VT Times, May 2012

Hidden gem
Our quiz meister extraordinaire Kris P. Baykon occasionally gets out, too! In
this issue, he tells us about Nikopolis ad Istrum, a very important Roman site.
Nikopolis ad Istrum is one of these places that tend
to be overlooked, as it’s right on your doorstep. It
has taken us over three years to finally get round to
visiting these Roman ruins and we are glad that we
have finally been. It will definitely be on our list of
places to take the family when they next come over.
The Roman town of Nikopolis ad Istrum was
originally built during the rule of the Emperor
Trajan and was in celebration of his victory over
the Dacians. This was one of several that he ordered
to be constructed across the Balkans. Nikopolis ad
Istrum stands for City of Victory on the river. It was
destroyed by Attila and his Huns in the fifth century
but was later rebuilt as a fortress.
On a nice warm Spring day, we pulled up outside
of this ancient site and parked next to a dam lake.
We were greeted by the usual official in such places,
given a brief overview of the history and what we
could expect to see. Unfortunately it was all in rapid
Bulgarian, too fast for us to take it all in, but there
are guides written in English that you can buy. The
entrance fee was six leva a head; I think that for
children the price is reduced.
The entrance is through what would once have
been the north gate and from what we could deduce
there would once have been a moat. Even the run
off from the town streets after a rainstorm would
have been directed down to this point. This would
have run through culverts beneath our feet, as we
walked along one of the main streets. These main
streets were paved with large slabs of stone. If you are
visiting it is advisable to wear sensible footwear, as
some of these slabs are no longer level and it could
be quite easy to trip.
In typical fashion, these Roman streets are laid
out with regard to the cardinal compass points, N,
S, E and W. Walking along this main street I was
immediately struck by the peacefulness of the place.
The only things that could be heard, apart from
ourselves, were the droning of the bees and birdsong.
“It must have been quite
a peaceful place even in its
heyday.”
There are plenty of carvings to be observed on the
various bits of masonry and columns that you see, so
the stone masons would have been very busy people.
I was surprised to find that some of the inscriptions
are still quite legible, even after all this time. I was
able to recognise not only Latin but also Greek
inscriptions. On one of the grave monuments it was
possible to see a face upon a sun: maybe a reference
to Helios the Sun god in ancient Greek mythology?
Although a lot of the ruins have fallen down or
been looted over the years, it’s still an impressive
place to visit. You can see the remains of the Odeon,
a small theatre, surrounded by the remains of small
shops. It’s possible to see the remains of the town’s
square and where several civic buildings would have
once stood. All of the valuable finds that have been
excavated have been shipped off to museums in Sofia
and Veliko Tarnovo, including some marble and
bronze statues. A lot of bronze coins have also been
unearthed, possibly because permission had been
granted from Rome allowing Nikopolis ad Istrum to
mint their own coinage.
Getting there: As you leave Veliko Tarnovo
heading for Ruse on the E85, you pass through the
village of Polikraishte, after about 20 kms. Just after
but before you reach the village of Kutsina, there are
signposts for the ruins of Nikopolis ad Istrum. It lies
near to the village of Nikyup.
Excavations are still continuing, so it might
be worthwhile getting in touch with the Tourist
Information Office in VT to check that it’s open.
Especially during the summer months.
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