I visited this tWHS in 2023. It is made up of 3 fine locations quite close to each other, each with its own modern museum setting, information panels and ongoing research labs attached: the Domus Eirene, the Small Basilica and the Bishop's Basilica of Philippopolis (modern Plovdiv).

Situated on three hills by the Maritsa River, Philippopolis had already existed for millenia when the Romans included it into their empire in 45 AD. Under the Romans, the city quickly transformed itself. Settlers, imperial administrators and investments flocked into it. Its population reach up to 100,000 people, including Thracians, Greeks, Jews, Roman army veterans, craftsmen from Asia Minor and merchants from the Middle East. In the 4th century, when Christianity became the official religion, Philippopolis turned into a major religious centre, with its own bishop. New churches were built to cater for the increasing number of Christians. However, these churches, along with the rest of the city in the flatlands, were abandoned by the end of the 6th century, when different incursions forced the citizens of Philippopolis to seek safety and security on the three hills.

The House of Eirene is an ancient Roman peristyle house with lavish mosaic floors, built in the middle of the 3rd century AD in the provincial capital of Thracia. It got its name after the image of the Greek goddess Eirene depicted in the central mosaic. The excavated area of the residential complex is 668 m2, of which 160 m2 are colourful mosaics. The remains of the residence are located in the archaeological underpass of Tsar Boris III Boulevard, in which the paved Roman street is also situated, and forms part of the Trakart Cultural Center. Currently, there is a huge project underway whereby most basements of the old city centre of Plovdiv from the Small Basilica to the area around the Djumaya mosque and Roman stadium , are being surveyed, dug up, restored wherever finds are excavated and made accessible to the public. It really is an enjoyable experience to find a bit of Roman archaeology at cafeterias or at shopping outlets such as H&M :)

The Small Basilica was in the eastern part of the city, close to one of the towers in the fortification wall. A busy street ran by the church (and still does almost thousand years after!). The houses of well-to-do citizens, the metropolitan church and the local Jewish community synagogue were located close by. The sumptuous mosaics covering the floors of the small basilica were made of different materials including marble, pebbles, ceramics and glass. Geometrical combinations of rhombuses, circles and rosettes were often used to cover large spaces as they could repeat themselves themselvesa endlessly and form an immense number of patterns. In Philippopolis, there was a local mosaic workshop. Its craftsmen decorated the floors of big public buildings and the homes of wealthy citizens. Knowing the language of the mosaics will open up completely new symbols and meanings to add value to what you see. The dove symbolizes the Holy Spirit that appeared at the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan river. The stag (just next to the cross-shaped baptismal font) represents the Christian soul seeking faith and truth. The Solomon Knot is an old symbol with many meanings, and can be interpreted as a depiction of eternity and faith. The vase represents the vessel where heavenly myrrh was collected, and the swastika is an ancient cosmic symbol, while the meander is interpreted as a simplified labyrinth. The rosetta predates Christianity, but to Christians it symbolized the blood of Jesus. Another highlight in the Small Basilica's mosaics is the surviving line of the inscription of Basiliscus.

The Bishop's Basilica had an ancient predecessor in the 2nd-4th century. It was a pagan temple combining elements of Classical Greek and Roman architecture in central Philippopolis. Researchers believe it was dedicated to the official religion of the Roman Empire, the imperial cult. Christians reused the inscriptions, columns, capitals, and other construction elements from the temple to build the Bishop's Basilica. The great dimensions, the central location, and the sumptuous decoration of the Bishop's Basilica told the citizens of Philippopolis that Christianity had become an indelible part of their lives. Churchgoers would first enter a spacious open-air courtyard with porticos and a water fountain. Then they would walk through a narthex and into the three-nave basilica decorated with mosaics. The liturgy would be conducted from an elevated platform, and the altar and the pulpit were made of marble. At the end of the 6th or the beginning of the 7th century, the times were uncertain with Barbarian incursions, a weak economy and wars. Though the basilica fell into disrepair, a quarter of modest medieval houses appeared over the ruins. Remains of foundations of a medieval house erected over the ancient mosaics of the basilica are still visible nowadays. The mosaics covering the floors of the basilica create a remarkable picture of ornaments, geometrical compositions, symbols and most impressive of all are the multitude of birds. The peacock is the most impressive of them and occupies a central place in the narthex mosaics (the museum's symbol) and in the Spring of Life scene.

Both basilicas can be visited by buying a combined ticket. Photography without flash is allowed and they have special machines installed heating a layer of plastic to your shoes at the entrance to keep the glasses clean. The whole experience is similar but much better than the one to be had at Aquileia's WHS. If this tWHS is combined to the other one of Ancient Plovdiv to create a possible Cultural Landscape of Ancient Plovdiv from pre-Roman to Ottoman times, I think that it would have the potential to be inscribed, even though there are quite a lot of Roman/Ottoman WHS already on the list.