Although all Plovdiv residents commonly refer to the square this way, it has never officially borne this name. Its previous names have included "Aynal Megdan” (Moon Square), "Alexander Stamboliyski", "Knyaz Boris", and "November 19", but today it is known as the "Roman Stadium".
In the past, this space was the main carriage plaza. Under the streetlamp with the red number on every fountain, an iron sign with transportation rates was nailed. Carriages were typically drawn by a pair of horses, but some had just one. The carriage drivers were mostly Bulgarian Catholics, along with a few Turks who were easily recognizable by their attire—anteria robes and turbans around their fezzes. They would sit on their carriage seats all day, not stepping down even for a moment, waiting for someone to approach them. Then, they would quickly stand with reins in hand, and start inviting passengers. Despite the posted rates, bargaining was always part of the process, a custom that had persisted since Ottoman times. When snow fell, sleighs replaced carriages as the primary mode of transport, still drawn by horses.
Behind the shacks on the square, there was an empty spot where the porters would wait, sheltered in winter and shaded in summer. When someone called for their services, they would all stand up together, hoping to be chosen for a job.
Porters were typically older men, though there were also strong, muscular young men among them. According to municipal regulations from 1903, anyone who had reached twelve years of age could become a porter. If the job required lifting heavy things, younger men were usually preferred. The same regulations also specified how porters should walk the streets with a load on their backs, advising them to shout "watch out" to warn passersby to clear the way.
Later on, the first taxis also gathered here. Even today, at the very beginning of “Hristo G. Danov” Street there is a taxi stand.
Buses passed through the square, as well, followed by the first trolleybuses in Plovdiv. The stops for different vehicles were marked with brass numbers riveted into the curbs.
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