133 years after Sofia became the capital city of Bulgaria

published on 4/3/12 11:51 AM

A view over old Sofia with the bell tower (painter Joseph Oberbouer)

Photo: Архив

On April 3, 133 years ago Sofia was selected to be the new capital city of Bulgaria. This happened after Bulgaria was liberated after 5 centuries of Ottoman rule. In the ancient Bulgarian town of Veliko Turnovo, the National Assembly gathered in order to adopt a constitution of the revived Bulgarian state. Renowned historian professor Marin Drinov was the man who proposed that Sofia should become the new capital city of the country. The main advantage of Sofia was its strategic location, as it is situated between the three regions of the Bulgarian exarchate Mizia, Thrace, and Macedonia. The city is also situated on important crossroads.

Actually Sofia is one of the oldest European cities. People lived here 7 thousand years ago. Hot mineral water springs later attracted Thracians. It is considered that the old name of Sofia – Serdika came from the name of the Thracian tribe of “serdi”. In the beginning of the first millennium AD Serdika became a part of the Roman Empire and an important strategic center. “Serdika is my Rome,” Emperor Constantine the Great used to say. In the beginning of the 9th century the city was included in the territory of Bulgaria and became one the major administrative centers of the state.

“This is a strong fortress and there are a number of craftsmen and workshops in Sofia,” Ottoman conqueror Lala Sahin wrote in the 14th century. After fierce resistance the city was finally conquered by the Ottomans and became the European capital of their empire. At that time the ancient churches of St. Sofia and St George were turned into mosques. Sofia became an oriental type of city and Christians were not allowed to build big churches. Still magnificent frescoes and icons are preserved from that time.

It is a curious fact that one of the first laws introduced in Sofia concerned waste management and hygiene in the city. In 1881 the population of Sofia reached 20,000 people. Three decades later the population reached 100,000 people. A number of emblematic buildings emerged at that time, like the National Assembly, the Ivan Vazov Theatre, the St Alexander Nevski cathedral. This was only the beginning. Electrification of the city started in 1900 and a year later the first trams started rolling on the streets of Sofia.

One of the periods in which Sofia flourished was during the 30s of the 20th century. During this decade Sofia quickly developed and Italian professor Ernesto Corsi described the city as a very modern one with a number of churches, museum, libraries, and a zoo.
In the years of socialism after 1944 the city quickly industrialized. A number of buildings of state institutions emerged downtown while complexes of blocks of flats were built in the residential districts. Currently 1.3 million people live in the Bulgarian capital city of Sofia, which continues changing according to modern trends.

English: Alexander Markov

По публикацията работи: Veneta Pavlova

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133 years after Sofia became the capital city of Bulgaria

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