Ancient Episcopal Basilica Found in Bulgaria's Zaldapa Excavations

Archaeologists have found valuable artifacts and an episcopal basilica during excavations of the ancient fortress Zaldapa near the village of Abrit, northeastern Bulgaria.

Zaldapa was the largest Roman city located in the Dobruja region often called "the Bulgarian Pompeii". It spreads on an area of over 230 decares. From the end of the 4th to 7th century AD the city was densely populated, had streets, residential areas and at least three basilicas. Archaeologists have discovered the largest one during excavations. They have also found a red marble column which suggests an imperial presence in the basilica, Nova news informs.

"This is one of the early basilicas with rich ornaments. Here for the first time in Bulgaria and for the second time on the Balkan Peninsula we see tracery on a marble fence which used to protect and enclose the holy altar space. The other thing that is interesting is that for the first time we have found columns from a special type of red marble which was found near Constantinople, and that to me is a porphyry, an imperial marble from after the seventh century," said the supervisor of the archaeological excavations Professor Georgi Atanasov.

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