Banya Starinna (Chifte Banya) Contemporary Art Hall (Plovdiv)

 listed building / architectural heritage, art museum / art gallery, 16th century construction

Contemporary Art Hall Banya Starinna - City Art Gallery (Chifte Banya) is an old Turkish bath built in the 16th century. It is called Chifte (Pair) because it has both a male and a female section. The external architecture of the building is stern and elegant. Its walls are animated by cell masonry that was typical of the Early Ottoman period. Archaeological studies have demonstrated that an early medieval church existed in proximity to that place. The well-known slab from an altar partition, with images of a lion and lioness, currently kept at the City Archaeological Museum, was also discovered here. The building was partially restored for the European Month of Culture in Plovdiv, when different cultural events were held here. Today it has been transformed into an for contemporary art.

plovdivbg.info/objects/chifte-banya-old-time-baths-a-co...
www.visitplovdiv.com/en/node/826