The remains of the ancient Roman town of Nikopolis ad Nestum can be found seven kilometers to the east of the town of Gotse Delchev, close to the village of Gurmen. The old town was built on the left bank of the Mesta river in honour of Roman Emperor Trayan’s victory over the tribe of the Dacas in 105-106 AC. Necropolis ad Nestum was one of the two such fortified towns built in present-day Bulgaria by Emperor Trayan (98-117 AC) to mark his victory. The original town occupied a territory of about 25-30 decаres and had the shape of irregular quadruple. It was ruined in the 6-7th c. by the Slavs but re-emerged as a medieval settlement in the late 10th century. The town had been inhabited for about 14 centuries with its peak reached in the late antiquity (4th-6th c. AC).
Excavations have cleared 280 meters of fortress walls, fundamentals of administrative and religious buildings and tumulus, which can be seen on the site. There, archeologists have found fragments of a votive relieve of the Thracian Horseman, a statuette of God Hermes, an old Christian tumulus, over 95 gold and 22 other coins, glass, bronze and ceramic vessels, a ritual table, etc. Some of these findings can be seen in the Gotse Delchev’s historical museum. In close proximity to Nikopolis ad Mestum, historians have found remains of two basilica of the early Christianity (4th c. AC), which are believed to form part of the complex, too. The basilicas have mosaic floors with geometric and natural motifs.
