The history of Sofia, Bulgaria’s capital and largest city, spans thousands of years from antiquity to modern times. Throughout its existence, the city has always been a com¬mercial, industrial, cultural and economic centre of the Balkans region. Sofia has always been well known for its mineral resources, neighbouring mountains and historical sights.
Antiquity
Sofia is originally a Thracian settlement called Serdica, named after the Thracian tribe Serdi that had populated it.
4th century BC For a short period the city is possessed by Philip of Macedonia and his son Alexandar the Great.
29 AD Sofia is conquered by the Romans and renamed Ulpia Serdica. It becomes a municipium, or centre of an administrative region, during the reign of Emperor Trayan (98-117).
447 The city is destroyed by the Huns, but is rebuilt by Byzantine Emperor Justinian and renamed Triaditsa. Although also often destroyed by the Slavs, the town remains under Byzantine dominion until 809.
Middle Ages
809 Sofia becomes part of the First Bulgarian Kingdom during the reign of Khan Krum.
1018 The city again falls to the Byzantine Empire.
12th-14th centuries Sofia is a thriving centre of trade and crafts. It is renamed Sofia (meaning “wisdom” in Greek) in 1376 after the Church of St. Sophia. However, it is called both “Sofia” and “Sredets” until the 16th century, when the new name gradually replaced the old one.
Ottoman rule
1382 Sofia is conquered by the Ottoman sultan Empire Murad I. Many Ottoman buildings emerge during the period. Very few of them have survived, including only a single mosque, Banya Bashi. The Ottoman rule saw a major demographic growth, as the city grew from a total population of 6,000 (1620s) through 55,000 (middle 17th century) to 70-80,000 (18th century data from foreign travellers, albeit possibly exaggerated).
16th century Sofia is a thriving trade centre inhabited by Turks, Bulgarians, Romaniote, Ashkenazi, and Sephardic Jews, Armenians, Greeks and Ragusan merchants. During the next century the city’s population included even Albanians and Persians.
17th century The Vatican establishes the Bishopric of Sofia for Ottoman subjects belonging to the Catholic millet in Rumelia, which existed until 1715 when most Catholics had emigrated to Habsburg or Tsarist territories.
1878 Sofia is liberated by Russian forces in 1878, during the Russian-Turkish War (1877-1878)
1879 The city becomes the capital of the autonomous Principality of Bulgaria, which becomes Kingdom of Bulgaria in 1908.
1900 The City Council approves the emblem of Sofia and the motto “It Grows but Does not Age”.
1925 The gravest act of terrorism in Bulgarian history, the St. Nedelya Church assault, is carried out by the Bulgarian Communist Party, claiming the lives of 150 and injuring another 500.
World War II
Sofia is bombed by Allied aircraft in late 1943 and early 1944, as well as later occupied by the Soviet Union.
Bulgaria’s regime, which has allied the country with Nazi Germany, is overthrown and Sofia becomes capital of the Communist-ruled People’s Republic of Bulgaria (1944–1989).
Totalitarian regime
(9 September 1944-10 November 1989) During the years of communism, Sofia becomes the nation’s major economic, academic and cultural centre. From its years of socialist growth, however, the capital inherited a great deal of problems, which are at present the priorities of the democratically - elected council of Sofia.
1992 In honour of the celebration of St. Sofia the Martyr, the Government chose September 17th as the Day of Sofia. The flag of Sofia Municipality is also consecrated on that day. The Day of Sofia is also celebrated like the Day of saints Vyara, Nadezhda and Lyubov.
According to non official information nowadays Sofia has a population about 3 million people. Most of them come to the capital for work and business opportunities.