins of the ancient theatre are undoubtedly one of the most interesting and famous sights in Plovdiv. The theatre is located in the Old Town, the most ancient part of Plovdiv. It was built at the beginning of the 2nd century BC, during the reign of Emperor Trajan. In ancient times, this imposing structure was a real jewel of the city, and a huge number of people gathered here for performances. Unfortunately, around the 5th century AD, during the attack of the Huns under Attila the Hun, the theatre was partially destroyed. Its ruins were discovered by accident: specialists of the Archaeological Museum were working on the fortification of the fortress wall. This is the only case when in Plovdiv they discovered not individual fragments, but the whole object. It took almost 10 years to dig up the ancient theatre, which was under a 15-metre layer of earth. Despite the fact that the complex was once significantly damaged, today it is one of the best preserved structures of this type in the world.
The auditorium, or theatron, is located in the shape of a semicircle. It is divided into two large sectors, each with 14 rows of long benches. On the stone seats there are carved inscriptions with the names of the city districts, which were used by the spectators to determine where to sit. The total capacity of the hall was about seven thousand people.
In the lower part of the theatre is the stage, behind which rises the skene - a building designed for actors. It is a three-storey building with columns, decorated with stucco decorative elements.
After the completion of excavations and works on the restoration of this architectural monument in 1981 here was shown a theatrical performance, which was attended by almost five thousand spectators. Nowadays the theatre is equipped in accordance with modern requirements, concerts, festivals, etc. are regularly held here.
When visiting this attraction it is possible to book a guided tour in Bulgarian, Russian, English, German or French.
