Part of the fortress wall of "Exarch Joseph" square

In 2019 salvage excavations were carried out at "Ioan Exarch" square, known among Varna residents as the Shishkova garden. The study was necessary due to the implementation of a project for the improvement of the area, part of a comprehensive initiative for the aestheticization of the urban environment.

Within a total of seven drillings, archaeological structures from different eras were discovered. The remains with the earliest dating - late Hellenistic and early Roman era - are registered in the southwestern part of the square space. The remains of a fortress wall - situated in the South-East - North-West direction - were discovered. The front part of the monumental structure is built of transversely and longitudinally located squares, according to the Binder-Leufer system. For soldering the stone masonry, a plaster mixture was used - lime with the addition of crushed building ceramics. The inner face is formed by smaller, precisely worked stones, and the space between them is filled with emplekton. The exposed wall was badly damaged, but it was restored and preserved by the team of the Regional historical museum - Varna.

A street dating from the Ottoman period (18th - early 19th century) was discovered in the immediate vicinity of the fortress wall. It consists of compacted small stones, bounded by curbs of well-shaped carved massive stones, and the width of the street varies between 2.70 - 2.90m. The nalcon of the street section is directed to the center line, where curb stones are also placed. The purpose of the slope is to collect rainwater in a central trough. In the vretical scarp between the two archaeological structures, a pithos was discovered, which is also exposed.

Above the level of the Ottoman street, a ceramic water pipe was discovered, which, according to the research, refers to the Renaissance period.

The object is currently restored, preserved and exposed under a protective coating. Providing public access to the site makes it an integral part of the renewed urban space and provides an opportunity for locals and visitors to the city to get to know the architectural appearance of ancient Odessos and Ottoman Varna.

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