Lost in Plovdiv

Plovdiv – the oldest living city in Europe and the cultural capital of Bulgaria – carries in its heart not only a millennia-old history, but also proudly established symbols that embody its glory and spirit.

Since ancient times, an image of a fortress wall has been used as a distinguishing sign of the ancient city, and after the Liberation, the Hisar Kapia gate became the symbol of Plovdiv.

In 1936, during the administration of Mayor Bozhidar Zdravkov, the famous Plovdiv artist Tsanko Lavrenov proposed that the municipality organize a competition for the creation of the first official coat-of-arms of Plovdiv. Three proposals made it to the final – two by the artist Asen Dochev and one by Professor Haralampi Tachev.

Two years later, in 1938, the first heraldic symbol of the city under the hills appeared, designed by artists D. Kumanov and A. Dochev. The coat-of-arms of Plovdiv features a shield with a golden background, symbolizing majesty and wealth. There is also a wavy line representing the Maritsa River, in the upper left corner, on a red background, there is a lion – a symbol of the bravery of the Bulgarian people, and above them, a fortress wall symbolizing the historical path of the city. The cost of creating it was 8000 leva.

Over time, the coat-of-arms has changed, but its main symbols have remained the same. Its modern appearance was approved on July 18 1997, and its author is the artist Gancho Ganev. He also created the flag of the city under the hills. The flag is in two colors – sky blue and white – and it incorporates the coat-of-arms.

Currently, the coat-of-arms features:

• A fortress wall. Plovdiv is the oldest living city in Europe and the 5th oldest in the world. Among its most valuable architectural and historical landmarks are remains from ancient eras – Thracian, Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman.
• The Maritsa River. The most voluminous river in Bulgaria divides the city in two and has been closely connected with the city of the hills since ancient times.
• Two lions. They symbolize the Unification, of which Plovdiv is the center. They hold a crown that symbolizes statehood. One of the lions also wears a crown, while the other is bare-headed – a way Ganev illustrated the division of Bulgaria into the Principality of Bulgaria and Eastern Rumelia.
• At the very bottom, the symbol is wrapped in a ribbon that reads “Ancient and Eternal”.

The graphic version of the coat-of-arms appears as an element in: The flag of Plovdiv, the official seal of the Municipality of Plovdiv, the honorary awards of the city of Plovdiv, the official letterhead used for correspondence by the Municipality of Plovdiv

The physical (sculptural) version of the coat-of-arms is placed:

• On the facade of the Plovdiv Municipality building
• In the meeting hall of the Plovdiv Municipal Council
• In the office of the Chairperson of the Municipal Council – Plovdiv
• In the offices of the Mayor of Plovdiv and the district mayors
• In the ceremonial halls of the Municipality of Plovdiv