International Dialing Code: 359
(0)32-635-322: Director, permanent exhibition
(0)32-624-221: Temporary exhibition

Plovdiv is a city with rich history and culture. As old as Troy and Mycanea, Plovdiv truly grew into a city in the 12th C. B. C. Cultural strata that were laid down through the centuries defines the image of the city. Today it is one of the important cultural centres in the country, rich in unique fine art monuments from the late Medieval to the Bulgarian Revival. Plovdiv preserves valuable cultural monuments such as the Roman theatre, theatre of the ancient Philippopolis, ancient forum, and fortified gates. In 1956 the Old Town is announced as an architectural-historical reserve and honored with UNESCO's golden medal for exceptional services for protection, restoration, and conservation of the monuments of past.

Important tourist objects in the Old Plovdiv are the Ethnographic Museum, house museums with typical Revival architecture from the 19th century: Balabanov House, Hindliyan House, Nedkovich House, "Bulgarian Revival Period Exhibition"(Dimiter Georgiadi House), and others. Of big interest are the cathedral temple "St. Virgin Mary," "St. Nedelya" church, and "St. Dimiter" church. There is also "St. St. Constantine and Helena" church, which is a sacred historical temple and a monument done by one of the most eminent wood-carvers, icon-painters, and wall-painters.

6,900

City gallery of fine arts - Plovdiv is one of the most significant cultural institutes in Plovdiv. It collects, treasures, and popularizes some of the best works of the Bulgarian fine arts. Its rich expositions are arranged in five separate buildings that are located in places convenient for the guests of the city; four of them are on the territory of the architectural-historical reserve "Old Plovdiv," and the other one is on the main street of the city.

• Representative Permanent Exhibition- Old Plovdiv
  - Address: Saborna St. No. 14a, Tel: 359-(0)32-635-322
  - Over 200 works, mainly from the painting fund of the gallery, are arranged chronologically on two floors. They represent peculiar moments in the progress of the Bulgarian fine art as well as famous artists and stylistic trends. City gallery of Fine Arts- Plovdiv has one of the country's richest early Revival period collections. There is the oldest exhibit painted in 1812, representing the secular portrait of the Bulgarian fine arts. This is the portrait of Sofronii Vrachanski, one of the most eminent Bulgarian Revival writers, a fighter for religious freedom and political independence of the country. The originality of the unique Bulgarian fine art culture is emphasized, and its relation with the European art is evident.
• Icon Gallery- Old Plovdiv
  - Address: Saborna St. No. 22- Next to "St. St. Constantine and Helena" Church, Tel: 359-(0)32-626-086
  - There are rich collection including icons from the middle 15th to the end of 19th centuries, mainly from Southern Bulgaria. They are an important part of our National treasure-house and are also monumental arts of Bulgarian icon-painters' work.
• Museum Exhibition"Tsanko Lavrenov" and Permanent Exhibition "Mexican Art"- Old Plovdiv
  - Address: "Artin Gidikov" St. No. 11, Tel: 359-(0)32-628-745
  - On the first floor there is an exhibition of Mexican arts: contemporary Mexican printing, artistic crafts, musical instruments, as well as copies of stone sculptures and pottery. On the second floor the permanent exposition of the artist Tsanko Lavrenov is arranged. Exhibition of 60 pictorial canvases by the artist gives a complete concept about his work that is , in a quite way, reproducing the atmosphere, spirit, and the way of life in the epoch of the Bulgarian Revival and the modern period.
• Permanent Exposition "Encho Pironkov"- Old Plovdiv
  - Address: "Vasil Kanchev" St. No. 1
  - There are 45 canvases by Encho Pironkov represented. The exhibits are from different periods of his creative development, which also reflect one of the characteristic tendencies in the Bulgarian fine art during the second part of the 20th century.
• Halls for Temporary Exhibitions
  - Address: "Knyaz Alexander I" St. No.15, Tel: 359-(0)32-624-221
  - There are permanent exhibitions of Bulgarian and foreign artists. There are expositions that are related to anniversaries of Bulgarian artists, as well as history and problems of the cultural life in the country.

Since 1st Jan. 1950, City Gallery of Fine Arts- Plovdiv has been an office of section "Science, art, culture" of City National Council- Plovdiv. The establishment of the gallery as an independent cultural institution happened in 1952. At first it was housed in the building on the main street ("Knyaz Alexander I" St. No. 15). The works of art in the primary fund were about 300. The receipts are from the National Archeological Museum- Plovdiv, section "Science, Art, Culture" in City National Council- Plovdiv, the museum of the French College - Plovdiv, the Museum of the National Academy of Fine arts- Sofia, the National Gallery of Fine Arts, National Library "Ivan Vazov"- Plovdiv. Through the next decades, the fund of the Plovdiv gallery was filled up mainly with works by contemporary artists through the regular national and regional exhibitions.

After 1994 the exhibition was moved to the Old town in the building of the former girls' school that was built in 1881 with a design by architect Joseph Schnitter. The permanent exhibitions with scientific, museum and contributive characteristics are arranged in the building on the main street.

The collection of City Gallery of Fine Arts- Plovdiv is classified in seven basic funds: painting, graphic art, sculpture, applied arts, photography, icon collection, and Mexican art.