Small Early Christian Basilica, Plovdiv

The Small Early Christian Basilica in Plovdiv – one of the 100 national tourist sites, dates from the second half of the 5th century. The length of the building is 20 m and its width is 13 m,it was built as a three-nave basilica with one apse and a narthex, rich decoration and a beautiful marble floor. The ruins of the early Christian basilica were accidentally discovered in 1988, during the construction of an apartment block in the area. It was situated in the suburbs of ancient Philippopolis, near the eastern necropolis. It is named the “small basilica”, because two bigger ones have been discovered nearby. Soon after its construction it was burned and restored with minor changes. At the end of the 6th century, the Small Basilica was abandoned and it gradually demolished, which led to using it as a source of building material. In the X-XI century, ruins were excavated from the basilica, leaving traces at the mosaics on the floor. In 2010 began a massive restoration of the building, mosaics and the frescos.
Part of the mosaics were exported from the basilica, then fortified and then returned to the building. The small basilica of Philippopolis is now turned into an “in situ” museum – a new building is built above the ruins to preserve them.