SEE and Hear – Stara Zagora – The city of Roman experience

Do you sometimes wish time could stop or bring us back to ancient time, just to observe history? If Yes, then Stara Zagora is the perfect place to do that. The city is also very old, and has borne several different names: Beroe, Eski Zagra, Augusta Traiana and Irene Polis. 

Confused where to begin from when going to Stara Zagora? Let our guide lead the way: SEE and Hear guide Stara Zagora

A high density of Neolithic and Chalcolithic settlements has been identified by researchers and a ritual structure nearly 8,000 years old has also been discovered. The original settlement dates from the 5th-4th century B.C under the name Beroe or Beroia, founded by Philip II of Macedon. It was renamed to Ulpia Augusta Traiana during Roman rule and became the second most important city, after Philippopolis.

Throughout our visit to Stara Zagora, not only did we SEE the sights, but we also got a closer experience to them, especially in the historical museum. We were presented with a model of how the Roman city Augusta Traiana used to look like and our team got the chance to get dressed up as senators and noble ladies. We felt as if we were traveling back to the Roman empire and observed the fights and the events going on. Other monuments we explored were the State Puppet theater and the Museum of religions. 

Our project’s main objective is to inform tourists and locals on the known and not so well-known sights in Plovdiv, Edirne, Stara Zagora and Skopje. For Edirne, the participants created a guide of the most interesting sights which they believe represent the city the most. The guides not only distribute accurate and educational material, but they can also be used to help newcomers decide on which sightseeing they wish to visit when coming to the city. 

The”See and Hear” project is funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.