If you are a lover or an admirer of ancient roman history, have I got a treat for you. On a visit to the Bishop’s Basilica of Philippopolis, I was absolutely blown away by the quality and quantity of preserved history. Not only are you witness to incredible mosaic floors, you are inside a state-of-the-art museum.
The Great Basilica
Sometimes referred to by this name, the Bishop’s Basilica was the central hub of the ancient Roman city of Philippopolis. It was a large church under constant use from the 2nd to 4th century AD.
And it was only discovered in the 1980’s when a new development was proposed for this area near the roadway.
The Museum
Now, a state of the art, magnificent, architecturally beautiful structure protects the site. The museum consists of two floors and covers the entire footprint of the original basilica.
At the entry, you get your shoes wrapped, and you are free to wander the site at your leisure. You do not walk on the mosaics, but hover a few feet above them, on glass pathways.
The Main Floor
I found this absolutely incredible. The mosaics took my breath away. Their beauty, simplicity and the huge scale that they represent, are just amazing.
Did you know there are multiple layers of mosaics too? When one area underwent a renovation, the ancient people’s simply, re-mosaic-ed over the old flooring. Much like we do today, when we cover beautiful old wooden floors with carpet.
All along the paths are information signs, diagrams and pictures to let visitor know what they are seeing. I must admit, I was so absorbed in the mosaics themselves, I did not stop to read many of the signs.
At the back of the basilica is a beautiful staircase that you take to the upper floor.
Upper Floor
Here you will see an extensive mosaic floor that is covered with images of birds. It is just gorgeous.
At the back is an interactive area and to one side is a 3D video screen showing why specific birds were represented and their importance.
I paid 15 LEV ($11 CAD) for my entry. This ticket allowed me to visit not only this beautiful site but the Small Basilica as well. I will cover that in a future post. Definitely worth the entry fee for me as a lover of art, all things ancient, and mosaics themselves. I was overwhelmed with beauty in the best of ways.
