Known asSerdica inantiquity, Sofia has been an area of human habitation since at least 7000 BC. The recorded history of the city begins with the attestation of the conquest of Serdica by theRoman Republic in 29 BC from theCeltic tribeSerdi. During the decline of theRoman Empire, the city was raided byHuns,Visigoths,Avars, andSlavs. In 809, Serdica was incorporated into theFirst Bulgarian Empire byKhanKrum and became known as Sredets. In 1018, theByzantines ended Bulgarian rule until 1194, when it was reincorporated by theSecond Bulgarian Empire. Sredets became a major administrative, economic, cultural and literary hub until its conquest by theOttomans in 1382. From 1530 to 1836, Sofia was the regional capital ofRumelia Eyalet, the Ottoman Empire's largest and most important province. Bulgarian rule was restored in 1878. Sofia was selected as the capital of theThird Bulgarian State in the next year, ushering a period of intense demographic and economic growth.
The population of Sofia declined from 70,000 in the late 18th century, through 19,000 in 1870, to 11,649 in 1878, after which it began increasing.[22] Sofia hosts some 1.28 million[10] residents within a territory of 500 km2,[23] a concentration of 17.9% of the country's population within the 200th percentile of the country's territory. The urban area of Sofia hosts some 1.5 million[24] residents within 5723 km2, which comprisesSofia City Province and parts ofSofia Province (Dragoman,Slivnitsa,Kostinbrod,Bozhurishte,Svoge,Elin Pelin,Gorna Malina,Ihtiman,Kostenets) andPernik Province (Pernik,Radomir), representing 5.16% of the country territory.[7] The metropolitan area of Sofia is based upon one hour of car travel time, stretches internationally and includesDimitrovgrad in Serbia.[25] The metropolitan region of Sofia is inhabited by a population of 1.6 million.[26]
The first seal of the city, from 1878, which calls itSredets, its name inOld Bulgarian
For a long time, the city possessed[27] the name,Serdica (Ancient Greek:Σαρδική,Serdikē, orΣαρδική,Sardikē;Latin:Serdica orSardica), derived from the tribeSerdi, who were either ofThracian,[17][28]Celtic,[29] or mixed Thracian-Celtic origin.[30][31] The emperorMarcus Ulpius Traianus (53–117 AD) gave the city the combinative name ofUlpia Serdica;[32][33] Ulpia may be derived from an Umbrian cognate of theLatin wordlupus, meaning "wolf"[34] or from the Latinvulpes (fox). It seems that the first written mention ofSerdica was made during his reign and the last mention was in the 19th century in a Bulgarian text (Сардакіи,Sardaki). Other names given to Sofia, such asSerdonpolis (ByzantineAncient Greek:Σερδών πόλις, "City of the Serdi") andTriaditza (Τριάδιτζα, "Trinity"), were mentioned byByzantineGreek sources or coins. The Slavic nameSredets (Church Slavonic:Срѣдецъ), which is related to "middle" (среда, "sreda") and to the city's earliest name, first appeared on paper in an 11th-century text. The city was calledAtralisa by the Arab travellerIdrisi andStrelisa,Stralitsa, orStralitsion by theCrusaders.[35]
The nameSofia comes from theSaint Sofia Church,[36] as opposed to the prevailingSlavicorigin of Bulgarian cities and towns. The origin is in the Greek wordsophía (σοφία, "wisdom"). The earliest works where this latest name is registered are the duplicate of the Gospel of Serdica, in a dialogue between two salesmen fromDubrovnik around 1359, in the 14th-century Vitosha Charter of Bulgarian tsarIvan Shishman and in aRagusan merchant's notes of 1376.[37] In these documents, the city is calledSofia,[clarification needed] but, at the same time, the region and the city's inhabitants are still calledSredecheski (Church Slavonic:срѣдечьскои, "of Sredets"), which continued until the 20th century. TheOttomans came to favour the nameSofya (صوفيه). In 1879, there was a dispute about what the name of the new Bulgarian capital should be, when the citizens created a committee of famous people, insisting for the Slavic name. Gradually, a compromise arose, officialisation ofSofia for the nationwide institutions, while legitimating the titleSredets for the administrative and church institutions, before the latter was abandoned through the years.[38]
A view of Sofia and its valley fromVitoshaWinter panorama of Sofia with Vitosha in the background
Sofia City Province has an area of 1344 km2,[39] while the surrounding and much biggerSofia Province is 7,059 km2. Sofia's development as a significant settlement owes much to its central position in theBalkans. It is situated in western Bulgaria, at the northern foot of theVitosha mountain, in theSofia Valley that is surrounded by theBalkan mountains to the north. The valley has an average altitude of 550 metres (1,800 ft). Sofia is the second highest capital of theEuropean Union (afterMadrid) and the third highest capital of Europe (afterAndorra la Vella and Madrid). Unlike most European capitals, Sofia does not straddle any large river, but is surrounded by comparatively high mountains on all sides. Threemountain passes lead to the city, which have been key roads since antiquity, Vitosha being the watershed betweenBlack andAegean Seas.
A number of shallow rivers cross the city, including theBoyanska,Vladayska andPerlovska. TheIskar River in its upper course flows near eastern Sofia. It takes its source inRila, Bulgaria's highest mountain,[40] and enters Sofia Valley near the village ofGerman. The Iskar flows north toward the Balkan Mountains, passing between the eastern city suburbs, next to the main building and below the runways ofVasil Levski Sofia Airport, and flows out of the Sofia Valley at the town ofNovi Iskar, where the scenicIskar Gorge begins.[41]
The city is known for its 49mineral andthermal springs. Artificial and dam lakes were built in the twentieth century.
While the 1818 and 1858 earthquakes were intense and destructive, the2012 Pernik earthquake occurred west of Sofia with amoment magnitude of 5.6 and a much lower Mercalli intensity of VI (Strong). The2014 Aegean Sea earthquake was also noticed in the city.
Winters are relatively cold and snowy. In the coldest days temperatures can drop below −15 °C (5 °F), most notably in January. The lowest recorded temperature is −31.2 °C (−24 °F) (16 January 1893).[42][43] On average, Sofia receives a total snowfall of 98 cm (38.6 in) and 56 days with snow cover.[44] The snowiest recorded winter was 1939/1940 with a total snowfall of 169 cm (66.5 in).[45] The record snow depth is 57 cm (22.4 in) (25 December 2001).[46] The coldest recorded year was 1893 with an average January temperature of −10.4 °C (13 °F) and an annual temperature of 8.2 °C (46.8 °F).[47]
Summers are quite warm and sunny. In summer, the city generally remains slightly cooler than other parts of Bulgaria, due to its higher altitude. However, the city is also subject to heat waves with high temperatures reaching or exceeding 35 °C (95 °F) on the hottest days, particularly in July and August. The highest recorded temperature is 40.2 °C (104 °F) (5 July 2000).[48] The hottest recorded month was July 2012 with an average temperature of 24.8 °C (77 °F).[49] The warmest year on record was 2024 with an annual temperature of 12.5 °C (55 °F).[50]
Springs and autumns in Sofia are usually short with variable and dynamic weather.
The city receives an average precipitation of 625.7 mm (24.63 in) a year, reaching its peak in late spring and early summer whenthunderstorms are common. The driest recorded year was 2000 with a total precipitation of 304.6 mm (11.99 in), while the wettest year on record was 2014 with a total precipitation of 1,066.6 mm (41.99 in).[51][52]
Climate data for Sofia (NIMH−BAS) 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1893–present
The geographic position of the Sofia Valley limits the flow of air masses, increasing the chances of air pollution by particulate matter andnitrogen oxide.[64] Solid fuel used for heating and motor vehicle traffic are significant sources of pollutants. Smog thus persists over the city astemperature inversions and the mountains surrounding the city prevent the circulation of air masses.[65][66] As a result, air pollution levels in Sofia are some of the highest in Europe.[67]
Particulate matter concentrations are consistently above the norm.[66] During the October 2017 – March 2018 heating season, particulate levels exceeded the norm on 70 occasions;[65] on 7 January 2018, PM10 levels reached 632 μg/m3,[68] some twelve times the EU norm of 50 μg/m3.[69] Even areas with few sources of air pollution, likeGorna Banya, had PM2.5 and PM10 levels above safe thresholds.[68] In response to hazardous spikes in air pollution, the Municipal Council implemented a variety of measures in January 2018, like more frequent washing of streets.[70] However, a report by theEuropean Court of Auditors issued in September 2018 revealed that Sofia has not drafted any projects to reduce air pollution from heating. The report also noted that no industrial pollution monitoring stations operate in Sofia, even though industrial facilities are active in the city. A monitoring station on Eagles' Bridge, where some of the highest particulate matter values were measured, was moved away from the location and has measured sharply lower values since then.[71] Particulates are now largely measured by a network of 300 sensors maintained by volunteers since 2017.[65] TheEuropean Commission has taken Bulgaria to court over its failure to curb air pollution.[66]
O: head ofriver-godStrymon;R:trident. This coin imitatesMacedonian issue from 187 to 168 BC. It was struck bySerdi tribe as their own currency.The eastern gate of Serdica in the "Complex Ancient Serdica"
The area has a history of nearly 7,000 years,[72] with the great attraction of the hot water springs that still flow abundantly in the centre of the city. TheNeolithic village inSlatina dating to the 5th–6th millennium BC is documented.[73] Another neolithic settlement was founded in the 3rd–4th millennium BC near the site of the modernNational Art Gallery, which has been the traditional centre of the city ever since.[74]
The earliest tribes who settled were theThracianTilataei. In the 500s BC, the area became part of a Thracian state union, theOdrysian kingdom from another Thracian tribe theOdrysses.[75]
TheCeltic tribeSerdi gave their name to the city.[77] The earliest mention of the city comes from anAthenian inscription from the 1st century BC, attestingAstiu ton Serdon, i.e. city of the Serdi.[78] According to the inscription and to the writings ofDio Cassius, the Roman generalCrassus subdued the Serdi and behanded the captives.[79]
Dio Cassius,Pliny the Elder andPtolemy say that in 27–29 BC Crassus attacked the region "Segetike", which is assumed to beSerdica, or the city of the Serdi.[80][81][82] The ancient city is located betweenTZUM,Sheraton Hotel and the Presidency.[74][83] It gradually became the most important Roman city of the region.[32][33] It became amunicipium during the reign of EmperorTrajan (98–117). Serdica expanded, asturrets, protective walls,public baths, administrative and cult buildings, a civicbasilica, anamphitheatre, a circus, theCity council (Boulé), a large forum, a big circus (theatre), etc. were built. Serdica was a significant city on the Roman roadVia Militaris, connectingSingidunum andByzantium. In the 3rd century, it became the capital ofDacia Aureliana,[84] and when EmperorDiocletian divided the province of Dacia Aureliana into Dacia Ripensis (at the banks of theDanube) andDacia Mediterranea, Serdica became the capital of the latter. Serdica's citizens ofThracian descent were referred to asIllyrians[76] probably because it was at some time the capital ofEastern Illyria (Second Illyria).[85]
Dated from the early 4th century, theChurch of Saint George is the oldest standing edifice in Sofia.
The city expanded and became a significant political and economical centre, more so as it became one of the first Roman cities where Christianity was recognised as anofficial religion (underGalerius). TheEdict of Toleration by Galerius was issued in 311 in Serdica by the Roman emperor Galerius, officially ending the Diocletianic persecution of Christianity. The Edict implicitly granted Christianity the status of "religio licita", a worship recognised and accepted by the Roman Empire. It was the first edict legalising Christianity, preceding theEdict of Milan by two years.
ForConstantine the Great it was 'Sardica mea Roma est' (Serdica is my Rome). He considered making Serdica the capital of theByzantine Empire instead of Constantinople.[88] which was already not dissimilar to atetrarchic capital of the Roman Empire.[89] In 343 AD, theCouncil of Sardica was held in the city, in a church located where the current 6th centuryChurch of Saint Sophia was later built.
The city was destroyed in the447 invasion of theHuns and laid in ruins for a century[76] It was rebuilt byByzantine EmperorJustinian I. During the reign of Justinian it flourished, being surrounded with great fortress walls whose remnants can still be seen today.
Serdica became part of theFirst Bulgarian Empire during the reign of KhanKrum in 809, after a longsiege. The fall of the strategic city prompted a major and ultimately disastrous invasion of Bulgaria by theByzantine emperorNikephoros I, which led to his demise at the hands of theBulgarian army.[90] In the aftermath of the war, the city was permanently integrated in Bulgaria and became known by the Slavic name of Sredets. It grew into an important fortress and administrative centre under Krum's successor KhanOmurtag, who made it a centre of Sredets province (Sredetski komitat, Средецки комитат). The Bulgarian patron saintJohn of Rila was buried in Sredets by orders of EmperorPeter I in the mid 10th century.[91] After the conquest of the Bulgarian capitalPreslav bySviatoslav I of Kyiv andJohn I Tzimiskes' armies in 970–971, theBulgarian Patriarch Damyan chose Sredets for his seat in the next year and the capital of Bulgaria was temporarily moved there.[92] In the second half of 10th century the city was ruled byKomit Nikola and his sons, known as the "Komitopuli". One of them wasSamuil, who was eventually crowned Emperor of Bulgaria in 997. In 986, the Byzantine EmperorBasil II laid siege to Sredets but after 20 days of fruitless assaults the garrison broke out and forced the Byzantines to abandon the campaign. On his way to Constantinople, Basil II was ambushed and soundly defeated by the Bulgarians in thebattle of the Gates of Trajan.[91][93]
The city eventually fell to theByzantine Empire in 1018, following theByzantine conquest of Bulgaria. Sredets joined theuprising of Peter Delyan in 1040–1041 in a failed attempt to restore Bulgarian independence and was the last stronghold of the rebels, led by the local commander Botko.[94] During the 11th century manyPechenegs were settled down in Sofia region as Byzantine federats.
It was once again incorporated into therestored Bulgarian Empire in 1194 at the time of EmperorIvan Asen I and became a major administrative and cultural centre.[95] Several of the city's governors were members of the Bulgarian imperial family and held the title ofsebastokrator, the second highest at the time, after thetsar. Some known holders of the title wereKaloyan,Peter and their relative Aleksandar Asen (d. after 1232), a son ofIvan Asen I of Bulgaria (r. 1189–1196). In the 13th and 14th centuries Sredets was an important spiritual and literary hub with a cluster of 14 monasteries in its vicinity, that were eventually destroyed by the Ottomans. The city produced multicoloured sgraffito ceramics, jewellery and ironware.[96]
In 1382/1383 or 1385, Sredets was seized by theOttoman Empire in the course of theBulgarian-Ottoman Wars byLala Şahin Pasha, following athree-month siege.[97] The Ottoman commander left the following description of the city garrison: "Inside the fortress [Sofia] there is a large and elite army, its soldiers are heavily built, moustached and look war-hardened, but are used to consume wine andrakia—in a word, jolly fellows."[98]
During the initial stages of theCrusade of Varna in 1443, it was occupied by Hungarian forces for a short time in 1443, and the Bulgarian population celebrated a massSaint Sofia Church. Following the defeat of the crusader forces in 1444, the city's Christians faced persecution. In 1530 Sofia became the capital of theOttoman province (beylerbeylik) ofRumelia for about three centuries. During that time Sofia was the largest import-export-base in modern-day Bulgaria for the caravan trade with theRepublic of Ragusa. In the 15th and 16th century, Sofia was expanded by Ottoman building activity. Public investments in infrastructure, education and local economy brought greater diversity to the city. Amongst others, the population consisted ofMuslims,Bulgarian andGreek speakingOrthodox Christians,Armenians,Georgians,Catholic Ragusans, Jews (Romaniote,Ashkenazi andSephardi), andRomani people.[97] The 16th century was marked by a wave of persecutions against the Bulgarian Christians, a total of nine becameNew Martyrs in Sofia and were sainted by the Orthodox Church, includingGeorge the New (1515), Sophronius of Sofia (1515), George the Newest (1530),Nicholas of Sofia (1555) and Terapontius of Sofia (1555).[100]
Sofia in mid-19th-century
When it comes to the cityscape, 16th century sources mention eightFriday mosques, three public libraries, numerous schools, 12 churches, three synagogues, and the largestbedesten (market) of the Balkans.[97] Additionally, there were fountains andhammams (bathhouses). Most prominent churches such as Saint Sofia and Saint George were converted into mosques, and a number of new ones were constructed, includingBanya Bashi Mosque built by the Ottoman architectMimar Sinan. In total there were 11 big and over 100 small mosques by the 17th century.[101][102] In 1610 theVatican established theSee of Sofia for Catholics ofRumelia, which existed until 1715 when most Catholics had emigrated.[103] There was an important uprising against Ottoman rule in Sofia,Samokov and Western Bulgaria in 1737.
Sofia entered a period of economic and political decline in the 17th century, accelerated during the period of anarchy in the Ottoman Balkans of the late 18th and early 19th century, when local Ottoman warlords ravaged the countryside. 1831 Ottoman population statistics show that 42% of the Christians were non-taxpayers in thekaza of Sofia and the amount of middle-class and poor Christians were equal.[104] Since the 18th century thebeylerbeys of Rumelia often stayed inBitola, which became the official capital of the province in 1826. Sofia remained the seat of asanjak (district). By the 19th century the Bulgarian population had two schools and seven churches, contributing to theBulgarian National Revival. In 1858Nedelya Petkova created the first Bulgarian school for women in the city. In 1867 was inaugurated the firstchitalishte in Sofia – a Bulgarian cultural institution. In 1870 the Bulgarian revolutionaryVasil Levski established arevolutionary committee in the city and in the neighbouring villages. Following his capture in 1873, Vasil Levski was transferred and hanged in Sofia by the Ottomans.
During theRusso-Turkish War of 1877–78,Suleiman Pasha threatened to burn the city in defence, but the foreign diplomats Leandre Legay,Vito Positano, Rabbi Gabriel Almosnino and Josef Valdhart refused to leave the city thus saving it. Many Bulgarian residents of Sofia armed themselves and sided with the Russian forces.[105] Sofia was relieved (seeBattle of Sofia) fromOttoman rule byRussian forces under Gen.Iosif Gurko on 4 January 1878. It was proposed as a capital byMarin Drinov and was accepted as such on 3 April 1879. By the time of its liberation, the population of the city was 11,649.[106]
Most mosques in Sofia were destroyed in that war, seven of them destroyed in one night in December 1878 when a thunderstorm masked the noise of the explosions arranged by Russian military engineers.[107][108] Following the war, the great majority of the Muslim population left Sofia.[97]
For a few decades after the liberation, Sofia experienced large population growth, mainly by migration from other regions of the Principality (Kingdom since 1908) of Bulgaria, and from the still OttomanMacedonia andThrace.
In 1900, the first electric lightbulb in the city was turned on.[109]
In theSecond Balkan War, Bulgaria was fighting alone practically all of its neighbouring countries. When theRomanian Army enteredVrazhdebna in 1913, then a village 11 kilometres (7 miles) from Sofia, now a suburb,[110] this prompted theTsardom of Bulgaria to capitulate.[citation needed] During the war, Sofia was overflown by theRomanian Air Corps, which engaged on photoreconnaissance operations and threw propaganda pamphlets to the city. Thus, Sofia became the first capital on the world to be overflown by enemy aircraft.[111]
During theSecond World War, Bulgaria declared war on the US and UK on 13 December 1941 and in late 1943 and early 1944 theUS and UK Air forces conducted bombings over Sofia. As a consequence of the bombings thousands of buildings were destroyed or damaged including the Capital Library and thousands of books. In 1944 Sofia and the rest of Bulgaria was occupied by the SovietRed Army and within days of the Soviet invasion Bulgaria declared war on Nazi Germany.
In 1945, the communistFatherland Front took power. The transformations of Bulgaria into thePeople's Republic of Bulgaria in 1946 and into the Republic of Bulgaria in 1990 marked significant changes in the city's appearance. The population of Sofia expanded rapidly due to migration from rural regions. New residential areas were built in the outskirts of the city, like Druzhba, Mladost and Lyulin.
During theCommunist Party rule, a number of the city's most emblematic streets and squares were renamed for ideological reasons, with the original names restored after 1989.[112]
In Sofia there are 607,473 dwellings and 101,696 buildings. According to modern records, 39,551 dwellings were constructed until 1949, 119,943 between 1950 and 1969, 287,191 between 1970 and 1989, 57,916 in the 90s and 102,623 between 2000 and 2011. Until 1949, 13,114 buildings were constructed and between 10,000 and 20,000 in each following decade.[113] Sofia's architecture combines a wide range of architectural styles, some of which are aesthetically incompatible. These vary from Christian Roman architecture and medieval Bulgarian fortresses to Neoclassicism and prefabricated Socialist-era apartment blocks, as well as newer glass buildings and international architecture. A number of ancient Roman, Byzantine and medieval Bulgarian buildings are preserved in the centre of the city. These include the 4th centuryRotunda of St. George, the walls of the Serdica fortress and the partially preservedAmphitheatre of Serdica.
Among the architects invited to work in Bulgaria wereFriedrich Grünanger, Adolf Václav Kolář, andViktor Rumpelmayer, who designed the most important public buildings needed by the newly re-established Bulgarian government, as well as numerous houses for the country's elite.[114] Later, many foreign-educated Bulgarian architects also contributed. The architecture of Sofia's centre is thus a combination ofNeo-Baroque, Neo-Rococo,Neo-Renaissance andNeoclassicism, with theVienna Secession also later playing an important part, but it is most typically Central European.
After World War II and the establishment of aCommunist government in Bulgaria in 1944, the architectural style was substantially altered.Stalinist Gothic public buildings emerged in the centre, notably the spacious government complex aroundThe Largo, Vasil Levski Stadium, the Cyril and Methodius National Library and others. As the city grew outwards, the then-new neighbourhoods were dominated by many concretetower blocks, prefabricated panel apartment buildings and examples ofBrutalist architecture.
After the abolition ofCommunism in 1989, Sofia witnessed the construction of whole business districts and neighbourhoods, as well as modern skyscraper-like glass-fronted office buildings, but also top-class residential neighbourhoods. The 126-metre (413 ft)Capital Fort Business Centre is the first skyscraper in Bulgaria, with its 36 floors. However, the end of the old administration and centrally planned system also paved the way for chaotic and unrestrained construction, which continues today.
The city has an extensivegreen belt. Some of the neighbourhoods constructed after 2000 are densely built up and lack green spaces. There are four principal parks –Borisova gradina in the city centre and theSouthern,Western andNorthern parks. Several smaller parks, among which theVazrazhdane Park,Zaimov Park,City Garden and theDoctors' Garden, are located in central Sofia. TheVitosha Nature Park (the oldestnational park in theBalkans)[115] includes most ofVitosha mountain and covers an area of 266 square kilometres (103 sq mi),[116] with roughly half of it lying within the municipality of Sofia. Vitosha mountain is a popular hiking destination due to its proximity and ease of access via car and public transport. Two functioning cable cars provide year long access from the outskirts of the city. The mountain offers favourable skiing conditions during the winter. During the 1970s and the 1980s multiple ski slopes of varying difficulty were made available. Skiing equipment can be rented and skiing lessons are available. However, due to the bad communication between the private offshore company that runs the resort and Sofia municipality, most of the ski areas have been left to decay in the last 10 years, so that only one chairlift and one slope work.
Sofia Municipality is identical toSofia City Province, which is distinct fromSofia Province, which surrounds but does not include the capital itself. Besides the city proper, the 24 districts of Sofia Municipality encompass three other towns and 34 villages.[118] Districts and settlements have their own mayor who is elected in a popular election. The assembly members are chosen every four years. The common head of Sofia Municipality and all the 38 settlements is themayor of Sofia.[118] The mayorVasil Terziev is serving his first term, having won the2023 election as the nominee of thePP-DB coalition and the localSave Sofia party. After winning the first round of the election without receiving the majority of votes, Terziev entered a tight runoff againstBSP candidateVanya Grigorova, which he won with 175,044 votes, compared to Grigorova's 170,258.[119][120]
Under Bulgaria's centralised political system, Sofia concentrates much of the political and financial resources of the country. It is the only city in Bulgaria to host three electoral constituencies: the23rd,24th and25th Multi-member Constituencies, which together field 42 mandates in the 240-member National Assembly.[125]
With a murder rate of 1.7/per 100.000 people (as of 2009[update]) Sofia is a relatively safe capital city.[126] Nevertheless, in the 21st century, crimes, includingBulgarian mafia killings, caused problems in the city,[127] where authorities had difficulties convicting the actors,[128] which had caused theEuropean Commission to warn the Bulgarian government that the country would not be able to join the EU unless it curbed crime[129] (Bulgaria eventually joined in 2007).[130] Many of the most severe crimes arecontract killings that are connected toorganised crime, but these had dropped in recent years after several arrests of gang members.[131]Corruption in Bulgaria also affects Sofia's authorities. According to the director of Sofia District Police Directorate, the largest share of the crimes are thefts, making up 62.4% of all crimes in the capital city. Increasing are frauds, drug-related crimes,petty theft andvandalism.[132] According to a survey, almost a third of Sofia's residents say that they never feel safe in the Bulgarian capital, while 20% always feel safe.[133] As of 2015[update], the consumer-reported perceived crime risk on theNumbeo database was "high" for theft and vandalism and "low" for violent crimes; safety while walking during daylight was rated "very high", and "moderate" during the night.[134] With 1,600 prisoners, theincarceration rate is above 0.1%;[135] however, roughly 70% of all prisoners are part of theRomani minority.[136]
Sofia concentrates the majority of Bulgaria's leading performing arts troupes. Theatre is by far the most popular form of performing art, and theatrical venues are among the most visited, second only to cinemas. There were 3,162 theatric performances with 570,568 people attending in 2014.[137] TheIvan Vazov National Theatre, which performs mainly classical plays and is situated in the very centre of the city, is the most prominent theatre. TheNational Opera and Ballet of Bulgaria is a combined opera and ballet collective established in 1891. Regular performances began in 1909. Some of Bulgaria's most famous operatic singers, such asNicolai Ghiaurov andGhena Dimitrova, made their first appearances on the stage of the National Opera and Ballet.
Cinema is the most popular form of entertainment: there were more than 141,000 film shows with a total attendance exceeding 2,700,000 in 2014.[138] Over the past two decades, numerous independent cinemas have closed and most shows are in shopping centremultiplexes.Odeon (not part of theOdeon Cinemas chain) shows exclusively European and independent American films, as well as 20th century classics. The Boyana Film studios was at the centre of a once-thriving domestic film industry, which declined significantly after 1990.Nu Image acquired the studios to upgrade them intoNu Boyana Film Studios, used to shoot scenes for a number of action movies likeThe Expendables 2,Rambo: Last Blood andLondon Has Fallen.[139][140]
TheNational History Museum, located inBoyana, it has a vast collection of more than 650,000 historical items dating from Prehistory to the modern era, although only 10,000 of them are permanently displayed due to the lack of space.[142] Smaller collections of historical items are displayed in theNational Archaeological Museum, a former mosque located between the edifices of the National Bank and the Presidency. Two natural sciences museums—theNatural History Museum andEarth and Man—display minerals, animal species (alive andtaxidermic) and rare materials. The Ethnographic Museum and theMuseum of Military History hold large collections of Bulgarian folk costumes and armaments, respectively. ThePolytechnical Museum has more than 1,000 technological items on display. TheSS. Cyril and Methodius National Library, the foremost information repository in the country, holds some 1,800,000 books and more than 7,000,000 documents, manuscripts, maps and other items.[143]
Some of the biggest telecommunications companies, TV and radio stations, newspapers, magazines, and web portals are based in Sofia, including theBulgarian National Television,bTV andNova TV. Top-circulation newspapers include24 Chasa andTrud.
TheBoyana Church, aUNESCO World Heritage site, contains realistic frescoes, depicting more than 240 human images and a total 89 scenes, were painted. With their vital, humanistic realism they are aRenaissance phenomenon at its culmination phase in the context of the common-European art.[144]
Sofia is one of the most visited tourist destinations in Bulgaria alongside coastal and mountain resorts. Among its highlights is theAlexander Nevsky Cathedral, one of the symbols of Bulgaria, constructed in the late 19th century. It occupies an area of 3,170 square metres (34,122 square feet) and can hold 10,000 people.
The city center contains many remains of ancient Serdica that have been excavated and are on public display, includingComplex Ancient Serdica, eastern gate, western gate, city walls, thermal baths, 4th c.Rotunda of St. George,amphitheatre of Serdica, the tombs and basilicas under thebasilica of St. Sophia.
Vitosha Boulevard, also calledVitoshka, is a pedestrian zone with numerous cafés, restaurants, fashion boutiques, andluxury goods stores. Sofia'sgeographic location, in the foothills of the weekend retreatVitosha mountain, further adds to the city's specific atmosphere.
A large number of sports clubs are based in the city. During the Communist era, most sports clubs concentrated on all-round sporting development, thereforeCSKA,Levski,Lokomotiv, andSlavia are dominant not only in football, but in many other team sports as well. Basketball and volleyball also have strong traditions in Sofia. A notable localbasketball team is twiceEuropean Champions Cup finalistLukoil Akademik. TheBulgarian Volleyball Federation is the world's second-oldest, and it was an exhibition tournament organised by the BVF in Sofia that convinced theInternational Olympic Committee to include volleyball as anolympic sport in 1957.[145] Tennis is increasingly popular in the city. There are some ten[146]tennis court complexes within the city including the one founded by formerWTA top-five athleteMagdalena Maleeva.[147]
The city is home to a number of large sports venues, including the 43,000-seatVasil Levski National Stadium which hosts international football matches, as well asBalgarska Armia Stadium,Georgi Asparuhov Stadium andLokomotiv Stadium, the main venues for outdoor musical concerts.Arena Sofia holds many indoor events and has a capacity of up to 19,000 people depending on its use. The venue was inaugurated on 30 July 2011, and the first event it hosted was a friendly volleyball match between Bulgaria and Serbia. There are twoice skating complexes — theWinter Sports Palace with a capacity of 4,600 and the Slavia Winter Stadium with a capacity of 2,000, both containing two rinks each.[148] Avelodrome with 5,000 seats in the city'scentral park is undergoing renovation.[149] There are also various other sports complexes in the city which belong to institutions other than football clubs, such as those of theNational Sports Academy, theBulgarian Academy of Sciences, or those of different universities. There are more than fifteen swimming complexes in the city, most of them outdoor.[150] Nearly all of these were constructed as competition venues and therefore have seating facilities for several hundred people.
There are twogolf courses just to the east of Sofia — inElin Pelin (St Sofia club) and inIhtiman (Air Sofia club), and a horseriding club (St George club).Sofia was designated as European Capital of Sport in 2018. The decision was announced in November 2014 by the Evaluation Committee of ACES Europe, on the grounds that "the city is a good example of sport for all, as means to improve healthy lifestyle, integration and education, which are the basis of the initiative".
Students of theNational Academy of Art (circa 1952–53). People aged 20–25 years have been the most numerous group in the city since the process of Bulgarian urbanisation.
According to 2018 data, the city has a population of 1,400,384 and the wholeSofia Capital Municipality of 1,500,120.[153] The first census carried out in February 1878 by the Russian Army recorded a population of 11,694 inhabitants including 6,560Bulgarians, 3,538Jews, 839Turks, and 737Romani.
The ratio of women per 1,000 men was 1,102. Thebirth rate per 1000 people was 12.3 per mile and steadily increasing in the last 5 years, thedeath rate reaching 12.1 per mile and decreasing. The natural growth rate during 2009 was 0.2 per mile, the first positive growth rate in nearly 20 years. The considerable immigration to the capital from poorer regions of the country, as well as urbanisation, are among the other reasons for the increase in Sofia's population. Theinfant mortality rate was 5.6 per 1,000, down from 18.9 in 1980. According to the 2011 census, people aged 20–24 years are the most numerous group, numbering 133,170 individuals and accounting for 11% of the total 1,202,761 people. The median age is 38 though. According to the census, 1,056,738 citizens (87.9%) are recorded as ethnicBulgarians, 17,550 (1.5%) asRomani, 6,149 (0.5%) asTurks, 9,569 (0.8%) belonged to other ethnic groups, 6,993 (0.6%) do not self-identify and 105,762 (8.8%) remained with undeclared affiliation.[154][155]
According to the 2011 census, throughout the whole municipality some 892,511 people (69.1%) are recorded asEastern Orthodox Christians, 10,256 (0.8%) asProtestant, 6,767 (0.5%) asMuslim, 5,572 (0.4%) asRoman Catholic, 4,010 (0.3%) belonged to other faith and 372,475 (28.8%) declared themselvesirreligious or did not mention any faith. The data says that roughly a third of the total population have already earned a university degree. Of the population aged 15–64 – 265,248 people within the municipality (28.5%) are not economically active, the unemployed being another group of 55,553 people (6%), a large share of whom have completed higher education. The largest group are occupied in trading, followed by those in themanufacturing industry. Within the municipality, three-quarters, or 965,328 people are recorded as having access to television at home and 836,435 (64.8%) as having internet. Out of 464,865 homes – 432,847 have connection to the communalsanitary sewer, while 2,732 do not have any. Of these 864 do not have anywater supply and 688 have other than communal. Over 99.6% of males and females aged over 9 are recorded asliterate. The largest group of the population aged over 20 are recorded to live within marriage (46.3%), another 43.8% are recorded as single and another 9.9% as having other type of coexistence/partnership, whereas not married in total are a majority and among people aged up to 40 and over 70. The people with juridical status divorced orwidowed are either part of the factual singles or those having another type of partnership, each of the two constitutes by around 10% of the population aged over 20. Only over 1% of the juridically married do not de facto live within marriage. The families that consist of two people are 46.8%, another 34.2% of the families are made up by three people, whereas most of the households (36.5%) consist of only one person.[113]
Sofia was declared the national capital in 1879. One year later, in 1880, it was the fifth-largest city in the country afterPlovdiv,Varna,Ruse andShumen. Plovdiv remained the most populous Bulgarian town until 1892 when Sofia took the lead. The city is the hot spot of internal migration, the capital population is increasing and is around 17% of the national,[156] thus a small number of people with local roots remain today, they dominate the surroundingrural suburbs and are calledShopi. Shopi speak theWestern Bulgarian dialects.
Sofia is ranked as Beta-global city by theGlobalization and World Cities Research Network.[157] It is the economic hub of Bulgaria and home to most major Bulgarian and international companies operating in the country, as well as theBulgarian National Bank and theBulgarian Stock Exchange. The city is ranked 62nd among financial centres worldwide.[158] In 2015, Sofia was ranked 30th out of 300 global cities in terms of combined growth in employment and real gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, the highest one amongst cities in Southeast Europe.[159] The real GDP (PPP) per capita growth at the time was 2.5% and the employment went up by 3.4% to 962,400.[160] In 2015,Forbes listed Sofia as one of the top 10 places in the world to launch astartup business, because of the low corporate tax (10%), the fast internet connection speeds available – one of the fastest in the world, and the presence of several investment funds, including Eleven Startup Accelerator, LAUNCHub and Neveq.[161]
Business Park Sofia
The city's GDP (PPS) per capita stood at €29,600 ($33,760) in 2015, one of the highest in Southeast Europe and well above other cities in the country.[162] The total nominal GDP in 2018 was 38.5 billion leva ($22.4 billion), or 33,437 leva ($19,454) per capita,[163][164] and average monthly wages in March 2020 were $1,071, the highest nationally.[165] Services dominate the economy, accounting for 88.6% of thegross value added, followed by industry 11.3% and agriculture 0.1%.[163][166]
Historically, after World War II and the era of industrialisation under socialism, the city and its surrounding areas expanded rapidly and became the most heavily industrialised region of the country, with numerous factories producing steel, pig iron, machinery, industrial equipment, electronics, trams, chemicals, textiles, and food.[167] The influx of workers from other parts of the country became so intense that a restriction policy was imposed, and residing in the capital was only possible after obtaining Sofianite citizenship.[167] However, after the political changes in 1989, this kind of citizenship was removed.
The most dynamic sectors includeInformation technology (IT) and manufacturing. Sofia is a regional IT hub, ranking second among the Top 10 fastest growing tech centers in Europe in terms of annual growth of active members.[168] The sector employs about 50,000 professionals, 30% of them involved in programming, and contributes for 14% of the city's exports.[168] The IT sector is highly diverse and includes both multinational corporations, local companies and startups. Multinationals with major research, development, innovation and engineering centers in Sofia include the second largest global IT center ofCoca-Cola,[169]Ubisoft,[170]Hewlett-Packard,[171]VMware,[172]Robert Bosch GmbH,[173]Financial Times,[174]Experian, etc.[175] Several office and tech clusters have been established across the city, including Business Park Sofia, Sofia Tech Park,Capital Fort and others.
Manufacturing has registered a strong recovery since 2012, increasing the exports three-fold and the employment by 52% accounting for over 70,000 jobs.[176] Supported by the city's R&D expertise, Sofia is shifting to high value-added manufacturing including electrical equipment, precision mechanics, pharmaceuticals. There are 16 industrial and logistics parks in Sofia, some sprawling to towns in neighbouringSofia Province, such asBozhurishte,Kostinbrod andElin Pelin.[176] Manufacturing companies includeWoodward, Inc., producing airframe and industrial turbomachinery systems,[177]Festo, producing microsensors,[178]Visteon, development and engineering of instrument clusters, LCD displays and domain controllers,[179] Melexis, producing micro-electronic semiconductor solutions in the automotive sector,[180] Sopharma, producing pharmaceuticals, the largestLufthansa Technik maintenance facilities outside Germany, etc.[181]
With its developing infrastructure and strategic location, Sofia is a major hub for international railway and automobile transport. Three of the tenPan-European Transport Corridors cross the city:IV,VIII, andX.[182] All major types of transport (exceptwater) are represented in the city.
TheCentral Railway Station is the primary hub for domestic and international rail transport, carried out byBulgarian State Railways (BDZ), the national rail company headquartered in the city. It is one of the main stations alongBDZ Line 1, and a hub of Lines2,5, and13. Line 1 provides a connection toPlovdiv, the second-largest city in Bulgaria, while Line 2 is the longest national railway and connects Sofia andVarna, the largest coastal city. Lines 5 and 13 are shorter and provide connections toKulata andBankya, respectively. Overall, Sofia has 186 km (116 miles) of railway lines.[183]
Public transport is well-developed withbus (2,380 km (1,479 mi)),[185]tram (308 km (191 mi)),[186] andtrolleybus (193 km (120 mi))[187] lines running in all areas of the city.[188][189] TheSofia Metro became operational in January 1998 with only 5 stations and currently has four lines and 47 stations.[190] As of 2022[update], the system has 52 km (32 mi) of track. Six new stations were opened in 2009, two more in April 2012, and eleven more in August 2012. In 2015 seven new stations were opened and the underground extended toVasil Levski Sofia Airport on its Northern branch and to Business Park Sofia on its Southern branch. In July 2016 theVitosha Metro Station was opened on the M2 main line. A third line was opened in August 2020 and re-organisation of the previous lines lead to a 4th line being created.[191] This line will complete the proposed underground system of three lines with about 65 km (40 mi) of lines.[192] The master plan for the Sofia Metro includes three lines with a total of 63 stations.[193] Until the late 2010s route taxis (marshrutka) provided an efficient and popularmeans of transport by being faster than public transport, but cheaper than taxis. Their use declined with the expansion of the metro and they were gradually phased out. There are around 13,000taxi cabs operating in the city.[194] Additionally, all-electric vehicles are available throughcarsharing company Spark.[195]
Cherni Vrah Boulevard
Private automobile ownership has grown rapidly in the 1990s; more than 1,000,000 cars were registered in Sofia after 2002. The city has the 4th-highest number of automobiles per capita in the European Union at 546.4 vehicles per 1,000 people.[196] The municipality was known for minor and cosmetic repairs and many streets are in a poor condition. This is noticeably changing in the past years. There are different boulevards and streets in the city with a higher amount of traffic than others. These include Tsarigradsko shose, Cherni Vrah, Bulgaria, Slivnitsa, and Todor Aleksandrov boulevards, as well as the city's ring road.[197] Consequently, traffic and air pollution problems have become more severe and receive regular criticism in local media. The extension of the underground system is hoped to alleviate the city's immense traffic problems.
Sofia has an extensivedistrict heating system that draws on fourcombined heat and power (CHP) plants andboiler stations. Virtually the entire city (900,000 households and 5,900 companies) is centrally heated, using residual heat fromelectricity generation (3,000 MW) and gas- and oil-fired heating furnaces; totalheat capacity is 4,640 MW. The heat distribution piping network is 900 km (559 mi) long and comprises 14,000 substations and 10,000 heated buildings.
Much of Bulgaria's educational capacity is concentrated in Sofia. There are 221 general, 11 special and seven arts or sports schools, 56 vocational gymnasiums and colleges, and four independent colleges.[198] The city also hosts 23 of Bulgaria's 51 higher education establishments and more than 105,000 university students.[199][200] TheAmerican College of Sofia, a private secondary school with roots in a school founded by American missionaries in 1860, is among the oldest American educational institutions outside of the United States.[201]
Other institutions of national significance, such as theBulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS) and theSS. Cyril and Methodius National Library, are located in Sofia. BAS is the centrepiece of scientific research in Bulgaria, employing more than 4,500 scientists in various institutes. Its Institute of Nuclear Research and Nuclear Energy will operate the largestcyclotron in the country.[210][211] All five of Bulgaria'ssupercomputers and supercomputing clusters are located in Sofia as well. Three of those are operated by the BAS; one bySofia Tech Park and one by the Faculty of Physics at Sofia University.[212]
^"The Serdi were a Celtic people who, at the end of a fourth century BC migration, established a settlement Serdica." For more see: John Moss (2025)The Celtic Tribes. Origins, Ancestry & The Warrior Class,ISBN9781399056885,Pen and Sword History, pp. 229-230.
^The Cambridge Ancient History, Volume 3, Part 2: The Assyrian and Babylonian Empires and Other States of the Near East, from the Eighth to the Sixth Centuries BC by John Boardman, I. E. S. Edwards, E. Sollberger, and N. G. L. Hammond,ISBN0-521-22717-8, 1992, page 600: "The Triballi were the western neighbours of the Treres and the Tilataei who occupied in general the region of Serdica...In the place of the vanished (Thracian tribes)Treres andTilataei we find the Serdi for whom there is no evidence before the first century BC. It has for long being supposed on convincing linguistic and archeological grounds that this tribe was of Celtic origin"
^abSofia 2016, p. 13. sfn error: no target: CITEREFSofia2016 (help)
^"Metropolitan areas in Europe"(PDF).Der Markt für Wohn- und Wirtschaftsimmobilien in Deutschland Ergebnisse des BBSR-Expertenpanel Immobilienmarkt Nr: 95.ISSN1868-0097. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on 15 July 2018. Retrieved15 July 2018.
^"The Cambridge Ancient History", Volume 3, Part 2:The Assyrian and Babylonian Empires and Other States of the Near East, from the Eighth to the Sixth Centuries BC by John Boardman, I. E. S. Edwards, E. Sollberger, and N. G. L. Hammond,ISBN0-521-22717-8, 1992, p. 600: "In the place of the vanished Treres and Tilataei we find the Serdi for whom there is no evidence before the first century BC. It has for long been supposed on convincing linguistic and archeological grounds that this tribe was of Celtic origin"
^Mihailov, G., Thracians, Sofia, 1972, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, quote in Bulgarian: Името серди е засвидетелствано след келтската инвазия на Балканите. Сердите са от смесен трако-келтски произход.
^Popov, D. Thracians, Sofia, p.h. Iztok – Zapad, 2005.
^Boev, Zlatozar. (2009). Avian Remains from an Early Neolithic Settlement of Slatina (Present Sofia City, Bulgaria). Acta Zoologica Bulgarica. 61. 151–156.
^Ivanov, Rumen (2006).Roman cities in Bulgaria. Bulgarian Bestseller--National Museum of Bulgarian Books and Polygraphy.ISBN9789544630171.Archived from the original on 20 August 2020. Retrieved12 September 2017.
^Saunders, Randall Titus (1992).A biography of the Emperor Aurelian (AD 270–275). Ann Arbor, Michigan: UMI Dissertation Services. pp. 106–7.
^"Eutropius: Book IX".thelatinlibrary.com.Archived from the original on 10 September 2017. Retrieved16 February 2012.
^Nikolova, KapkaSofiaArchived 20 August 2020 at theWayback Machine University of Indiana. "Emperor Constantine the Great even considered the possibility for Serdika to become the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire"
^abcdIvanova, Svetlana, "Ṣofya", in: Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition, Edited by: P. Bearman, Th. Bianquis, C.E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel, W.P. Heinrichs. Consulted online on 23 January 2018.
^Cited in Халенбаков, О.Детска енциклопедия България: Залезът на царете, с. 18
^Godisnjak. Drustvo Istoricara Bosne i Hercegovine, Sarajevo. 1950. p. 174.Archived from the original on 18 August 2020. Retrieved27 June 2019.Санџак Софија Овај је санџак основан око г. 1393.
^ This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Sardica".Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
^"E-novinar.com – Новините на едно място" [Mohailova, Tihomria. In 1900 the first electric lamp lit the streets of Sofia. Novinar].novinar.bg (in Bulgarian). 12 March 2014. Archived fromthe original on 18 June 2016. Retrieved22 December 2016.
^"Народното събрание – музей?" [The National Assembly – a Museum?]. BTV Novinite. 7 October 2018.Archived from the original on 8 October 2018. Retrieved1 November 2018.
^"РЕШЕНИЕ № 4149-НС София, 27.01.2017" [Resolution No. 4149-NS Sofia]. Central Electoral Commission. 27 January 2017.Archived from the original on 4 April 2019. Retrieved1 November 2018.
^"Sofia (capital)". National Statistical Institute regional statistics. 11 February 2013. Archived fromthe original on 14 November 2013. Retrieved17 October 2013.
^"MSB – Projects".www.msb.bg.Archived from the original on 28 October 2018. Retrieved27 October 2018.
^Zapryanov, Yoan (22 June 2018)."Малката изчислителна армия на България" [Bulgaria's small computing army] (in Bulgarian). Kapital Daily.Archived from the original on 17 November 2019. Retrieved15 July 2018.
"Sofia in Figures"(PDF) (in Bulgarian and English). National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria. 2016. Retrieved26 October 2018.
Bozhilov, Ivan;Gyuzelev, Vasil (1999).История на средновековна България VII–XIV век [History of Medieval Bulgaria VII–XIV centuries] (in Bulgarian). Sofia: Анубис.ISBN954-426-204-0.
Stancheva, Magdalina (2010).София – от древността до нови времена [Sofia – from Antiquity to Modern Times] (in Bulgarian). Sofia: New Bulgarian University.ISBN978-954-535-579-0.
Gigova, Irina (March 2011). "The City and the Nation: Sofia's Trajectory from Glory to Rubble in WWII".Journal of Urban History.37 (2):155–175.doi:10.1177/0096144210391612.S2CID144022049.The 110 footnotes provide a guide to the literature on the city
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.JPG)
_ver_2.jpg)
.jpg)
_(37448099450).jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
