Odessos Walls Roman and Hellenistic

The Ancient Odessos occupied a territory approximately outlined by Primorski boulevard, the pedestrian Knyaz Boris I Boulevard, 27 July Street and Tsar Simeon Street.

The Ancient Odessos occupied a territory approximately outlined by Primorski boulevard, the pedestrian Knyaz Boris I Boulevard, 27 July Street and Tsar Simeon Street. In the different periods the city was changing its territory and a series of fortification walls were erected for its defence.

A segment of the northern layout of the so called Hellenistic fortification wall from the 4th – 3rd century B.C.  The construction is monumental, with very high quality and the faces are formed with big limestone blocks.

The fortification wall is 3,80 m thick and was additionally strenghtened with rectangular towers. The whole layout of the city during the Hellenistic era is still unknown.

A segment of the northern layout of the so called Roman fortification wall from the 2nd – 3rd century with remains of a rectangular tower. The biggest part of the discovered remains are now under the pedestrian Knyaz Boris I Boulevard and their location is marked on the pavement of the street.

The precise layout of the city during the Classical Roman Period is konwn only in certain zones. The main city Gate of Odessos was somewhere in the southern end of Nezavisimost square (The Square of the Independence). From that area began one of the main roads going out from the town.

The gate’s exact position is still a mystery, its image, however, can be seen on coins from Odessos from the rule of emperor Gordian III (238 – 244) and is thought to be positioned in the vicinity of the “The New Yorker” store.