On the occasion of the International Day for Monuments and Sites, the restored Bishop's Basilica of ancient Philippopolis or today's Plovdiv has officially opened.

US Ambassador Herro Mustafa was also present at the event, which was broadcast live on the website of the Plovdiv municipality and on Facebook.

After 5 years of restoration work on the building and the unique mosaics, the basilica opens doors for the citizens of Plovdiv and guests of the city. The building is unique when it comes to its scale, architecture and decoration, ranking among the most representative early Christian sites in this part of the Balkans. It is no coincidence that it has been included in the UNESCO Cultural and Natural Heritage list.

Over 8 million euros have been invested in the restoration within the framework of a joint project of the Municipality of Plovdiv and the America for Bulgaria Foundation. A complete restoration and conservation of the archaeological artifacts has been done, a covering building was constructed, and the surrounding square space has been renovated.

The Bishop's Basilica will be open to visitors on Monday.

You can learn more about this indisputable architectural masterpiece from the article "New lease of life for the ancient episcopal basilica in Plovdiv" , part of the rich collection of Radio Bulgaria.

Compiled by: Veneta Nikolova

English: Alexander Markov