Augusta Traiana

The Forum of Augusta Traiana also concentrated the spiritual life. An early Christian cult building was studied near the baths of the forum complex itself – the agora, at the Western Gate. Over the years, the floor mosaic that decorated the room interpreted as a vestibule of the thermal baths was studied in two stages. Subsequently, the vestibule was turned into a church and a five-step synthronon was built inside. It dates back to the mid 4th century. Other early Christian buildings are also registered in the area.

Bishop’s Palace of Beroe. The southwestern part of a representative peristyle building and part of the economic sector of the complex were studied. A large hall with an exedra to the west occupies a central place in the building. The building was the residence of the city governor, later converted into an Episcopal palace. The stylistic features of the mosaics decorating the floor date them to the 380s. In hall 2, the mosaics are preserved in situ, without demounting. In the vestibule and portico, the mosaics have been dismantled and exhibited in a specialized exhibition of the Mosaics of Augusta Traiana on the ground floor of the Post Palace in Stara Zagora.

Early Christian complex at the Military Terrain site. The earliest is the peristyle building from the 3rd-4th centuries, including a vast hall with an opus tessalatum floor mosaic covering        192 sq. m, and ending in the northwest with an apse with a piscine in the central part. In the first half of the 5th century, the building served as a church, the piscine was removed and a synthronon was constructed in the apse. The uncovered stone slabs with crosses, composing the altar screen, also belong to this period. After the Hun invasions in the mid 5th century, small dwellings were set up over the ruins of the building, and another church was built in the courtyard. To the late 6th century belongs an early Christian tomb with an inscription – epitaph, its walls coated with white mortar and painted with dark tile-red paint in the fresco technique. A Greek-type cross is inscribed on each wall. The epitaph contains 14 indiction which corresponds to 535-536.The orientation of the tomb is northwest-southeast in line with the orientation of the building. According to the researcher D. Yankov, in view of the results of the studies, the above-mentioned early Christian women’s monastery – ascetarion was located there.

Early Christian complex with a martyrium at General Stoletov and Donyo Pehlivanov Streets. About 75 meters east of the fortress walls of the Antique and Early Byzantine town of Augusta Traiana – Beroe an early Christian complex has been studied. It is composed of a four-conch church with a narthex and a later extension with an atrium and a portico; and also two necropolises from the 5th – 6th and 11th – 12th centuries. It is assumed that at least during the first phase of construction it was a monastery. Originally, the building was a proper four-conch mausoleum, distinguished by its monumental appearance – a high central dome and semi-domes above the conchs. The decoration was of frescoes, wall smalt mosaics and marble paneling. The architectural plan of the first period belongs to the centric cult buildings spread during the early Christian Age serving as a martyrium. During the restoration and conservation work, a marble sarcophagus was discovered in its eastern part. The martyrium building dates back to the second half of the 4th century. In the second half of the 5th century, the martyrium was expanded and turned into a cemetery church with an attached western wing. In the narthex of the martyrium, massive tombs were built, two of them with wall paintings. Both secular and spiritual persons, including children, were buried there. According to the epitaphs, some of them held high administrative positions and were prominent citizens. One of the tombs is decorated with crosses depicted with dark red paint and also an inscription in Greek. It is read by Renate Pillinger as the text of Psalm 131/132/14 according to the oldest translation of the Old Testament from Hebrew to Ancient Greek. Graves with quotations from psalms are mostly episcopal, which is why Pillinger argues that this is the burial of a bishop. The rest of marble slabs discovered with inscriptions in ancient Greek are of the maiden Anna, of the vicar Alexander, of whom there is also a portrait, and of Simon. The researchers assume that during the second period the church was a family one and preserved the remains of representatives of a rich family from Augusta Traiana – Beroe.

The church was burned down in the early 7th century during the great Avaro-Slavic invasions.

Today, a special protective structure has been built over the studied complex, which can be visited and the preserved remains to be viewed.

Early Christian monastery complex in the Trite Chuchura residence area. The monastery is located at the foot of a hill to the west of the modern Stara Zagora, next to an abundantly gushing spring, outside the fortress walls of the ancient town, along the road connecting Augusta Traiana with Philippopolis. A Late Antique layer was studied, including an early Christian three-nave basilica, with one semi-circular apse to the central nave, no narthex, an irregular polygonal basin and a brick-built tomb. According to the architectural features, it is assumed that the basilica was built because of the tomb, which would have a deep symbolic meaning. An intact burial with the head to the west was found in the tomb. A second basilica, three-nave, with a three-walled apse and a one-part narthex, was discovered about 8 m north of the first one. The researcher dates it to the second half of the 5th century, as the Old Metropolis in Nessebar. The baptistery was attached to the southwestern part of the basilica, built a bit later. South of the baptistery, the foundations of a second, larger pool were revealed, containing built-in clay pots to serve as hiding places for fish and mussels. In the narthex of Basilica No. 2, 5 graves were found, probably of clerics who performed priestly functions in these early Christian temples.

Roman house with a mosaic displaying a cosmogonic scene of the 4th century (Gen. Stoletov St. No. 55).

During the first stage of research (1955-1956), three rooms were discovered, one of which with a floor mosaic and part of a street – decumanus. The room with a floor mosaic is defined as a reception hall – tablinum, and to the west and east of it are the bedrooms. The second period of the building related to repairs and reconstructions, when the floor mosaic was arranged; it refers to the first half or mid 4th century. It is executed in the opus tesselatum and opus vermiculatum techniques, and presents the complete cosmogonic scheme: the aquatic world in the middle, with figures of fish, crabs, Nereids, arranged around an active piscine. On the sides, east and west, the terrestrial sphere is shown – through the fruits and game designated as xenia (a gift for the guests) and the annual seasons symbolized by pairs of animals. Finally the heavenly sphere follows. It displays the Paradise as a vine coming out of a large vessel – hydria, symbolizing the Fountain of Life. The souls of the faithful and the righteous are depicted as a doe and a duck. The composition is believed to have been borrowed from ancient Jewish prayers, and the scene on the floor mosaic is one of the earliest examples. The various attributes represented in the hexagons – pagan (Cornucopia, caduceus, club, xyston, swastikas) and early Christian (crosses and cups of wine) are indicative of the time of the validation of the new Christian religion. Both old pagan symbols were presented, in which a new meaning was put, as well as new Old and New Testament plots and symbols borrowed from the Eastern art. The mosaic is preserved in situ in a purpose-built protective building over the house.

In the vicinity of Stara Zagora, Medieval monasteries are registered in the areas of many villages dating mainly from the 12th – 14th c. The most significant is the monastery in the area of Borov Dol, associated with the legend of the conversion to Christianity of Khan Boris – Prince Michael (864). During his rule (853-889, 893), Beroe was an important Episcopal center. According to some of the researchers, Prince Boris I built the seventh large monastery – Lavra, dedicated to St. Theodore Tyron near Beroe.

MARIANA MINKOVA AND KATYA MELAMED