Sofia Maps

Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria. It lies in the Sofia Valley in the western part of the country, at the foot of Vitosha Mountain, at an elevation of about 550 metres. The city has a population of about 1.2 million people. It is the country's main political, administrative, economic, cultural and educational centre.

The area has been inhabited since at least the Neolithic period. In antiquity, the Thracian tribe of the Serdi founded a settlement there. Under Roman rule it was called Serdica and became an important city in the province of Thrace, and later the capital of Dacia Mediterranea. The Edict of Serdica, issued in 311 by Emperor Galerius, legalised Christianity in the Roman Empire. The Council of Serdica was held in the city around 343. The Huns sacked the city in 447. It was later rebuilt under Byzantine Emperor Justinian I.

In 809 Khan Krum made the city part of the First Bulgarian Empire, and it became known as Sredets. The Ottoman Empire captured it in 1382. By the late 14th century the name Sofia was in use, taken from the Church of Saint Sophia.

The city was liberated from Ottoman rule in 1878 during the Russo-Turkish War. In 1879 it was chosen as the capital of the newly established Principality of Bulgaria.

Notable landmarks include the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, the 4th-century Rotunda of Saint George, the Church of Saint Sophia, the Banya Bashi Mosque and the Sofia Synagogue. The medieval Boyana Church on the outskirts of the city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski", founded in 1888, is the oldest institution of higher education in Bulgaria. The Sofia Metro opened in 1998. The city's motto is "Grows, but does not age".

Main sights in Sofia