Ο συλλογικός αυτός τόμος είναι καρπός της έρευνας 50 βουλγάρων και ελλήνων επιστημόνων σχετικά με την παράλληλη πορεία των δύο πόλεων, της Θεσσαλονίκης και της Φιλιππούπολης. Οι εισηγήσεις τους καλύπτουν ευρύτατο θεματολογικό πεδίο: ιστορία εν γένει, τέχνη, κοινωνία, δίκαιο, οικονομία, λαογραφία. Όλες οι εισηγήσεις αναφέρονται σε διάφορες πτυχές της ιστορικής πορείας των δύο πόλεων, όχι μόνο στο χώρο της Μακεδονίας και της Θράκης, αλλά της Νοτιοανατολικής Ευρώπης γενικότερα. Τα θέματα παρουσιάσθηκαν στο πλαίσιο συνεδρίου, που πραγματοποιήθηκε στη Θεσσαλονίκη στις 6-9 Δεκεμβρίου 2000, στο πλαίσιο του προγράμματος Interreg της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης. Πρόεδρος της οργανωτικής επιτροπής του συνεδρίου ήταν ο Καθ. Χαράλαμπος Παπαστάθης. Τα κείμενα των Βουλγάρων ερευνητών δημοσιεύονται στη βουλγαρική γλώσσα, ενώ των Ελλήνων στην ελληνική.

Όλα τα κείμενα συνοδεύονται από περίληψη στην αγγλική γλώσσα.

Περιέχονται οι εισηγήσεις:
- Rumyana Yorgova Komsalova, "Plovdiv and Thessaloniki in the west european travel notes from 17th and 18th Centuries"
- Stefan Shivatchev, "Plovdiv in the modernization processes during the last quarter of 19th century and the first decade of 20th century: an attempt to draw a parallel between the historical development of Plovdiv and Thessaloniki"
- Todor Radev, "Plovdiv and Thessaloniki in the period of bulgarian national revival (archetype and repetition)"
- Angel Yankov, "Consecration of water (St Jordan`s day in Plovdiv)"Apostolos Glavinas, "Paisios Efstathiou (1818-1821), the metropolitan of Plovdiv from Kleinovo"
- Cyril Pavlikianov, "The athonite monastery of Kastamonitou from 1784 to 1857. The unknown evidence of the Protaton archive"
- Agop Garabedyan, "The code of the church of the Virgin in Haskovo as a source of the greek cultural influence and the Bulgarian-Greek relationship during 19th century"
- Ivanka Miteva, "The book of organic rules of eastern Roumelia: The basis for its modernization"
- Haralambos Papastathis, "Religions and the organic law of eastern Romylia"- Shtelyan Dimitrov Shterionov, "Demographic aspect of the greek ethnic presence in Plovdiv during the Bulgarian National Revival period"
- Vassilka Tankova, "The greek people in Plovdiv in Bulgarian historiography"
- Iakovos D. Mihailides, Anna Panayiotopoulou, "The greek community of Plovdiv (1919-1930)"
- Stanislava Boynovska, Pavlina Lazaridou, Alexandros Baltzis, Theodoros Oikonomou, "The greek-bulgarian community of Thesaloniki"
- Eleni Gavra, "Similar places and cultural routes in Balkanic area"
- Stoyan Antonov, "Thessaloniki and Plovdiv in the symbol space between the cross and the lion"
- Ivan Djambov, "The contribution of the greek scholar Kosmas Mirtilos Apostolidis to the historical and cultural development of Plovdiv in 18th and 19th centuries (outlines of his book)"
- Galabina Petrova, "A book about Plovdiv in greek language (1851)"
- Eleni Ekonomou, "On history of theatre performances in 19th century Plovdiv (preliminary report)"
- Theofano Papazisi, "Law and multiculturalism. The example of Thessaloniki in the first half of the 20th century"
- Xanthippi Kotzageorgi-Zymari, "The intellectual and cultural movement of the Greeks of 19th century Philippoupolis"
- Krassimira Krustanova, "Cultural heritage in the context of the modern process of integration between Plovdiv and Thessaloniki"
- Nikolai Tilkidjiev, "Plovdiv citizens` resources for a cross-border cooperation: economic and cultural attitudes and expectations"
- Anna Ilieva, "The first bulgarian bookshop in Thessaloniki"
- Mina Hristemova, "Yoakim Gruev and Vlasios Skordelis: two faces of Plovdiv education during the national revival period"
- Sidiroula Ziogou - Karastergiou, "The Greek Highschool of Plovdiv and the Zarifeion College. Organizational and operational issues at the school. Student capacity - students at the Athens University (1837-1906)"
- Ekaterini Dalakoura, "Female education in Thessaloniki and in Plovdiv from the 19th to the early 20th century"
- Nedyalka Petrova, "Formation of Plovdiv as a university centre"
- E. A. Hekimoglou, "Guilds in Thessaloniki, 1792-1865: Τhe case of furriers"
- Svoboda Zapryanova, "Guild organizations in Plovdiv in 18th and 19th centuries up to 1878"
- Alexandros Dagas, "The social movement in the areas of Plovdiv (Philippopolis) and Thessaloniki, from its early days until the 1920`s. Parallel development"
- Vladimir Balchev, "Formation of Plovdiv as a fairgrounds centre"
- Sonya Ignatova, Ivan Ivanov, "Production concentration of brewing industry in Bulgaria"
- Paschalis Androulis, "The cemetery church of the Zografou Monastery in relation to parallel churches"
- Alexander Pizhev, "Church construction in Plovdiv (18th - 20th century)"
- Vera Kisyova, "Buildings of worship of religious communities in 19th century Plovdiv"
- Thalia S. Mantopoulou - Panagiotopoulou, "Parallel typological evolution of religious architecture in Thessaloniki and Philippoupolis in the 19th century"
- Christina Zarkada-Pistioli, "Thessaloniki 1870-1940. The development of urban space and the architectural expression"
- Vesselin Donchev, "Development of Plovdiv 18th -20th centuries urban-morphological aspects"
- Svetla Moskova, "The influence of the miracle icons and engravings from Mount Athos on some monuments from the region of Plovdiv in 16th - 19th centuries"
- E. N. Kyriakoudis, "18th century monumental painting in Thessaloniki and on Mount Athos. Aesthetic quests and stylistic trends"
- Ivanka Gergova, "Religious paintings in the region of Plovdiv in 18th and 19th centuries"
- Iliana Zara, "Icon paintings in Thessaloniki from the 19th until the early 20th century"
- Georgi Linkov, ""Modern" religious paintings in post-liberation Bulgaria, viewed in the light of a few churches in Plovdiv"
- Vladimir Harbaliev, "Tradition and succession in the art of the two Plovdiv artists Anastas Staikov and Lyubomir Samardjiev - ethnographic authenticity in romantic light"
- Krassimir Linkov, "The monasteries and religious life of Mount Athos as a subject in the works of the artist Tsanko Lavrenov"
- K. Kilesopoulou, "Thessaloniki through painting. The city as an urban landscape painting theme in the work of thessalonian visual artists"
- Rouzha Marinska, "Plovdiv and modern art"