Sofia is the largest political, economic and cultural center in Bulgaria and its capital since 1879. Perhaps Sofia is the youngest capital in Europe. It has been such in the country for more than one hundred years, but it actually lies on layers of century’s long history.
The earliest records about the inhabitants of Sofia date from the mid-first millennium BC. The site of the town was inhabited by a Thracian tribe in that time, which makes historians believe that Bulgaria and the town itself, is one of the cradles of western civilization. When the Romans invaded and concurred the Balkan Peninsula, at the dawn of the Christian era the small Thracian settlement grew into a self-governing city with an assembly and a town council with elected magistrates, an important crafts and trade center. It minted its own bronze and silver coins and reached substantial prosperity throughout the years. With the adoption of the Christian religion a remarkable construction of churches started and some of these impressive monuments have been preserved to present days.
Due to its prosperity the town was often the target of the barbarian tribes of the Huns who invaded, burned and robbed Sofia. That problem was solved after the Pro-Bulgarians and the Slavs allied and formed the Bulgarian state. During the first years of the newly established country Sofia was surrounded by high, hard walls and watchtowers and protected intensively. The city grew even richer and more powerful than before and was frequently the scene of both battles and intensive trade-all due to its strategic position on the Balkan Peninsular.
Sofia became the capital of the Bulgarian state at the end of the 12th century as it already was the major economic and cultural center of the country. When the capital gave into the Ottoman invaders, in 1392, the conquerors kept the name of the city but changed everything else in it. They pulled down the fortress walls and towers surrounding it and erased all that had been a sign of urban construction-public buildings, private houses and many Christian churches were either destroyed of turned into Mosques and military quarters. As a result of the incessant imperial wars Sofia lost its administrative significance and became a mere military camp. The local Bulgarian population suffered severe impoverishment and soon there were very few things remaining of the town’s prior beauty and success.
Liberated from the Turkish rule on 4th January 1878, by Russian troops, Sofia was an insignificant town of 11 000 inhabitants, of whom half were below the age of 20 and 70% were illiterate. A year later Sofia was proclaimed capital of Bulgaria and a new town plan was designed, so the city could restore its previous administrative and economical prosperity, the development of the modern city began and had not stopped since then.
Today people say that Sofia is the town which always grows but never gets older. Due to its centuries long history and its economical and administrative importance the city has a lot to offer to tourists with a variety of interests, needs and expectations. There are a huge number of historical sights, all around Sofia- Roman baths and rotundas, churches, dating from Medieval times, the Ottoman rule and the National Revival period, old fortress walls, remains of the ancient Serdica (as the city was called before), and many more. Sofia is filled with numerous public and administrative buildings- the Presidency, the House of the Parliament, the Supreme Court, etc. There also are some of the major universities and schools, beautifully arranged parks, one of the biggest amusement parks in the country (Sofia Land). And not to miss the many hotels and accommodations, the extensive number of shops, night clubs, discos, bars, and much more.
All is there- in the always busy, always running heart of Bulgaria.
