The southern Bulgarian city of Plovdiv celebrated its inauguration as a European Capital of Culture with an opening show on January 12. The city shares the honor in 2019 with Matera, Italy. Plovdiv is the oldest city in Bulgaria and claims to be the oldest continuously inhabited city in Europe, with prehistoric settlements dating back over 8,000 years.
Plovdiv, Bulgaria: European Capital of Culture 2019
People take selfies in Plovdiv with a painted Trabant. The East German car is on display as part of Art Liberty, a traveling exhibition marking the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.
A couple takes in a view of Plovdiv, the first Bulgarian city to become a European Capital of Culture. The EU initiative is intended to celebrate the diversity of cultures in Europe, boost tourism, and support the cultural life of the selected cities.
The traveling Art Liberty exhibit, now in Plovdiv, includes painted fragments of the Berlin Wall. Some 350 cultural events are scheduled in Plovdiv as part of the EU initiative.
A music, light, and fireworks show centered on a 30-meter tower kicked off Plovdiv's year as a European Capital of Culture on January 12. Some 50,000 people watched the opening show.
A Bulgarian performer spins fire during the opening ceremony on January 12. Some 1,500 musicians and other artists participated in the opening events.
The Kosmos Cinema in Plovdiv is due to be renovated with funds allocated as part of the European Capital of Culture program.
Other renovation projects are planned in central Plovdiv, but their completion has been delayed, largely due to the complex demands of preserving the city's ancient sites.
A neighborhood in Plovdiv's old town with houses from the early 19th century
A neighborhood in Plovdiv's old town
A fresco in the Church of Saint Constantine and Saint Elena. The first church on the site was built in the 4th century.
The church of the Holy Mother of God
An ancient Roman stadium in Plovdiv is illuminated at night. The city has architectural landmarks from the Thracian, Greek, Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman eras, among others.
A cobblestone street in Plovdiv
A Roman amphitheater built in the 2nd century, during the reign of Emperor Trajan
A night view of Plovdiv's Roman amphitheater. The structure was buried for centuries, and was excavated in the 1970s after a landslide helped uncover it.
The city's Ethnographic Museum
An ancient gate to the city of Plovdiv
During much of its history, Plovdiv was known in the West as Philippopolis, after Philip II of Macedon, who conquered the city in the 4th century B.C.