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Sofia, Bulgaria

Sofia is one of the oldest capital cities in Europe, the capital of Bulgaria and its largest city.
The Bulgarians say that “the city grows but never ages”, which became the motto of the capital.
The population of Sofia is 1,326,400 including its suburbs according to the latest census. The capital is situated in the western part of the country, in the foot of Vitosha Mountain and is the industrial, administrative and cultural centre of Bulgaria.

Sofia is an ancient and beautiful city which had managed to preserve its historical remains blended with remarkable contemporary buildings and modern way of life.
Sofia is located 150 km northwest of Plovdiv, Bulgaria's second largest city, 390 km west of Burgas, 470 km west of Varna, Bulgaria's major port-cities on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast.

Sofia was originally Thracian settlement, established some 3000 years ago. The town owes its development to its significant position in the centre of the Balkans. Three mountain passes start from Sofia and have been playing a key role since the antiquity, connecting the Adriatic Sea and Central Europe with the Black and Aegean Seas.

Around 29 AD, Sofia was conquered by the Romans and renamed Ulpia Serdica. Due to its important strategic position between Constantinople and Central Europe, Sofia was constantly under attacks, especially by the Huns, who destroyed by the Huns in 447 but was rebuilt by Justinian I and renamed Triaditsa.
Once rebuilt, it became one of the Byzantine Empire’s most important strongholds on the Balkans. Migrating Slavs settled here in 7th century. The capture of the town by the Bulgar Khan Krum in 809 AD sealed its Slavic fate became part of the First Bulgarian Empire during its reign. The town flourished under Bulgarian rule. 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.

Sometime in the 14th century the town became known as Sofia (meaning wisdom-Greek).

Sofia was captured by the Turks during the reign of Murad I in 1382 and became the capital of the Ottoman province Rumelia for approximately 5 centuries.
Sofia was liberated by Russian forces in 1878, during the Russo-Turkish War, 1877-78, and became the capital of the autonomous Principality of Bulgaria in 1879, which became Kingdom of Bulgaria in 1908.

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).


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