Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Sofia Highlights
Visiting impressive Aleksander Nevski Memorial Church (
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)
Viewing the paintings and artwork on show at the two museums (
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here
) inside the former Royal Palace
Looking over ancient treasures at the Archaeological Museum (
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)
Taking a leisurely walk around leafy Borisova Gradina (
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)
, with
its statues, fountains and cafes
Exploring history at the National Museum of Military History (
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)
Taking a trip out to visit the lovely Boyana Church (
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)
, famous
for its medieval murals
Getting lost in the wild landscape of Yuzhen Park (
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)
Uncovering the past at the Museum of Socialist Art (
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)
Experiencing Sofia's spiritual side in Sveta Nedelya Cathedral (
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)
Buying fruit and veg at the bustling Ladies' Market (
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)
History
The Thracian Serdi tribe originally settled the Sofia region as far back as the 8th century
BC, but the city as we know it today was founded by the Romans, who conquered the re-
gion in AD 29 and built the town of Ulpia Serdica. In the late 3rd century AD Serdica be-
came a major regional imperial capital, reaching a zenith in the early 4th century under
Emperor Constantine the Great. The Sveti Georgi Rotunda is the most prominent remind-
er of the Roman era still standing.
The city passed back and forth between the Bulgarians and the Byzantine Empire dur-
ing the early Middle Ages, until the Ottomans, sweeping through the Balkans, captured it
in 1382, and held it for nearly 500 years. The Ottomans built baths and mosques, such as
the Banya Bashi Mosque, but many churches were destroyed or abandoned; the tiny
Church of Sveta Petka Samardzhiiska is a very rare survivor.
It was in Sofia that the celebrated anti-Turkish rebel Vasil Levski was hanged in 1873,
after first being interrogated and tortured in the building that later became the Royal
Palace. After the liberation of the city from the Turks in early 1878, Sofia officially be-
came the capital of Bulgaria on 4 April 1879.
