Sofia is the capital of Bulgaria. With 1,291,591 permanent residents, it is the largest city in the country, as well as the 14th largest city in the European Union.
Sofia is located in the central part of the Balkan Peninsula, in the Sofia Valley, surrounded by several mountains, which is the largest and one of the highest Sub-Balkan plains. It occupies a central position in the Balkans, with several main roads connecting it to the other parts of the peninsula – through the Vakarel Mountains to Thrace and Istanbul, through the Dragoman Pass to Belgrade and Central Europe, along the Struma Valley to Greece and North Macedonia, and through several passes in the Stara Planina to Northern Bulgaria and Romania. The Iskar River flows east of the city, and several of its small tributaries pass through the city itself.
The first written evidence of the city dates back to the 2nd century BC, when it was the capital of one of the Thracian peoples. It became one of the main strongholds of the Roman Empire in the Balkans and in the 4th century served as a temporary residence for several emperors. The city retained its importance in the Middle Ages, and after the 15th century experienced a new flourishing, as one of the main logistical bases in the rear of the Ottoman Empire during its military campaigns in Central Europe. With the military weakening of the Empire from the end of the 17th century, Sofia also declined and over the next two centuries its population decreased and many buildings were neglected or abandoned. In 1879, shortly after the Liberation of Bulgaria, the city became the capital of the new state and in the following decades it grew rapidly.
Today Sofia is the main administrative, industrial, transport, cultural and educational center of the country, with 1/6 of Bulgaria’s industrial production concentrated there. It is also home to the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, the central buildings of Bulgarian National Television, Bulgarian National Radio, Bulgarian Telegraph Agency, many universities, theaters, cinemas, as well as the National Art Gallery, archaeological, historical, natural history and other museums. Visible archaeological monuments from Roman times are preserved in many places in the city center.