The obverse of “Plovdiv - Ancient and Eternal” silver medal now adorns the city center in the form of a graffiti-reproduction

The bond between art and history, ancient and eternal like the city of Plovdiv itself, the artistic skill involved in the creation of precious metal crafts - from the ancient coin-minting tradition in our lands to the contemporary art of the 21st century - this is what we aim to bring to light with the new graffiti in the heart of Plovdiv.

The project was completed at the end of last week. It’s an imposing work of art, showing two of the city’s most recognizable sights - the Roman Theatre of Philippopolis and Hisar Kapia.

The massive illustration is based on the design of our original “Plovdiv - Ancient and Eternal” silver medal, part of the #Together collection. This is the first issue of collectible medals we’ve released in collaboration with the Plovdiv 2019 Foundation, which commemorated the cultural and historical landmarks that have, due to their significance, become symbols of the city.

But while the medal was minted with a diameter of 45 mm, the graffiti illustration spans 11 meters in height and more than 9 meters in width. The artists behind the graffiti are the internationally famous Arsek & Erase, in a collaboration with the Plovdiv-based artists of Enjoy the Colors. Entirely monochromatic, the colours used are mainly black, silvery shades of grey, white - seen on the vertical inscription, and gold - for Bulmint’s name and logo.

The design consists of two halves, separated by the city’s name written in a stylised font, and depicts the Roman Theatre of Philippopolis and Hisar Kapia, a Medieval gate in the city’s Old Town.

The Roman Theatre of Philippopolis is among the city’s most famous landmarks. Today it is the only preserved ancient theatre in the country, with a remarkably intact scaenae frons (a permanent architectural background to the stage) with preserved columns and decorative statues. Today the theatre serves as the focal point of Plovdiv’s cultural scene and the venue for the annual Opera Open festival.

The composition on the medal and, respectively, the graffiti illustration, is a stylized depiction of the treater from the point of view of a spectator on one of the higher seats on the left side, looking down towards the stage. The background consists of the rocky cliffside of Dzhambaz tepe.

Hisar Kapia, in its own way, holds just as significant a place in the long list of cultural and historical landmarks Plovdiv is famous for. The majority of the surviving gate and wall were built in Medieval times, but they stand atop much older foundations - the remains of an ancient Roman wall, speculated to have been built around the 2nd century AD. During the Bulgarian National Revival Period, the houses were embedded into the wall surrounding the gate - a stunning interweaving of structures of different styles and periods. In modern times, this is one of the most interesting locations in the Old Town - an architectural reserve made up entirely of cultural and historical landmarks in the intricate Bulgarian Revival style. Bulmint’s graffiti - and corresponding silver medal - capture this exact juncture between the three vastly different eras.

The locals and visitors to the city can take a look at the art piece at 12 Patriarh Evtimiy str., by the southern side of the city’s Tunnel - within walking distance of Bulmint’s showroom at 24 Otets Paisiy str., where you can see the “Plovdiv - Ancient and Eternal” silver medal in person, along with our other collectibles and precious metal investment products.