The Municipality of Stara Zagora has been restoring monuments dating back to the times of the ancient Roman city of Augusta Traiana. This has been happening with European financing. Archaeological remains discovered in Stara Zagora are preserved and integrated into a modern urban environment with money under the Regional Development Operational Program (2007-2013). The project totals 2 million euro, says the director of the Regional History Museum Maria Kamisheva. Restored and exposed are the western gate of the ancient city, the square next to it, and some of the main streets of the Roman settlement. Under the project new tourist attractions and playgrounds for children were built.

Why is Augusta Traiana a unique archaeological complex?

"The forum of Augusta Traiana, unlike all other ancient Roman cities in the world, is located near the western gate of the town. Typically, such forums were built at the center of the settlement. This is not the case here. The square near the West Gate serves as a forum, too. This makes Augusta Traiana unique. The complex includes seats for the citizens who took part in the political life or watched gladiator fights on the arena. Stara Zagora is the Bulgarian city where a great number of antique mosaics were found. The EU project also envisaged their renovation.”

What are the new tourist attractions?

"We plan to organize special performances for the tourists in the eastern part of the antique street. In the summer months the area could serve as a Roman bazaar. Citizens could also dress like Romans, as antique clothes were bought under the project, too. Interactive boards powered by latest computer technologies tell visitors about the history of the city and the project. "

What does the regional museum offer to tourists?

"In the Regional Museum History we mostly work with young people. But adults also have a lot to see. We offer various themed walks in Stara Zagora related to the history of the city from ancient times to the present day. For example visitors could go to see the prehistoric copper mines near the city. There are also a number of antique monuments that remain hidden under modern buildings and people do not know about them.”

The municipality vows to apply for EU funding for the next programming period (2014-2020) too. The goal is to restore the mosaic that covered the reception hall of the bath in Augusta Traiana. So far 220 m2 of it have been revealed.

Regional Museum of History in Stara Zagora has a rich collection of artefacts dating back to different eras. The museum’s collection has participated in a number of exhibitions in Europe and Japan. The artefacts of the museum would also be included in a Bulgarian exhibition in the Louvre in 2014.

English version: Alexander Markov