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About Sofia
History of Sofia
Sofia has a history that goes
back thousands of years. Through the centuries, many peoples have
inhabited it and added to its rich and diverse history. Numerous Neolithic
villages have been discovered in the area, while a chalocolithic
settlement has been recently discovered in the very center of modern
Sofia. The Thracian Serdi tribe settled here in the 7th century BC and
gave the first recorded name of Sofia -- Serdica. The Byzantines called it
Triaditsa and the Slavs - Sredets. The modern city of Sofia was named in
the 14th century after the basilica St. Sofia. In Greek, word sofia means
wisdom. In the 3rd century AD, the Romans built strong walls around
Serdica, their capital of Inner Dacia and an important stopping point on
the Roman road from Naisus (present Nish, Yugoslavia) to Constantinople.
Today there are many archaeological sites in Sofia, that display the
city's diverse history. The castle gates and towers of Serdica can be seen
in one of the pedestrian subways in the centre, while in the courtyard
behind the Sheraton hotel one can enjoy the sight of the Roman thermal
baths and the oldest preserved building in Sofia – the round church of St.
George.
After the Hun invasion of 441, the town was rebuilt by the
Byzantines. The Slavs gave Sredets a key role in the First Bulgarian
Empire, then in 1018 the Byzantines retook Triaditsa. At the end of the
12th century, the Bulgarians returned and Sredets became a major trading
center of the Second Bulgarian Empire. The Turks captured Sofia in 1382
and made it the center of a province. The city declined during the feudal
unrest of the 19th century, but with the establishment of the Third
Bulgarian State in 1879, Sofia once again became the capital of Bulgaria.
Rapidly the city's image changed from an Oriental, to a European. Today
many streets, buildings, parks, and even whole neighborhoods preserve the
architectural style from the turn of the century. Between 1879 and 1939,
the population of Sofia grew from 20 000 to 300 000, while today 1 250 000
people live in Sofia.
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.
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