The South Gate

The South Gate of Philippopolis was one of the three primary entrances to the city’s ancient heart. Alongside the eastern and northern entrances, it served as a critical node in the city’s extensive fortification system. From that Gate the city was connected to the road system that passed through the vital Rhodope mountains and reached the Aegean sea. It was a transcontinental infrastructure system that linked the Danube to the Mediterranean. The gate was established during the Roman period, with its foundations likely dating to the 2nd century AD. This era of construction coincided with a massive urban expansion and the formalization of the city’s orthogonal street network.