A treasure that lay buried for 14 centuries, a great deal of determination and more than five years of work to restore it, and a benefactor committed to Bulgaria and its cultural heritage—these are just some of the elements of the exciting history of the Bishop’s Basilica of Philippopolis in Plovdiv. The largest early Christian temple found in Bulgaria, the basilica, as well as its treasure trove of mosaic decorations, is being restored with the financial support of the America for Bulgaria Foundation and will likely open to the public in early 2019.
On November 20, 2017, at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, representatives of Bulgaria’s Permanent Delegation to UNESCO, the Ministries of Culture and Tourism, the Municipality of Plovdiv, and the America for Bulgaria Foundation will open an exhibition dedicated to the Bishop’s Basilica and the Roman-era mosaics of ancient Philippopolis. Bulgaria will be preparing an application for the basilica’s inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage List.