Hisarya, Bulgaria

Hisarya is a spa town in Plovdiv Province, Bulgaria [1]. By the 5th century BC a Thracian town occupied the site under the Odrysian Kingdom [2] [3]. After Roman annexation, it was renamed Augusta and became one of the most important cities in the province of Thracia [2] [4]. Emperor Diocletian visited in 293 AD and renamed it Diocletianopolis [1] [2]. In the 4th century, massive fortification walls stretching 2.3 km were built against Gothic threats [2]. The city declined and was largely abandoned by the 7th century [2] [5].