Fragment of a floor mosaics with geometric ornaments from The Large Basilica of Philippopolis.
Floor mosaic “Narcissus” from a peristyle residential building of ancient Pilippopolis – 2nd century AD. The mosaic is executed in technique opus vermiculatum. Natural rock materials and blue – green smalt were used for the mosaic.
Floor mosaic from a residential building of ancient Pilippopolis – 3rd century AD. The mosaic is executed in technique opus vermiculatum et tessalatum. Natural rock materials and blue – green smalt were used for the mosaic.
Cultural Center TRAKART
Presents
Permanent Exhibition of Ancient Mosaics from the
4th- 5th Century AD
The residential building Eirene (in Greek letters "EIPHINH") was discovered during emergency archaeоlogycal excavations in 1983 -1984. The restored portion of the entire plan of the residential building "EIPHNH", dating from late antiquity, is exhibited at the Cultural Center TRAKART (the pedestrian underpass Archaeologichesky city of Plovdiv). The EIPHNH residential building is a cultural monument of national and of world importance. The peristyle residential building with floor mosaics, is one of the best in ancient Philippopolis and occupies a major place among all investigated private residences in the ancient city.
Two sections were detached in EIPHNH residential building – household and representative. The rooms in the representative section are arranged round an internal peristyle court. Most of them have floor mosaics. Some time later an apse with mosaic flooring was attached to one of the rooms.
All rooms in the representative part of the building have polychrome floor mosaics with geometrical and figural images of rich colours and shades. The mosaics are executed combining two main techniques - opus tesselatum and opus vermiculatum.
The representative character of that part of the EIPHNH residence and its designation for receiving visitors is clear from the mosaic fields covering a space of some 160 square meters and the inscriptions in the mosaic panels placed along the way from the entrance to the spacious room containing the image of a woman with inscription EIPHNH. The tesserae used for the female bust in opus vermiculatum are smaller in size and irregular shape. Natural rock materials in white, black, red, ochre, yellow and green, and blue – green smalt were used for the female bust.
The inscription EIPHNH (Peace) indicates that this is the pagan goddess of peace. She was worshipped in Athens and Rome by the central authorities. On the other side, in spite of the similarity to pagan personifications, it is possible that the EIPHNH image from Plovdiv could be the bearer of new hidden Christian meaning, which originated as a result of the new realities in the spiritual preferences of the time. Here, as in other cases, Christianity seeks and finds its pictorial means amongst the domineering antique models in which it puts new sense.
The female bust from Philippopolis inscribed EIPHNH is the first mosaic image of that type discovered in Bulgaria. The structure had been in use during the period between the 4th and the 6th centuries. It probably served as the residence of a prominent citizen of Philippopolis, professing early Christian beliefs.
The mosaics in the EIPHNH residential building are preserved in situ, in the pedestrian underpass Archaeological, situated in the contemporary center of the city of Plovdiv on the south side of the Tunnel.
Twenty years after their discovering the mosaics are restored and exposed by Trakart 2000 Foundation supported by the US Ambassador's Fund for cultural preservation.
Trakart 2000 Foundation built a gallery – museum /Cultural Center Trakart/ to expose and preserve in situ the ancient mosaics in EIPHNH residential building, which was officially open to visitors on May 24th, 2004. There will be a perfect synthesis on display of antique mosaics (dating from the 4th-5th centuries) from the ancient city of Pilippopolis, covering 160 sq meters of space and preserved in situ, a sample of mosaics from the collection of the Archaeological Museum of the city of Plovdiv, as well as contemporary art works.
All these exhibits are shown at the Cultural Center TRAKART, located in the pedestrian underpass Archaeological, in the city of Plovdiv. The site is easy accessible, there is convenient parking space in the neighborhood (the parking of the Catholic cathedral of St. Ludvig), on the south side of the Tunnel.