Plovdiv Roman Stadium

The Roman Stadium of Plovdiv lies partly buried beneath the modern city's main pedestrian street, its curved northern end excavated and open to view. Built in the second century, the horseshoe-shaped arena once seated thousands for athletic games modelled on the Greek Pythian festivals. Rows of marble seating steps and starting blocks survive, framed by a plaza where shoppers pass daily. A multimedia presentation and interpretive displays reconstruct the full length of the track, which extends unseen under the surrounding buildings.