Sofia, << SOH fee uh or soh FEE uh >> (pop. 1,183,454), is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria, and the country’s chief economic and cultural center. The city lies in western Bulgaria and is surrounded by the Balkan Mountains and other ranges.
The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, built in the late 1800’s to celebrate Bulgaria’s liberation from Ottoman rule, stands in the center of Sofia. The National Archaeological Museum and the ancient churches of St. George and St. Sofia are in the city’s old section. This section has winding, narrow streets, and its small houses are jammed closely together. In contrast, modern sections of Sofia have wide avenues and high-rise apartment buildings. Most of the people of Sofia live in apartments.
Sofia is the site of the National Assembly Building, the National Theater, the National Library, and the former Royal Palace. Sofia University St. Clement Ohridski and the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences are also in the city. The university, founded in 1888, is Bulgaria’s oldest.
About 20 percent of Bulgaria’s industry is in Sofia. Industry and transportation employ more than half the city’s workers. Sofia’s industries include food processing; the manufacture of textiles and clothing; and the production of machinery, electric equipment, and metals. Farms near Sofia provide fruit, vegetables, and dairy products for the city. Streetcars and buses furnish public transportation.
The Roman Emperor Trajan founded the city in the early A.D. 100’s. The Huns, led by Attila, destroyed it in 447. A short time later, Sofia became part of the Byzantine Empire. The Bulgarians conquered the city in 809, but the Byzantines regained control of it in 1018. In 1382, the Ottomans made Sofia part of their empire. The city again came under Bulgarian rule in 1878, when Russia helped Bulgarian rebels defeat the Ottomans. Bulgaria became an independent nation that same year, and Sofia was named the capital.
Since the mid-1900’s, thousands of people from rural areas have moved to Sofia in search of jobs. As a result, the city’s population has grown rapidly. To prevent overcrowding in Sofia, city planners have built apartment buildings and shopping facilities in the city’s suburban areas.
