The Nebet Tepe fortress near Plovdiv is going to be turned into an open museum by the Municipality. Photo by stroitestvo.bg
Municipal employees discovered a well-preserved ancient Roman tunnel in the southern Bulgarian city of Plovdiv.
The workers were clearing up the Nebet Tepe ("Guards' Hill") fortress in order to turn into a tourist attraction when they came across the tunnel near the Maritsa River.
The tunnel has a fully preserved staircase and leads to the northern side of the fortress. Plovdiv's Deputy Mayor Shopov, who is a historian himself, told the BGNES news agency that no one had any idea about the existence of the tunnel.
The clearing up of the fortress began after a month ago the Plovdiv Municipality got a permission from the Bulgarian state to be in charge of the ancient site, and to turn it into a clean and well-lit tourist attraction ready to welcome tourists.
The Guards' Hill is one of the many historic sites in Plovdiv; it features remains of a prehistoric settlement, and in 12th century BC was the site of the Ancient Thracian city Evmolpia.