Hisarya, Bulgaria

Hisarya (Bulgarian: Хисаря, also known as Hisar, Hissar or Hissarya, formerly: Toplitsa, Latin: Diocletianopolis or Augusta) is a small resort town in Bulgaria, in Plovdiv Province. Hisarya is situated at an elevation of 368 m.

Located in the outskirts of the Sredna Gora mountain range, it has of a very mild climate and over two dozen mineral springs, which are visited by Bulgarian and foreign tourists.

The town's population is 7,691. The population of the municipality is approximately 15,000.

Hisar means fort or castle in Turkish.

History

Because of its springs, the town was founded thousands of years ago. Some pre-historic remains have been found in what is now the town centre. Later, it became a Thracian city and, when Thrace fell to the Romans and became a Roman province, Hisarya became a Roman town — one of the three most important towns in the province. At times it was called Augusta, Diocletianopolis (after emperor Diocletian), and a couple of other names. It was a famous resort even in those times, which is proved by the fact that emperor Septimius Severus visited the city.