Augusta Traiana forum, Roman forum in Stara Zagora, Bulgaria.
The Augusta Traiana forum is an archaeological complex in central Stara Zagora, uncovered near the Courthouse. It comprises a semicircular plaza with a preserved pedestal for an imperial equestrian statue, an amphitheater-shaped auditorium with nine rows of stone seats topped by an arched colonnade, the south facade of the city baths built in the mid-2nd century over seven decares, sections of the inner and outer fortress walls, the western gate with three doors, and the route of the decumanus maximus.
The forum was uncovered during construction work near the Court House in Stara Zagora. Its western gate had three doors, two of them cataracts, and was 4.20 m wide. The inner fortress wall was built at the end of the 2nd century and thickened in the 4th; the outer wall dates to the late 5th–early 6th century. In 2021 archaeologists reported finding the long-sought eastern gate.
The central plaza functioned as a hub where Romans gathered to conduct business, watch performances, and socialize together. The layout reveals how integral this place was to daily city life.
The forum is free for visitors to explore, and guided tours can be arranged through the Regional History Museum. The terrain is relatively flat and easy to walk through, though bringing water and sun protection is wise on warm days.
The forum's first concert was held on 5 October 1996: Vladimir Djambazov's multimedia electronic work "The Creation of the World", with proceeds going to the Regional Archaeological Museum for the forum's restoration. In 1998 opera singer Gena Dimitrova donated her fee from a guest appearance at the Stara Zagora Opera to the same restoration, which continued until 2014.
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