Sofia

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This is a page about the capital of Bulgaria. See also the Sofia Region in Madagascar. For other uses, see Sophia.

The history of Sofia dates back to the 7th century BC, when Thracians established a settlement there. The city has had several names throughout its history, and remnants of the old cities can still be seen today.

Geography

A number of low rivers cross the city, including Vladayska and Perlovska. The Iskar River in its upper course flows near eastern Sofia. The city is known for its numerous mineral and thermal springs. Artificial and dam lakes were built in the last century.

It is located 150 km (90 miles) northwest of Plovdiv, Bulgaria's second largest city, 390 km west of Burgas, 470 km (294 miles) west of Varna, Bulgaria's major port-cities on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast.

Climate

History

The Neorenaissance National Assembly of Bulgaria edifice in central Sofia

Antiquity

Sofia has been a centre of Christianity since the times of the Roman Empire

A view of Sofia with the snow-capped peaks of Vitosha rising in the background

Sofia was originally a Thracian settlement called Serdica, named after the Thracian tribe Serdi. Around 500 BC another tribe settled in the region, the Odrysi, known as an ethnos with their own kingdom. For a short period during the 4th century BC, the city was possessed by Philip of Macedon and his son Alexander the Great.

Around AD 29, Sofia was conquered by the Romans and renamed Ulpia Serdica. It became a municipium, or centre of an administrative region, during the reign of Emperor Trajan (98-117). The first written mention of Serdica was made by Ptolemy (around 100 AD). The city expanded, as turrets, protective walls, public baths, administrative and cult buildings, a civic basilica and a large amphitheatre called Bouleutherion, were built. When Emperor Diocletian divided the province of Dacia into Dacia Ripensis (on the banks of the Danube) and Dacia Mediterranea, Serdica became the capital of Dacia Mediterranea. The city subsequently expanded for a century and a half, which caused Constantine the Great to call it "my Rome".

Serdica was of moderate size, but magnificent as an urban concept of planning and architecture, with abundant amusements and an active social life. It flourished during the reign of Byzantine Emperor Justinian I, when it was surrounded with great fortress walls whose remnants can still be seen today.

The city was destroyed by the Huns in 447 but was rebuilt by Justinian and renamed Triaditsa.

Middle Ages

After a number of unsuccessful sieges, the city fell to the Byzantine Empire in 1018, but once again was incorporated into the restored Bulgarian Empire at the time of Tsar Ivan Asen I.

From the 12th to the 14th century, Sofia was a thriving centre of trade and crafts. It was renamed Sofia (meaning "wisdom" in Greek) in 1376 after the Church of St. Sofia. However, it was called both "Sofia" and "Sredets" until the 16th century, when the new name gradually replaced the old one.

Ottoman rule

In 1610 the Vatican established the See of Sofia for Catholics of Rumelia, which existed until 1715 when most Catholics had emigrated. [The Catholic Encyclopedia]

Liberated Bulgaria

During World War II, Sofia was bombed by Allied aircraft in late 1943 and early 1944, as well as later occupied by the Soviet Union. Bulgaria's regime which allied the country with Nazi Germany was overthrown and Sofia became capital of the Communist-ruled People's Republic of Bulgaria (1944-1989).

Culture

The centre of the city is well-known for being paved with yellow Viennese cobblestones

The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is one of the largest Eastern Orthodox churches in the world

The architecture of Sofia's centre is mostly typically Central European

The former royal palace at Battenberg Square, now the National Art Gallery

The Bulgarian Academy of Sciences building

Sofia is one of the oldest capital cities in Europe, blending its past and present in a remarkable architectural style. Historic landmarks include the 10th-century Boyana Church (one of the UNESCO World Heritage protected sites), the Alexander Nevski Cathedral (one of the world's largest Orthodox churches), and the early Byzantine Church of St Sophia.

More modern architecture is represented by the Bulgarian National Opera and Ballet, the Ivan Vazov National Theatre, the Rakovski Str theatre district, Slaveykov Square's outdoor book market, and the NDK, which is Southeastern Europe's largest cultural and congressional centre.

There are 16 universities in the city, among them Sofia University, founded in 1888. Sofia is the see of an Eastern Orthodox and of a Roman Catholic diocese.

Museums

Places of special interest

Sofia currently enjoys a booming film industry as it is the filming ground of several international film productions. Vitosha Boulevard, also called Vitoshka — ranked as the world's 22nd most expensive commercial street — represents numerous fashion boutiques and luxury goods stores and features exhibitions by world fashion designers. Sofia's geographic location, situated in the foothills of the weekend retreat Vitosha mountain, further adds to the city's specific atmosphere.

Front view of the National Palace of Culture

The Neoclassic old Royal Printing Office built 1882-1884

Tourist attractions

• The late Roman Church of St George (4th century), situated in the courtyard of the Sheraton Sofia Hotel.
• The outdoor book-market on Slaveykov Square.
• The early Byzantine Church of St Sophia, built in the 6th century.
• The gold-domed Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, built in the early 20th century in memory of the 200,000 Russian soldiers, who died in the Russo-Turkish War, 1877-1878, which led to the liberation of Bulgaria from Ottoman rule.
• The tiny Church of St Petka of the Saddlers from the 14th century featuring some fine frescoes.
• The Monument to the Tsar Liberator commemorating Alexander II of Russia.
• The Banya Bashi Mosque, built in the 16th century.
• The Sofia Synagogue, the largest in the Balkans.
• The Bulgarian National Historical Museum, noteworthy for its Thracian treasures.
• The National Palace of Culture cultural and congressional centre — the largest multifunctional complex in Southeastern Europe, inaugurated in 1981 and situated in a lush green park surroundings.
• The Ivan Vazov National Theatre.
• The National Gallery of Foreign Art.
• The National Archaeological Museum.
• Sofia Central Mineral Bath, decorated with the finest majolica tiles and completed in 1911.
• TZUM, Sofia's oldest and largest department store.
• Sofia's central boulevards paved with Viennese yellow cobblestones.
• Vitosha mountain, one of the symbols of Sofia, just a short drive or lift trip away, open year round. Ski and snowboard are popular in the winter, and hiking in the summer.
• Borisova gradina, Sofia's main and oldest garden, the construction of which began in 1884.

Demographics

The ratio of women per 1,000 men was 1,114 and the rate of population ageing was 100.3. The birth rate per 1000 people was 7.9 and steadily declining in the last 15 years, the death rate reaching 12.2 and growing. The population was declining by 4.3 per cent. However, considerable immigration to the capital from poorer regions of the country, as well as urbanization, are the reason Sofia's population is in practice increasing.

5.7 people of every one thousand were married and the infant mortality rate was 11 dead babies per 1,000 born alive, down from 18.9 in 1980.

The unemployment is significantly lower than in other parts of the country — 2.45% of the active population in 1999 and declining, compared to 14.1% for the whole of Bulgaria in that year (also on the decrease). The large share of unemployed people with higher education, 27% as compared to 7% for the whole country, is a characteristic feature of the capital.

Economy

With the fall of communism in Bulgaria in 1989 major international companies previously not present on the Bulgarian market moved in, the majority of them to Sofia. The real estate market in Sofia has skyrocketed in recent years, for the past year or so with about 100% in just 1 year (2005-2006). The construction industry has exploded with new construction sites popping up everywhere. Unemployment is rather low at about 7% compared to the Bulgarian average of 12-17% but also to European levels where it is at about 10%.

Administration

The municipalities of Sofia

1. Bankya
2. Vitosha
3. Vrabnitsa
4. Vazrazhdane
5. Izgrev
6. Ilinden
7. Iskar
8. Krasna polyana
9. Krasno selo
10. Kremikovtsi
11. Lozenets
12. Lyulin
13. Mladost
14. Nadezhda
15. Novi Iskar
16. Ovcha kupel
17. Oborishte
18. Pancharevo
19. Poduyane
20. Serdika
21. Slatina
22. Studentski grad
23. Sredets
24. Triaditsa

Transport and infrastructure

The newly renovated Sofia Airport is an important part of the Bulgarian capital's infrastructure

With its well-developed infrastructure and strategic location, Sofia is an important centre for international railway and automobile routes. All major types of transport (except water transport) are represented in the city, which is home to 8 railway stations, the Centre for Flight Control and the Sofia Airport (hub for flag-carrier Bulgaria Air). Three Trans-European Transport Corridors cross the city: 4, 8 and 10.

Public transit is well-developed, reliable and important to the city's economy; it is provided by means of underground trains (the Sofia Metro), buses, trams and trolley-buses. There are over 15,000 licensed taxi cabs operating in the city. The subway system became operational in the late 1990s but had limited extend.

Heavy traffic near Orlov most (Eagles' Bridge) in the centre of the city

With the extensive growth of private automobile ownership in the 1990s the number of cars registered in Sofia has exceeded 500,000 in the past five years. Imports and trade with automotive spare parts has significantly increased. Major players include Porsche Bulgaria and [V&D Auto]. Consequently the traffic (and air pollution) problems of the city have become more severe. Subway expansion plans are set to alleviate the situation when major routes are completed by 2008.

Sofia has a unique, very large combined heat and power (CHP) plant. Virtually the entire city (900,000 households and 5,900 companies) is centrally heated, using residual heat from electricity generation (3,000 MW) and gas- and oil-fired heating furnaces; total heat capacity is 4,640 MW. The heat distribution piping network is 900 km long and comprises 14,000 substations and 10,000 heated buidings.

Education

In addition to older architecture, Sofia also boasts a number of modern buildings — Mall of Sofia, Sofia Tower and the first IMAX cinema in Bulgaria are shown here

Central Sofia

Central Sofia

Furthermore, institutions of national dignity, such as the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and the SS. Cyril and Methodius National Library are also based in Sofia, as are many of the most prestigious schools.

Sport

The capital is also home to a large number of sports venues, including the 43,000-seat Vasil Levski National Stadium which hosts most major outdoor events in Bulgaria, Levski Sofia's Georgi Asparuhov Stadium, CSKA Sofia's Balgarska Armiya Stadium and Slavia Sofia's Ovcha Kupel Stadium. Another important sports facility is Universiade Hall, where in turn many indoor events are held.

Sofia applied to host the Winter Olympic Games in 1992 and in 1994, coming 2nd and 3rd respectively. The city was also an applicant for the 2014 Winter Olympics, but was not selected as candidate, coming in at 4th place. In addition, Sofia hosted Eurobasket 1957 and the 1961 and 1977 Summer Universiades, as well as the 1983 and 1989 winter editions.

Mass media

Notable people

See also:

• Galerius (c. 250–311), Roman Emperor (near Sofia, then Serdica)
• Elisaveta Bagryana (1893-1991), Bulgarian poetess
• Boris III (1894-1943), Tsar of Bulgaria
• Cyril (1901-1971), Patriarch of Bulgaria
• Valeri Petrov (b. 1920), Bulgarian writer
• Stoyanka Mutafova (b. 1922), Bulgarian actress
• Itzhak Fintzi (b. 1933), Bulgarian actor
• Simeon II (b. 1937), Tsar of Bulgaria and Prime Minister of Bulgaria
• Stefan Danailov (b. 1942), Bulgarian actor and Minister of Culture
• Georgi Asparuhov (1943-1971), Bulgarian footballer
• Solomon Passy (b. 1956), Bulgarian politician
• Stefan Sofiyanski (b. 1951), Bulgarian politician
• Borislav Mihaylov (b. 1963), Bulgarian footballer and Bulgarian Football Union president
• Evgenia Radanova (b. 1977), Bulgarian ice skater
• Antoaneta Stefanova (b. 1979), Bulgarian chess player and Women's World Chess Champion
• Stanislav Ianevski (b. 1985), Bulgarian actor

Sister cities

• Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
• Tel Aviv, Israel
• Ankara, Turkey

References

General references

Footnotes

External links