BULGARIA : THE CAPITAL SOFIA
The city of Sofia is the biggest city and has been the capital city of
Bulgaria since 1878. It has a population of 1,208,930 (2003), It has
been given several names in the course of history and the remnants of
the old cities can still be seen today. It is located in the southern
part of a valley, at the northern side of Mt. Vitosha and Mt. Lyulin. It
was founded in the 8th-7th centuries BC. The ancient Romans conquered it
in 29 AD and named it Serdika. Later in the 9th century, it was called
Sredets. Its present name dates back to the late 14th century when the
town was named after the St. Sofia Church
There are many places of historical and cultural interest in downtown
Sofia such as: The Alexander Nevski Cathedral (constructed in 1912), The
Ivan Vazoff Theater, The Russian Church (1913), The Bania Bashi Mosque,
the building of The National Assembly (The Parliament, built in 1884),
etc . The city has several beautiful parks, and stopes of the Vitosha
mountain rise above it - Vitosha is a wonderful place of for recreation
of the residents of Sofia and the guests of the city. .
There are 16 universities in the city, among them Sofia University,
founded in 1889. It is the see of an Eastern Orthodox metropolitan and
of a Roman Catholic diocese.
Sofia offers a typical Balkan mix of Orthodox and Muslim cultures amid a
crumbling Eastern Bloc society with an uncertain future. Mass
privatisation has come hand in hand with a decline in living standards
and initial optimism has been tempered by extreme and growing poverty.
However, with an educated populace and a strong desire to see justice
and democracy won, once and for all, Bulgaria is slowly but surely
regaining credibility and economic stability. The city’s motto, ‘Ever
growing, never old’, is as true today as it ever was.
Since ancient times the city was 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 qualities. Springs may
be found in the city center, as well as in the neighbourhoods: Kniazevo,
Gorna Bania, Bankia, Ovcha Kupel and Ivaniane.
