PLOVDIV SUNSET

Plovdiv (Bulgarian: Пловдив)[2] is the second-largest city in Bulgaria with a population of 341,567 inhabitants as of 2015. It is the administrative centre of Plovdiv Province and the municipalities of the City of Plovdiv, Maritsa municipality, and Rodopi municipality, whose municipal body had a population of 404,665 inhabitants as of 2015.

It is an important economic, transport, cultural, and educational centre. Plovdiv's history spans 6,000 years, with traces of a Neolithic settlement dating to roughly 4000 BC, ranking it among the world's oldest cities. Plovdiv was known in the West for most of its recorded history by the Greek name Philippoupolis (Φιλιππούπολις), which was introduced in 340 BC. The city was originally a Thracian settlement, later becoming invaded by Persians, Macedonians, Celts, Romans, Goths, Huns, Bulgarians, Crusaders, Russians and Ottomans.

On 4 January 1878, Plovdiv was liberated from Ottoman rule by the Russian army. It remained within the borders of Bulgaria until July of the same year, when it became the capital of the autonomous Ottoman region of Eastern Rumelia. In 1885, Plovdiv and Eastern Rumelia itself became part of Bulgaria. Plovdiv is situated in south-central Bulgaria on the two banks of the Maritsa River. The city has historically developed on seven syenite hills, some of which are 250 m high. Because of these hills, Plovdiv is often referred to in Bulgaria as "The City of the Seven Hills".

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme,
and also part of the Saturday Silhouettes meme,
and also part of the Scenic Weekends meme.