Information
Landmark: City of Ulpia OescusCity: Pleven
Country: Bulgaria
Continent: Europe
City of Ulpia Oescus, Pleven, Bulgaria, Europe
Overview
Ulpia Oescus was an ancient Roman city that stood near today’s town of Gigen in northern Bulgaria, its stones once looking out over the broad, slow waters of the Danube.In Roman times, the town thrived as a major settlement, its busy market and garrison making it a key military and trade center in the province of Moesia Inferior.The city took shape in the 1st century CE, then thrived in the 2nd under Emperor Trajan’s rule, when its streets bustled with traders and the scent of fresh bread filled the air.Perched on the banks of the Danube, Ulpia Oescus commanded a spot that controlled one of Rome’s busiest military and trade arteries.Perched at a strategic crossroads, the city thrived as a hub for trade and military campaigns, playing a key role in the Roman-Dacian Wars and guarding the northern frontier; Emperor Trajan established it as a Roman colony around 106 CE, after Dacia fell to Rome.It later rose to serve as the capital of Moesia Inferior, a Roman province, where officials once walked its stone-paved streets.The name “Ulpia” likely comes from the emperor’s own family name, “Ulpius,” a nod to its imperial ties.At Ulpia Oescus, ruins show a classic Roman grid-its main north–south road meeting the east–west one right at the heart of the city, where worn paving stones still catch the sun.The city’s streets formed a neat, deliberate grid, all enclosed by sturdy walls with heavy gates.Excavations have revealed the forum, a basilica, several temples, and the weathered stone tiers of an amphitheater.The city is also famous for its Roman baths and granaries, and archaeologists have uncovered carved inscriptions, worn coins, and weathered statues that reveal Ulpia Oescus’s role as a cultural and administrative hub.Like other Roman towns along the Danube, it began to falter in the 3rd century CE under attacks from the Goths and other invading tribes.Over time, the city fell into ruin and was left empty, yet the land around it still held strategic value.Today, the cracked stones and weathered columns of Ulpia Oescus draw archaeologists from around the world.Visitors can wander through the crumbling Roman forum, trace their hands along the weathered city walls, and discover the scattered remains of other ancient structures.In the small town of Gigen, the nearby archaeological museum displays artifacts unearthed at the site-weathered inscriptions, carved statues-that reveal the city’s place in the Roman Empire.
