This document provides a historical overview of Sofia, Bulgaria, beginning with its origins as a Thracian settlement called Serdica in the 6th century BC. It details Sofia's development under Roman rule and as part of the Byzantine Empire, becoming the capital of Bulgaria in 1879. The summary describes Sofia today as the largest city in Bulgaria with over 1.3 million people and many universities and cultural institutions. It highlights several of Sofia's most prominent architectural landmarks, including St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Ivan Vazov National Theater, and the Vitosha Mountains overlooking the city.

1. GREEN EDUCATION IN GREEN
ENVIRONMENT
2020-1-ES01-KA229-082342_4
2020-2021
SOFIA, BULGARIA
FEBRUARY 2021
This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.
This publication [communication] reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible
for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
PRIVATE ELEMENTARY
SCHOOL BANKERCHE

2. Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria
Sofia is Bulgaria’s capital and largest
city.Situated in the very heart of the Balkan
peninsula, it is one of Europe’s oldest cities.
Sofia has more than 7,000 years of turbulent
history. Here are a few highlights of the
Bulgarian capital’s past to help you better
understand the city today.

3. HISTORY
The mineral springs are indispensable life-giving centre in the history of
Sofia, already from the VI-V century BC, when Thracians established a
sanctuary (nympheum) and prehistoric settlement around the hot mineral
spring where the city centre is located today. Around the I century AD, the
spring was captured by the Romans, and thermal baths (Roman baths) and a
temple dedicated to the gods of medicine Asclepius, Apollo and Hygeia were
built around it.

4. Sofia - part of the Roman
Empire
45 AD – Sofia becomes part of the
Roman Empire
At the time, the Thracian tribe of
Serdi inhabited the city, so the
Romans called it Serdica. The city
was developing fast and after 106
AD it was granted the right of
autonomous rule.

5. The Church of St George
The Church of St George is an Early Christian red brick rotunda that is
considered the oldest building in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. It is amid
remains of the ancient town of Serdica.

6. The Saint Sofia Church
Emperor Justinian’s rule was the last period of greatness for Serdica in
Antiquity. The fortifications were strengthened and the Saint Sofia
Church was built on a hill near the city. This church will later give the
name of Sofia (people used to say “I’m going to the city by Saint Sofia”).
Today, it is located in the city center and its underground level is turned
into a museum where you can stroll in old-time catacombs.

7. 1879 – Sofia became the capital
of Bulgaria
Bulgaria was liberated from the Ottoman Empire after one of the Russo-
Turkish Wars (1877-78), and a year later it was unanimously voted as the
capital of the new country. The city started growing in a fast pace as it had
to transform from a provincial town into an European capital.

8. SOFIA TODAY
Nowadays Sofia is the 15th largest city
in the European Union with a
population of around 1.3 million
people. Many of the major universities,
cultural institutions, and business of
Bulgaria are concentrated in Sofia.

9. Sofia is growing but it is not
getting old!
The coat of arms of Sofia consists of a
shield divided into four. The image of the
Church of St. Sophia which gave the name
to the city takes up the upper left quarter
and a picture of the ancient town of
Serdica is located to the right . At lower
left is a golden baldachin and a statue of
Apollo Medicus representing the mineral
springs around the city, while the lower
right quarter is reserved for Vitosha, the
mountain at the foot of which Sofia is
located.In the middle is another, smaller
shield ), with a lion rampant, a traditional
Bulgarian symbol. A crown of walls and
towers tops the larger shield, an element
typically reserved for city coat of arms. At
the bottom is the city motto “Ever Growing,
Never Aging”.

10. Sofia's Most Interesting
Architectural Landmarks
• The St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral
• Ivan Vazov National Theater
• The Russian Church
• Sofia University
• The St. St. Cyril and Methodius National
Library
• The Building of Bulgaria’s National Assembly
• Prince Alexander of Battenberg Square
• St. Nedelya Church
• Saint Petka of the Saddlers Church
• National Palace of Culture
• VITOSHA mountain

11. The St. Alexander Nevsky
Cathedral
Alexander Nevski Cathedral in city of Sofia was built in 1912 in honour of the
Russian and Ukrainian casualties of the 1877-78 War of Liberation from
Ottoman Rule. It is one of the finest pieces of architecture in the Balkans.

12. Ivan Vazov National Theater
The Ivan Vazov National Theatre is Bulgaria's national theatre, as well
as the oldest and most authoritative theatre in the country and one of
the important landmarks of Sofia

13. The Russian Church
The Russian Church, officially known as
the Church of St Nicholas the Miracle-
Maker, is a Russian Orthodox church in
central Sofia, situated on Tsar Osvoboditel
(Tsar the Liberator) Boulevard.

14. Sofia University "St. Kliment
Ohridski"
Sofia University, with its
patron saint St Clement
of Ohrid, is the oldest
higher education
institution in Bulgaria,
being founded on 1
October 1888, just 10
years after Bulgaria’s
Liberation. The
university’s edifice was
constructed between
1924 and 1934 with the
financial support of the
brothers Evlogi Georgiev
and Hristo Georgiev,
whose sculptures are
now greeting you at the
main entrance to the
University.

15. The Building of Bulgaria’s
National Assembly
The National Assembly of Bulgaria is the unicameral
parliament and body of the legislative of the Republic of
Bulgaria.It was established in 1879 with the Tarnovo
Constitution.

16. The St. St. Cyril and Methodius
National Library
The St. St. Cyril and
Methodius National Library
is the National Library of
Republic of Bulgaria. It is
the biggest greatest library
in the country and the
oldest cultural institute
after the Liberation of
Bulgaria.
The National Library was
built in neoclassical style
and the monument of the
holy brothers St. St. Cyril
and Methodius is an
inseparable part of it.

17. Prince Alexander of Battenberg
Square
The former Royal Palace in Sofia, nowadays National Art Gallery. The
National Art Gallery houses over 50,000 pieces of Bulgarian art. It is located
on Battenberg Square in the capital city of Sofia, occupying most of the
historic and imposing edifice of the former royal palace of Bulgaria.

18. St. Nedelya Church
Sveta Nedelya
is a medieval
church that
has suffered
destruction
through the
ages and has
been
reconstructed
many times.
The present
building of
the temple is
among the
landmarks of
Sofia.

19. Saint Petka of the Saddlers Church
The church of Saint Petka of the
Saddlers (Sveta Petka
Samardzhiyska) is a medieval
Bulgarian Ortodox church, located
in the center of Sofia near Sveta
Nedelya cathedral.
The story says that Paraskeva was
a woman living in Iconium, Asia
Minor (present day Konya, Turkey),
at the end of the 2nd and the
beginning of the 3rd century. She
was introduced to Christianity by
her parents. They died when she
was very young and as they were
very wealthy she inherited a huge
fortune. Instead of spending the
fortune on luxury and pleasures,
she helped people in need by
providing food for the starving,
shelter for the homeless and
clothes for those who could not
afford them.
She was so devoted to Christianity that she
decided to remain celibate and started
introducing other people around her to
Christianity as well.

20. National Palace of Culture
The National Palace of Culture
abbreviated in Bulgarian as NDK is
the largest multifunctional
congress, conference, convention
and exhibition center in
Southeastern Europe.
The idea for the construction of this
true contemporary castle comes
from the former Bulgarian first-lady
Lyudmila Zhivkova. She was a
daughter of the communist politician
and leader of the former People’s
Republic of Bulgaria Todor Zhivkov.

21. Saint Sofia Statue
This is the newest statue in Sofia and it is a nice thing to see when you go sightseeing in
Sofia. She stands on a place where the old culture meets the modern lifestyle.

22. VITOSHA mountain
Vitosha is one of the
symbols of Sofia. Vitosha
Mountain is the oldest
nature park on the Balkan
Peninsula. Its gorgeous
silhouette is visible from
almost all positions in the
city and is inseparable part
of Sofia’ image.
Vitosha is the oldest national park on the
Balkans. It is known for its stone rivers, called
the Golden Bridges (Zlatnite Mostove). The
longest cave (17.5 km long) in Bulgaria,
Duhlata, is also located here.

23. Our students love Vitosha
mountain!
Vitosha mountain is a great place if
you want skiing , snowboarding,
climbing, hiking, walking or doing
many sports.

24. The Boyana Church
The Boyana Church,
in the eponymous
Sofia suburb at the
foot of Mt. Vitosha, is
one of the few
complete and
perfectly preserved
mediaeval
monuments testifying
to the significant
contribution of
Bulgarian
monumental painting
to European culture
in the Middle Ages. In
1979, the building
was added to
the UNESCO World
Heritage List.

26. The National History Museum
of Sofia
The National History Museum of Sofia is located in the Boyana district of Sofia.
Founded in 1973, the National History Museum of Sofia is the largest museum
in Bulgaria taking place on a former government residence.

27. The team of Bankerche School
is eager to show you the beauty
of our city!