IPlovdiv—Idolobha Lesimanje Elinomsuka Wasendulo
NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! EBULGARIA
IPLOVDIV indala kuneRoma, iCarthage noma iConstantinople. Abantu abangaba ngu-350- 000 bahlala kuleli dolobha, elinendawo enkulu enamagquma angu-7 eningizimu emaphakathi yeBulgaria.
Lapho uhamba emigwaqweni emidala yaleli dolobha, ubona ubufakazi obuningi bodumo neziyaluyalu zalo zesikhathi esidlule. Ungabona izakhiwo ezakhiwa abaseThrace, isizwe esasesatshwa esaphila emakhulwini eminyaka ngaphambi kweNkathi Evamile, kanye nezinsika zamaGreki, izinkundla zemidlalo zamaRoma nemibhoshongo yabaseTurkey.
“Idolobha Elihle Kunawo Wonke”
Izinto ezatholakala lapho kuvubukulwa kuleli dolobha nasezindaweni ezizungezile zembula ukuthi kunabantu ababakhe khona ngaphambi kwekhulu lokuqala B.C.E. Isazi-mlando esingumRoma u-Ammianus Marcellinus sabhala ukuthi ngaphambi kwekhulu lesine B.C.E., kwakunenqaba yabaseThrace okuthiwa i-Eumolpias eyayakhiwe endaweni eyiPlovdiv yanamuhla. Ngo-342 B.C.E., i-Eumolpias yanqotshwa uPhilip II waseMakedoniya, uyise ka-Alexander Omkhulu. UPhilip washintsha igama lalo muzi wathi iPhilippopolis.
Lapho amaRoma ethatha lo muzi ngo-46 C.E., awubiza ngokuthi iTrimontium futhi awenza inhloko-dolobha yaseThrace. AmaRoma ayelangazelela ukuzigcinela lo muzi ngoba wawuphahle uMgwaqo i-Diagonalis, oyimpambano-mgwaqo ebalulekile yesifunda saseBalkan. AmaRoma afaka izinkundla zemidlalo (eziboniswe ngenhla), izindawo zokugezela ezimbalwa kanye nezakhiwo eziningi ezazivamile eRoma.
ULucian waseSamosata wachaza ubuhle bemvelo baleli dolobha elaliphakathi kwamagquma amathathu ngaphansi kweziNtaba zaseRhodope. (Bheka ibhokisi elithi “Idolobha Elinamagquma Ayisikhombisa,” ekhasini 18.) Laliseduze noMfula iMaritsa, ethafeni laseThrace elivundile. ULucian wabhala ukuthi iTrimontium “yayiyidolobha elikhulu nelihle kunawo wonke!”
Ngemva kokuwa koMbuso waseRoma enkathini eyaziwa ngokuthi iNkathi Emnyama, amaSlav ahlala kule ndawo. Phakathi namakhulu eminyaka ambalwa alandela, ababelwa ezimpini zokholo baphanga leli dolobha izikhathi ezine ezihlukene. Khona-ke, ngekhulu le-14 kwaba noshintsho kwezombangazwe lapho leli dolobha liqala ukubuswa abaseTurkey. Bashintsha igama laleli dolobha bathi iPhilibé futhi baliphatha kwaze kwaba ngo-1878. IThempeli laseJumaia elinombhoshongo ophakeme kanye newashi lelanga kusekhona njengesikhumbuzo sangaleyo nkathi.
Lapho iRussia inqoba iTurkey ngo-1878, igama laleli dolobha iPhilibé lashintshwa kwathiwa iPlovdiv. Leli dolobha lathola ukuxhaswa ngokwezimali ngo-1892 lapho liba nombukiso wezohwebo. Kusukela ngaleso sikhathi, iPlovdiv yaba isikhungo esiyinhloko sezohwebo eBulgaria. Ngempi yezwe yesibili, leli dolobha laba ngaphansi kwamaNazi okwesikhashana, kodwa anqotshwa amaSoviet ngo-1944. Khona-ke, ngo-1989, iPlovdiv yaphuma ngaphansi kokuphathwa omunye umbuso onamandla lapho iSoviet Union iwa. Kungenzeka abanye bababusi basePlovdiv besikhathi esidlule babeqotho; noma kunjalo, babethiywa ukungapheleli okuvamile kwababusi.
Ukufika “Kwezindaba Ezinhle” EPlovdiv
Ngo-1938, kwamiswa futhi kwabhaliswa inhlangano yendawo okuthiwa i-Nabludatelna Kula (Watch Tower). Yayinyathelisa futhi isakaza amaBhayibheli nezincwadi zeBhayibheli eBulgaria. Naphezu kwemizamo kahulumeni wamaKhomanisi yokubacindezela, oFakazi BakaJehova baqhubeka betshela izakhamuzi zasePlovdiv izindaba ezinhle zikahulumeni wasezulwini ophelele ozayo. (Mathewu 24:14) Abambalwa baqala ukusamukela isigijimi.
Naphezu kwemizamo kahulumeni wamaKhomanisi wokubacindezela, oFakazi BakaJehova baqhubeka betshela abanye ngesigijimi seBhayibheli. Manje, kunabangaphezu kuka-200 ePlovdiv asebethathe uhlangothi lukaJehova ngokuqinile, futhi bahlelwe baba amabandla amabili oFakazi BakaJehova.
Iningi lalab’ oFakazi abaseBulgaria. Kodwa ngokuvumelana nomlando waleli dolobha wezizwe ezihlukahlukene, phakathi kwabo kukhona nabantu bezinye izizwe eziningi. KunabaseMelika, amaNgisi, abaseCanada, amaNtaliyane, abaseMoldavia nabasePoland. Bendawonye, batshela omakhelwane ngethemba lokubuswa umbuso ophelele. Ngaleso sikhathi, akuzona izakhamuzi zasePlovdiv kuphela kodwa nabantu bomhlaba wonke bayojabulela ukulondeka, “yilowo nalowo phansi komvini wakhe naphansi komkhiwane wakhe, [futhi] ngeke kube khona obenza bathuthumele.”—Mika 4:4.
[Ibhokisi/Isithombe ekhasini 18]
“IDOLOBHA ELINAMAGQUMA AYISIKHOMBISA”
Umuntu ovakashela ePlovdiv namuhla angase akuthole kunzima ukubona amagquma adumile angu-7 aleli dolobha. Eminyakeni eyikhulu edlule, elinye lala magquma, iMarkovo Tepe, ladilizwa lapho kwandiswa idolobha. Kunamagquma ayisithupha asele, awubufakazi obuthule bomlando wePlovdiv wesikhathi esidlule.
Isivakashi singakwazi ukubona amathathu ala magquma: iBunardjik Tepe, iDjendem Tepe neSahat Tepe, elethiwa abaseTurkey ngaleyo ndlela ngenxa yombhoshongo wewashi okuleli gquma. ITrimontium, njengoba amaRoma ayeyibiza kanjalo iPlovdiv, inamagquma amathathu asasele: iDjambaz Tepe, okuyilona elikhulu neliphakeme kunawo wonke; iTaksim Tepe; kanye neNebet Tepe, ngesiTurkey okusho ukuthi “iGquma Labalindi.”
Uma umuntu enqamula iTrimontium ungena engxenyeni yasendulo yasePlovdiv, kusukela emanxiweni nasezindongeni zasePhilippopolis yasendulo kuya enkundleni yemidlalo yamaRoma esasetshenziswa nanamuhla. Okunye okuthakazelisayo imizi esagcinwe kahle yangenkathi yoKuvuselelwa Kwezwe LaseBulgaria ephahle imigwaqo ewumngcingo egandaywe ngamatshe.
[Umthombo]
© Caro/Andreas Bastian
[Ibalazwe ekhasini 16]
(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)
BULGARIA
SOFIA
Plovdiv
[Imithombo Yesithombe ekhasini 17]
Top: © Wojtek Buss/age fotostock; bottom: David Ewing/Insadco Photography/age fotostock