The Urvich Fortress continues to reveal its secrets from the time when Sofia was Roman Serdica. A triangular stone tower dating back to the end of the 2nd century was discovered by young archaeologists Dr. Filip Petrunov and Violina Kiryakova in the final days of archaeological research funded by the Sofia Municipality. The discovery was made at a depth of 1.7 meters, where archaeologists came across massive stone structures with an unusual triangular shape. Scientists suggest that the construction is from the times of Serdica – the name of the Bulgaria's present-day capital in ancient times, when it was the center of a province of the Roman Empire.

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This is the earliest structure discovered so far on the territory of Urvich and marks the beginning of its strategic role in Antiquity. The fact that the oldest coins discovered so far on the territory of the archaeological works date back to the reign of the Roman emperor Caracalla (211–217 AD) also leads us to this conclusion. The structure of the tower, which was repeatedly remodelled in subsequent eras, is also of interest.

One of the important finds is a Byzantine coin of Emperor Isaac II Angelus (1185–1195 AD), which points to the reconstructions at the end of the 12th century. This shows that the triangular tower retained its strategic importance for more than a millennium.

In parallel with the archaeological discoveries, new signboards have been installed at the site, introducing visitors to the most significant discoveries.

Editor: Veneta Nikolova

Publication in English: Alexander Markov

Photos: historymuseum.org