The city of Sofia

Monument of St. Sofia

Sofia has a history that goes back thousands of years. Through the centuries, many peoples have inhabited it and added to its rich and diverse history. The Thracian Serdi tribe settled here in the 7th century BC and gave the first recorded name of Sofia: Serdica. The Byzantines called it Triaditsa and the Slavs, Sredets. The modern city of Sofia was named in the 14th century after the St. Sofia basilica. In the 3rd century AD, the Romans built strong walls around Serdica, their capital of Inner Dacia and an important stopping point on the Roman road from Naisus (present Nish, Serbia and Montenegro) to Constantinople. After the Hun invasion of 441, the town was rebuilt by the Byzantines. The Slavs gave Sredets a key role in the First Bulgarian Empire, then in 1018 the Byzantines regained Triaditsa. At the end of the 12th century, the Bulgarians returned and Sredets became a major trading center of the Second Bulgarian Empire. The Turks captured Sofia in 1382 and made it the center of the Rumelian Beylerbeyship. The city declined during feudal unrests of the 19th century, but with the establishment of the Third Bulgarian State in 1879, Sofia once again became the capital of Bulgaria. Today there are many archaeological sites in Sofia that display the city's rich history: the castle gates and towers of Serdica, public buildings and streets thousands of years old.

St. Alexander Nevski Memorial Church

The city's image changed rapidly from Oriental into European. Today many streets, buildings, parks, and even whole neighborhoods preserve the architectural style from the turn of the 20th century. Between 1879 and 1939, the population of Sofia grew from 20 000 to 300 000, while today 1 250 000 people live in Sofia.

Since ancient times the city has been famous for the abudance of cold and thermal mineral water springs in and around it. The water is still available today and is praised for its numerous properties. Springs may be found in the city center, as well as in the neighbourhoods: Knyazhevo, Gorna Banya, Bankya, Ovcha Kupel and Ivanyane.

Internet links: http://www.sofia.bg/en/index_en.asp  http://www.geology.bas.bg/sofia.html  http://www.sofia.com/