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Free admission to the Small Basilica
Early Christian Small Basilica in Plovdiv is an early Christian church from around the 5th century AD and one of Plovdiv's most distinctive landmarks.
Found accidentally during the construction of a building in 1988, the Small Basilica is a great example of Roman Philippopolis past. You can take a look at the skills of ancient mosaic masters - well preserved rich architectural decorations full of Christian symbols (deer, pigeons, and others).
The little basilica is three-nave. There is an apse and a narthex. A small chapel is built from the south, and a baptistery is attached to the northern ship. The total length of the basilica, along with the apse, is 20 meters and the width is 13 meters.
The temple was rich in architectural decoration - a marble colonnade between ships, a marble altar, a pulpit and a sultron. The floors have a rich multicoloured mosaic with geometric motifs. They were covered with intricate compositions of triangles, circles and diamonds; of vases and garlands; of swastika-shaped meanders; from rosettes that symbolized Heaven and Christ's blood, and from Solomon's knots, which symbolized the power of true faith.
It is believed that the mosaics were among the best made by the Masters of the Philipopolitan School.
