Plovdiv Regional Archaeological Museum

Overview

The Regional Archaeological Museum is a specialized museum of archeology and history in Plovdiv.

It has seven main collections: "Prehistoric Art", "Thracian Art", "Ancient Greek Art", "Ancient Roman Art", "Medieval Art", "Renaissance Art" and Numismatic Collection.

On March 1, 1883, the museum and the library left the mansion of Ismail Bey and were accommodated by the director Il. S. Yovchev in the "more convenient for this purpose building of the Saracha Eminaa Hadji Nedjibov", which was located on the northern slopes of Sahat Tepe, next to the Evangelical Church. From 1884 the museum and the library were moved again, this time to the house of Anastasaki Tomidi on today's 33 Saborna Street. This building (which became the property of the Plovdiv family Protohristovi) was demolished during the digging of the tunnel.

The building for the Regional Assembly of Eastern Rumelia was built on the site provided for the regional library and museum on today's Saedinenie Square. The building was erected from 1884 to 1885 according to a design by a famous Italian architect. Pietro Montani, but due to the Union on September 6, 1885, remained unoccupied for its intended purpose. On January 11, 1886, the director of the museum, Il. Yovchev wants the Ministry of Public Education to make the unoccupied building available for use by the library and the museum. A telegram was received on February 24, 1886, officially authorizing the transfer from March 1, 1886.

The Regional Archaeological Museum has a collection containing nearly 100,000 exhibits, works of art - from the Paleolithic to the XV century. The collection is in 7 departments: Prehistoric Art, Thracian Art, Ancient Greek Art, Ancient Roman Art, Medieval Art, Renaissance Collection, Numismatics.

The fund of the museum includes the Panagyurishte treasure, discovered in 1949. After its opening it was accepted for storage and entered in the fund of the museum, as it was also stored in the National History Museum in Sofia from 1974 to 2010.

The Regional Archaeological Museum has a library of 13,000 volumes, including its own publications.