Sofia

This article is about the capital of Bulgaria. For otheruses, see Sofia (disambiguation).Warning: Page using Template:Infobox settlement withunknown parameter “pushpin_map_caption1” (thismessage is shown only in preview).Warning: Page using Template:Infobox settlement withunknown parameter “pushpin_map1” (this message isshown only in preview).

Sofia (/ˈsoʊfiə/ or /ˈsɒfiə/ or /soʊˈfiːə/;[9][10]) (Bulgarian:София, Sofiya,[5][11]pronounced [ˈsɔfiə, ˈsɔfjə]) is thecapital and largest city of Bulgaria. The city has a popu-lation of 1.26 million, while over 1.5 million people livein its functional urban area. The city is located at thefoot of Vitosha Mountain in the western part of the coun-try, within less than 50 kilometres (31 mi) drive from theSerbian border. Its location in the centre of the Balkanpeninsula means that it is the midway between the BlackSea and the Adriatic Sea, whereas the Aegean Sea is theclosest to it.[12][13]

Sofia has been an area of human habitation since at least7000 BCE.[3] Being Bulgaria’s primate city, Sofia is ahometown of many of the major local universities, cul-tural institutions and commercial companies.[14] Sofia isone of the top 10 best places for start-up business in theworld, especially in IT technologies.[15] Sofia is Europe’smost affordable capital to visit as of 2013.[16]

1 Names

For the longest time the city possessed[18] a Thracianname, derived from the tribe Serdi, who were ei-ther of Thracian,[5][12] Celtic,[19] or mixed Thracian-Celtic origin.[20][21] The Serdi and the name of emperorMarcus Ulpius Traianus (53 – 117 AD) prompted theRomans to give the city the combinative name of UlpiaSerdica;[22][23] Ulpia is derived from an Umbrian cognateof the Latin word lupus, meaning “wolf.”[24] It seemsthat the first written mention of Serdica was made dur-ing his reign and the last mention was in the 19th cen-tury in a Bulgarian text (Сардакіи, Sardaki). During theRomans civitas Serdenisium was mentioned the “bright-est city of the Serdi” in official inscriptions. The city wasmajor throughout the past ever since Antiquity, when Ro-man emperor Constantine the Great referred to it as “myRome”, and it nearly became his capital.[18]

Other names given to Sofia, such as Serdonpolis (Σερδών

The feast day of Saint Sofia on September 17 is the official publicholiday of the city.[17]

πόλις, “City of the Serdi”) and Triaditza (Τριάδιτζα,“Trinity”), were mentioned by Byzantine Greek sourcesor coins. The Slavic name Sredets (Срѣдецъ), which isrelated to “middle” (среда, “sreda”) and to the city’s earli-est name, first appeared on paper in an 11th-century text.The city was called Atralissa by the Arab traveler Idrisiand Strelisa, Stralitsa or Stralitsion by the Crusaders.[25]

The first seal of the city from 1878 which calls it Sredets

The name Sofia comes from the Saint Sofia Church,[26] asopposed to the prevailing Slavic etymology among Bul-garian cities and towns. It is ultimately derived from the

1

2 2 GEOGRAPHY

Egyptian Kemetic word sbÅ ( ), meaning “star,door, teaching and wisdom” and attested first in the 20thcentury BC in the tomb of Intef I.[27] [28][29][30] This was atradition of collection of wise literature, shared betweenMediterranean cultures, which was called sophia (σοφία)in Greek.[31] The earliest works where this latest name isregistered are the duplicate of the Gospel of Serdica, ina dialog between two salesmen from Dubrovnik around1359, in the 14th-century Vitosha Charter of Bulgariantsar Ivan Shishman and in a Ragusan merchant’s notesof 1376.[32] In these documents the city is called Sofia,but at the same time the region and the city’s inhabi-tants are still called Sredecheski (срѣдечьскои, “of Sre-dets”), which continued until the 20th century. The citybecame somehow popular to the Ottomans by the nameSofya .(صوفيا) In 1879 there was a dispute about whatthe name of the new Bulgarian capital should be, whenthe citizens created a committee of famous people, in-sisting for the Slavic name. Gradually, a compromisearose, officialisation of Sofia for the nationwide institu-tions, while legitimating the title Sredets for the adminis-trative and church institutions, before the latter was aban-doned through the years.[33]

The city’s name is pronounced by Bulgarians with a stresson the 'o', in contrast with the tendency of foreigners toplace the stress on 'i'. The female given name “Sofia” ispronounced by Bulgarians with a stress on the 'i'.

2 Geography

Theskyline of Sofia, Bulgaria, with the Vitosha mountain inthe background during winter

Sofia has an area of 492 km2, while Sofia City Provincehas an area of 1344 km2.[34] Sofia’s development as a sig-nificant settlement owes much to its central position in theBalkans. It is situated in western Bulgaria, at the northernfoot of the Vitosha mountain, in the Sofia Valley that issurrounded by the Balkan mountains to the north. Thevalley has an average altitude of 550 metres (1,800 ft).Unlike most European capitals, Sofia does not have anylarge rivers or bridges, but is surrounded by comparativelyhigh mountains on all sides. Three mountain passes leadto the city, which have been key roads since antiquity,Vitosha being the watershed between Black and AegeanSeas. A number of low rivers cross the city, including the

Vladayska and the Perlovska. The Iskar River in its up-per course flows near eastern Sofia. The city is knownfor its 49 mineral and thermal springs. Artificial anddam lakes were built in the twentieth century. The 1818Sofia earthquake was a 6.0–7.2 Medvedev–Sponheuer–Karnik Scale earthquake, the 1858 earthquake was an 6,6same scale earthquake though reaching up to 10 in partssuch as Boyana, this was followed by a 7–8 MSK Sofiaearthquake in 1917 and finally by the 2012 Pernik earth-quake which was a 5.6 M (or 5.8 ML)[35] magnitudeearthquake. The 2014 Aegean Sea earthquake was alsonoticed in the city.Air pollution is a problem in Sofia due to its location inthe Sofia valley, which is surrounded by mountains thatreduce the ability of the air to self-clean. The air ispolluted mostly by particulate matters and nitrogen ox-ides.[36] Sofia has the most polluted air of any capital inthe EU.[37]

2.1 Climate

Summer lightning storms over Sofia

Sofia has a humid continental climate (Köppen climateclassification Dfb) with an average annual temperature of10.6 °C (51.1 °F).Winters are cold and snowy. In the coldest days tem-peratures can drop below −15 °C (5 °F), most notably inJanuary. The lowest recorded temperature is −28.3 °C(−19 °F) (January 24, 1942).[38] Fog is not unusual, es-pecially in the beginning of the season. On average, Sofiareceives a total snowfall of 97 cm (38.2 in) and 58 dayswith snow cover.[39][40] The snowiest recorded winter was1995/1996 with a total snowfall of 171 cm (67.3 in).[41]The record snow depth is 57 cm (22.4 in) (December 25,2001).[42]

Summers are warm and sunny. In summer, the city gen-erally remains slightly cooler than other parts of Bulgaria,due to its higher altitude. However, the city is also sub-jected to heat waves with high temperatures reaching orexceeding 35 °C (95 °F) in the hottest days, particularlyin July and August. The highest recorded temperature is41 °C (106 °F) (July 5, 2000 and July 24, 2007).[43][44]

3.1 Prehistory and antiquity 3

The hottest recorded summer was in 2012 with a dailyaverage July temperature of 24.8 °C (76.6 °F).[45]

Springs and autumns in Sofia are relatively short with vari-able and dynamic weather, intensive storms, sudden coldor heat waves.The city receives an average precipitation of 581.8 mm(22.91 in) a year, reaching its peak in late spring andearly summer when thunderstorms are common. Thewettest recorded year was 2014 with a total precipitationof 1,066.6 mm (41.99 in).[46]

3 History

Main article: History of SofiaSee also: Timeline of Sofia

3.1 Prehistory and antiquity

O: head of river-god Strymon R: tridentThis coin imitates Macedonian issue from 187–168 BC. It wasstruck by Serdi tribe as their own currency.

Sofia has been an area of continuous human habita-tion since at least the 8th millennium BC,[3] but othershave inhabited the area 30,000 years ago.[54] The cityhas a history of nearly 7000 years and it is the sec-ond oldest city in Europe according to the city’s offi-cial website and other sources, though the meaning ofthe claim is unclear as in the world there were hardlyany cities at the time. In the context, certainly the ne-olithic village in Slatina, dating to the 5th–6th millen-nium BC, is described.[55][55][56][57][58][59] However, themotto of the city is “grows, but does not age”. Remainsfrom another neolithic settlement around the NationalArt Gallery are traced to the 3rd–4th millennium BC,which has been the traditional center of the city eversince and is not changed today.[60] The earliest tribeswho settled were the Thracians. According to somesources, it got first an official mention in the 7th/8thcentury BCE when the Serdi (Sardi) as a Thracian tribeestablished a settlement.[5][57][61] Other sources supposethat the Serdi’s Celtic origin is convincingly evidencedthrough linguistic and archeological clues but that theirpresence is not evidenced before the 1st century BC,[62]

A restored city plan of Roman Serdica under Marcus Aurelius(161–180)

whereas others assume their mixed Thracian-Celtic ori-gin or relation to the Sards. The earliest evidence ofCeltic presence in the Sofia area (Pernik) can be fromthe 3rd century BC.[63] Some clues lead to the conclu-sion that the area of the settlement was between TZUM,Sheraton Hotel and the Presidency.[60][64] In the 500sBC, the area became part of a Thracian tribal union,called the Odrysian kingdom, when another Thraciantribe appeared in the town, the Odrysses. For a shortperiod the Thracian rule was possibly interrupted by theAchaemenid Empire. In 339BCPhilip II ofMacedon de-stroyed and ravaged the town which was its first time.[54]

Around BC 29, Serdica was conquered by the Romans,gradually becoming the most important Roman city ofthe region.[22][23] It became a municipium during thereign of Emperor Trajan (98–117). Serdica expanded,as turrets, protective walls, public baths, administrativeand cult buildings, a civic basilica, an amphitheatre, acircus, the City Council (Boulé), a large forum, a bigcircus (theatre), etc. were built. Serdica was a signifi-cant midway city on the Roman road Via Militaris, con-necting Singidunum and Byzantium. In the 3rd century,it became the capital of Dacia Aureliana,[65] and whenEmperor Diocletian divided the province of Dacia Aure-liana into Dacia Ripensis (at the banks of the Danube)and Dacia Mediterranea, Serdica became the capital ofthe latter. Serdica’s citizens of Thracian descent were re-

4 3 HISTORY

ferred to as Illyrians[54] probably because it was at sometime the capital of Eastern Illyria (Second Illyria).[66] Forfuture emperors Serdica was their residence form wherethey ruled Rome.

The fortification of Serdica

Roman emperors Aurelian (215–275)[67] and Galerius(260–311)[68] were from Serdica. The city subsequentlyexpanded for a century and a half, it became a significantpolitical and economical centre, more so — it becameone of the first Roman cities where Christianity was rec-ognized as an official religion (under Galerius). The Edictof Toleration by Galerius was issued in 311 in Serdicaby the Roman emperor Galerius, officially ending theDiocletianic persecution of Christianity. The Edict im-plicitly granted Christianity the status of "religio licita",a worship recognized and accepted by the Roman Em-pire. It was the first edict legalizing Christianity, preced-ing the Edict of Milan by two years. For Constantinethe Great it was 'Sardica mea Roma est' (Serdica is myRome). He considered making Serdica the capital of theByzantine Empire instead of Constantinople.[69] whichwas already not dissimilar to a tetrarchic capital of theRoman Empire.[70] In 343 AD, the Council of Sardicawas held in the city, in a church located where the cur-rent 6th century Church of Saint Sophia was later built.The city was destroyed in the 447 invasion of the Hunsand the city laid in ruins for a century[54] It was rebuilt byByzantine Emperor Justinian I. During the reign of Jus-tinian it flourished, being surrounded with great fortresswalls whose remnants can still be seen today.

3.2 Middle Ages, Renaissance and earlymodern history

The city first became part of the First Bulgarian Em-pire during the reign of Khan Krum in 809, after a longsiege.[71] Afterwаrds, it grew into an important fortressand administrative centre when Khan Omurtag made it acenter of Sredets province (Sredetski komitat, Средецкикомитат). After the conquest of the Bulgarian capitalPreslav by Sviatoslav I of Kiev and John I Tzimiskes'armies in 970–971, the Bulgarian Patriarch Damyan

chose Sofia for his seat in the next year and the capitalof Bulgaria was first moved to Sredets.[72] In the secondhalf of 10th century the city was ruled by Komit Nikolaand his sons, popular as "Komitopuli". One of them isSamuil, who became an Emperor of Bulgaria in 997. Af-ter a number of unsuccessful sieges, the city fell to theByzantine Empire in 1018, but once again was incorpo-rated into the restored Bulgarian Empire at the time ofTsar Ivan Asen I.In 1382, Sofia was seized by the Ottoman Empire in thecourse of the Bulgarian-Ottoman Wars after a long siege.Around 1393 it became the seat of newly establishedSanjak of Sofia.[73]

The city was occupied by Hungarian forces for a shorttime in 1443. After the failed crusade of Władysław IIIof Poland in 1443 towards Sofia, the city’s Christian elitewas annihilated and the city became the capital of theOttoman province (beylerbeylik) of Rumelia for morethan four centuries. In the 16th century, Sofia’s urbanlayout and appearance began to exhibit a clear Ottomanstyle.

Sofia in mid-19th-century

There were fountains, hamams (bathhouses), prominentchurches such as Saint Sofia were converted into mosquesand in total there were 11 big and over 100 small mosquesby the 17th century,[74] of which only the Banya Bashiremains as a mosque today. During that time the townhad a population of around 7,000.The town was seized for several weeks by Bulgarianhajduks in 1599. In 1610 the Vatican established theSee of Sofia for Catholics of Rumelia, which existed un-til 1715 whenmost Catholics had emigrated.[75] The townwas the center of Sofia Eyalet (1826–1864). 4). NedelyaPetkova created the first Bulgarian school for women inthe city. The Ottomans hanged in Sofia the most honoredBulgarian revolutionary of all time Levski in 1873.

3.3 Modern and contemporary history

During the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–78, SuleimanPasha threatened to burn the city, until the foreign coun-

5

The allied bombing of Sofia in World War II of Sofia in 1944

cils Leandre Legay, Vito Positano, Rabbi Gabriel Al-mosnino and Josef Valdhart interceded for the city to besaved. However this saving did not apply to the Bulgariancitizens who faced executions.[76] Sofia was liberated (seeBattle of Sofia) from Ottoman rule by Russian forces un-der Gen. Iosif Gurko on 4 January 1878. It was proposedas a capital by Marin Drinov and was accepted as such on3 April 1879. By the time of its liberation the populationof the city was 11,649.[77]

Mostmosques in Sofia perished in that war, seven of themdestroyed in one night in December 1878 when a thun-derstorm masked the noise of the explosions arranged byRussian military engineers.”.[78][79]

For a few decades after the liberation, Sofia experiencedlarge population growth, mainly from other regions Bul-garia.In 1900 the first electric bulb in the city was turned on.[80]

In the Second Balkan War Bulgaria was warring aloneagainst five neighboring countries and the RomanianArmy entered Vrazhdebna in 1913, then a village sevenmiles (11 kilometres) from Sofia, now a suburb,[81] whichprompted Bulgaria to capitulate. During World War II inBulgaria, Bulgaria declared war on the US and UK on13 December 1941 and in late 1943 and early 1944 USand UK aircraft bombed Sofia. As a consequence of thebombings around 2000 people were killed and thousandsof buildings were destroyed or damaged including theCapital Library and thousands of books. In 1944 Sofiaand the rest of Bulgaria was occupied by the Soviet RedArmy and within days of the Soviet invasion Bulgaria de-clared war on Nazi Germany.In 1925 a terrorist act of ultra-leftists failed their at-tempted assassination of the king but resulted in the de-struction of a church and many victims. It took 20years to 1945 when the communist Fatherland Front tookpower and executed several thousand people. The trans-

formations of Bulgaria into the People’s Republic of Bul-garia in 1946 and into the Republic of Bulgaria in 1990marked significant changes in the city’s appearance. Thepopulation of Sofia expanded rapidly due to migrationfrom the country. Whole new residential areas werebuilt in the outskirts of the city, like Druzhba, Mladostand Lyulin. The Georgi Dimitrov Mausoleum, whereDimitrov’s body had been preserved in a similar way tothe Lenin mausoleum, was detonated in 1999.

4 Cityscape

Diurnal view, including the Largo, the Alexander Nevsky Cathe-dral, the National Assembly, Sofia University, the building ofBNT, Lake Ariana and Borisova gradina.

Nocturnal view of the city.

In Sofia there are 607,473 dwellings and 101,696 build-ings. According to modern records 39,551 dwellingswere constructed until 1949, 119,943 between 1950 and1969, 287,191 between 1970 and 1989, 57,916 in the 90sand 102,623 between 2000 and 2011. Until 1949, 13,114buildings were constructed and between 10,000–20,000in each following decade.[82] Sofia’s architecture com-bines a wide range of architectural styles, some of whichare aesthetically incompatible. These vary from Chris-tian Roman architecture and medieval Bulgar fortressesto Neoclassicism and prefabricated Socialist-era apart-ment blocks. A number of ancient Roman, Byzantine andmedieval Bulgarian buildings are preserved in the centreof the city. These include the 4th century Rotunda of St.

6 5 GOVERNMENT AND LAW

George, the walls of the Serdica fortress and the partiallypreserved Amphitheatre of Serdica.After the Liberation War, knyaz Alexander Battenberginvited architects fromAustria–Hungary to shape the newcapital’s architectural appearance.[83]

Among the architects invited to work in Bulgaria wereFriedrich Grünanger, Adolf Václav Kolář, and ViktorRumpelmayer, who designed the most important publicbuildings needed by the newly reestablished Bulgariangovernment, as well as numerous houses for the coun-try’s elite.[83] Later, many foreign-educated Bulgarian ar-chitects also contributed. The architecture of Sofia’s cen-tre is thus a combination of Neo-Baroque, Neo-Rococo,Neo-Renaissance andNeoclassicism, with the Vienna Se-cession also later playing an important part, but it ismostly typically Central European.After World War II and the establishment of aCommunist government in Bulgaria in 1944, the archi-tectural style was substantially altered. Stalinist Gothicpublic buildings emerged in the centre, notably the spa-cious government complex around The Largo, Vasil Lev-ski Stadium, the Cyril and Methodius National Libraryand others. As the city grew outwards, the then-newneighbourhoods were dominated by many concrete towerblocks, prefabricated panel apartment buildings and ex-amples of Brutalist architecture. They still make Sofia’shousing very high compared to post-Western block coun-tries,After the abolition of Communism in 1989, Sofia wit-nessed the construction of whole business districts andneighbourhoods, as well as modern skryscraper-likeglass-fronted office buildings, but also top-class residen-tial neighbourhoods. The 126-metre (413 ft) Capital FortBusiness Center will be the first skyscraper in Bulgaria,with 36 floors. However, the end of the old administra-tion and centrally planned system also paved the way forchaotic and unrestrained construction, which continuestoday.

• Architectural styles in Sofia

• The 4th century St. George Rotunda (the oldestbuilding) behind some remains of Serdica

• Housing in Mladost, Stalinist architecture

• Interior of the ancient Saint Sofia Church

• The Central Sofia Market Hall

• Hotel Rodina, an example of Brutalist architecture

• Business Park Sofia

• Neo-Gothic architecture in Sofia

• Baroque architecture in Sofia

• The National gallery - SQUARE 500

4.1 Green areas

Borisova gradina

The city has an extensive green belt. Some of the neigh-bourhoods constructed after 2000 are densely built-upand often lack green spaces. There are four princi-pal parks – Borisova gradina in the city centre and theSouthern, Western and Northern parks. Several smallerparks, among which the Zaimov Park, City Garden andthe Doctors’ Garden, are located in central Sofia. TheVitosha Nature Park (the oldest national park in theBalkans)[84] includes most of Vitosha mountain and cov-ers an area of 266 square kilometres (103 sq mi),[85] withroughly half of it lying within the municipality of Sofia.Vitosha Mountain is a popular hiking destination due toits proximity and ease of access via car and public trans-port. Two functioning cable cars provide year long accessfrom the outskirts of the city. The mountain offers favor-able skiing conditions during the winter whenmultiple skislopes of various difficulty are made available. Access tothe ski slopes is regulated, they are maintained daily andhealth and safety personnel is available to assist in caseof injury. Skiing passes typically allow unlimited accessto the ski slopes, cable cars and other transport facilities.Skiing equipment can be rented and skiing lessons areavailable.

5 Government and law

Sofia as a capital is the location of all Bulgarian stateauthorities – executive, legislative, judiciary, the head-quarters of all parties and the delegation of the EuropeanCommission. This includes the Parliament, the Presi-dency, the Council of Ministers and all the ministries,supreme courts and the Constitutional Court of Bulgaria.Sofia Municipality is identical to Sofia City Province,which is distinct from Sofia Province, which surroundsbut does not include the capital itself. Besides the cityproper, the 24 districts of Sofia Municipality encompassthree other towns and 34 villages.[90] Districts and settle-ments have their own governor who is elected in a popularelection. The assembly members are chosen every fouryears. The common head of Sofia Municipality and all

7

the 38 settlements is the mayor of Sofia.[90] The currentmayor Yordanka Fandakova is serving a third consecu-tive term, having won the 2015 election at first round with238,500 votes,[91] or 60.2% of the vote, when ReformistBloc opponent Vili Lilkov was second with 9.6%; theturnout was 41.25%.[92] Some party leaders claimed thatballots were falsified and called for annulment of theelection.[93] A precedent happened, due to the suspicion,as a preventative action between 300 and 5000 people andcounters had been locked inside Arena Armeets againsttheir will for two days,[94] following which the director ofthe Electoral Commission of Sofia resigned at the requestof Prime Minister Boyko Borissov.[95]

The number one problem that mayor Yordanka Fan-dakova acknowledges and is working on is the street dogsin Sofia.[96] Although according to officials Sofia hosts6600 street dogs currently, unofficially there at between35,000 and 70,000 stray dogs.[97] They have become partof urban life in Sofia, but the problem spotted into lightafter a pack mauled a prominent Columbia Universityprofessor to death in 2012, who was the president ofthe Wall Street Investment Bank and worked for the USDepartment of State, the United Nations and the WorldBank.[98]

Yordanka Fandakova has been the mayor of Sofia since 2009

5.1 Crime

As of 2013, crime rates had inflated,[102] where au-thorities had difficulties convicting the authors of mafiakillings that occurred in the first decade of the 21stcentury,[103] causing the European Commission to warnthe Bulgarian government that the country would not beable to join the EU by 2007 unless it curbed crime.[104]According to the director of Sofia District Police Direc-torate the largest share of the crimes are thefts, mak-

ing up 62.4% of all crimes in the capital city. In-creasing are frauds, drug-related crimes, petty theft andvandalism.[105] Crime rates were considered high, withorganized crime being considered the most worryingaspect.[106] According to a survey, almost a third ofSofia’s residents say that they never feel safe in the Bul-garian capital, while 20% always feel safe.[107] As of2015 the consumer-reported perceived crime risk on theNumbeo database was “high” for theft and vandalism and“low” for violent crimes; safety while walking during day-light was rated “very high”, and “moderate” during thenight.[108] With 1,600 prisoners the incarceration rate isabove 0.1%;[109] however, roughly 70% of all prisonersare part of the Romani minority.[110]

6 Culture

See also: Tourist attractions in Sofia and List of churchesin Sofia

6.1 Arts and entertainment

The Ivan Vazov National Theatre.

Sofia concentrates the majority of Bulgaria’s leading per-forming arts troupes. Theatre is by far the most popularform of performing art, and theatrical venues are amongthe most visited, second only to cinemas. The oldest suchinstitution is the Ivan Vazov National Theatre, which per-forms mainly classical plays and is situated in the verycentre of the city.The National Opera and Ballet of Bulgaria is a combinedopera and ballet collective, established in 1891. How-ever, it did not begin performances on a regular basisuntil 1909. Some of Bulgaria’s most famous operaticsingers, such as Nicolai Ghiaurov and Ghena Dimitrova,have made their first appearances on the stage of the Na-tional Opera and Ballet. The National Palace of Cultureregularly hold classical concerts. Bulgaria’s largest artmuseums are located in the central areas of the city. Twoemblematic galleries in Sofia - the National Art Galleryand the National Gallery for Foreign Art united theircollections in a new structure. Seven Ministers of Cul-ture have worked on this project over the years. The

8 6 CULTURE

project, also known as the Bulgarian Louvre, gatheredunder one roof a host of Bulgarian, European, Ameri-can, Asian and African works of art. Nearly two thou-sand works created by artists from Bulgaria and abroadare on display in twenty eight exhibition halls. Follow-ing a special competition, the art collection was namedNational Gallery Square 500 (source). Its collectionsencompass diverse cultural items such as Ashanti Em-pire sculptures, Buddhist art, Dutch Golden Age paint-ing, works by Albrecht Dürer, Jean-Baptiste Greuze andAuguste Rodin, among others. The crypt of the Alexan-der Nevsky cathedral holds a collection of Eastern Or-thodox icons from the 9th to the 19th century. Othermuseums are the National Historical Museum with a col-lection of more than 600,000 items; the National Poly-technical Museum with more than 1,000 technologicalitems on display; the National Archaeological Museumand the Museum of Natural History. The SS. Cyril andMethodius National Library houses the largest nationalcollection of books and documents (1,714,211 books andsome 6 million other documents)[111] and is Bulgaria’soldest cultural institute. The Boyana Church, a UNESCOWorld Heritage site, contains realistic frescoes, depictingmore than 240 human images and a total 89 scenes, werepainted. With their vital, humanistic realism they are aRenaissance phenomenon at its culmination phase in thecontext of the common-European art.[112] Muzeiko is anew museum opened in 2015. It is a space with over 130interactive games created for children and curious adults.The entire content of the museum is designed to inspirechildren to learn, discover and explore the sciences, whilehelping children, their families and educators spend timetogether actively and effectively.

Vitosha Blvd., the main shopping street in the city.

Cinema is the most popular form of entertainment. Inrecent years, cinematic venues have been concentrated intrade centres and malls, and independent halls have beenclosed. Mall of Sofia holds one of the largest IMAX cin-emas in Europe. Most films are American productions,although European and domestic films are increasinglyshown. Odeon (not part of the Odeon Cinemas chain)shows exclusively European and independent Americanfilms, as well as 20th century classics. Bulgaria’s oncethriving film industry, concentrated in the Boyana Filmstudios, has suffered a period of decay after 1990. A rel-ative revival of the industry began after 2001. After the

acquisition of Boyana Film by Nu Image, several moder-ately successful productions have been shot in and aroundSofia, such as The Contract, The Black Dahlia, Hitmanand Conan the Barbarian and Spartacus. The Nu BoyanaFilm studios have also hosted some of the scenes for TheExpendables 2.The city houses many cultural institutes such as the Rus-sian Cultural Institute, the Polish Cultural Institute, theHungarian Institute, the Czech and the Slovak CulturalInstitutes, the Italian Cultural Institute, the French Cul-tural Institute, Goethe Institut, British Council, InstitutoCervantes, and the Open Society Institute, which regu-larly organise temporary expositions of visual, sound andliterary works by artists from their respective countries.Some of the biggest telecommunications companies, TVand radio stations, newspapers, magazines, and web por-tals are based in Sofia, including the Bulgarian NationalTelevision, bTV and Nova TV. Top-circulation newspa-pers include 24 Chasa and Trud.

6.2 Tourism

St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, one of the largest Eastern Or-thodox cathedrals in the world.

Sofia is one of the most visited tourist destinations in Bul-garia alongside coastal and mountain resorts. Among itshighlights is the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, one of thesymbols of Bulgaria, constructed in the late 19th century.It occupies an area of 3,170 square metres (34,122 squarefeet) and can hold 10,000 people.Sofia holds Bulgaria’s largest museum collections, whichattract tourists and students for practical studies. TheNational Historical Museum in Boyana district has a vastcollection of more than 650,000 historical items datingfrom Prehistory to the modern era, although only 10,000of them are permanently displayed due to the lack ofspace.[113] Smaller collections of items related mostly tothe history of Sofia are in the National ArchaeologicalMuseum, a former mosque located between the edificesof the National Bank and the Presidency. Two naturalsciences museums — the Natural History Museum and

9

the Earth and Man — display minerals, animal species(alive and taxidermic) and rare materials. The Ethno-graphic Museum and the National Museum of MilitaryHistory are other places of interest, holding large collec-tions of Bulgarian folk costumes and armaments, respec-tively.Vitosha Boulevard, also called Vitoshka, is a pedestrianzone with numerous cafes, restaurants, fashion boutiques,and luxury goods stores. Sofia’s geographic location, inthe foothills of the weekend retreat Vitosha mountain,further adds to the city’s specific atmosphere.

7 Sports

The interior of Arena Armeets, a multi-purpose indoor arena.

A large number of sports clubs are based in the city. Dur-ing the Communist era most sports clubs concentratedon all-round sporting development, therefore CSKA,Levski, Lokomotiv and Slavia are dominant not only infootball, but in many other team sports as well. Basket-ball and volleyball also have strong traditions in Sofia. Anotable local basketball team is twice European Champi-ons Cup finalist Lukoil Akademik. The Bulgarian Vol-leyball Federation is the world’s second-oldest, and it wasan exhibition tournament organised by the BVF in Sofiathat convinced the International Olympic Committee toinclude volleyball as an olympic sport in 1957.[114] Ten-nis is increasingly popular in the city. Currently there aresome ten[115] tennis court complexes within the city in-cluding the one founded by former WTA top-ten athleteMagdalena Maleeva.[116]

Sofia applied to host the Winter Olympic Games in 1992and in 1994, coming 2nd and 3rd respectively. The citywas also an applicant for the 2014 Winter Olympics, butwas not selected as candidate. In addition, Sofia hostedEurobasket 1957 and the 1961 and 1977 Summer Uni-versiades, as well as the 1983 and 1989 winter editions.In 2012, it hosted the FIVB World League finals.The city is home to a number of large sports venues, in-cluding the 43,000-seat Vasil Levski National Stadiumwhich hosts international football matches, as well as

the Georgi Asparuhov Stadium and Lokomotiv Stadium,the main venues for outdoor musical concerts. ArmeetsArena holds many indoor events and has a capacity ofup to 19,000 people depending on its use. The venuewas inaugurated on July 30, 2011, and the first eventit hosted was a friendly volleyball match between Bul-garia and Serbia. There are two ice skating complexes— the Winter Sports Palace with a capacity of 4,600and the Slavia Winter Stadium with a capacity of 2,000,both containing two rinks each.[117] A velodrome with5,000 seats in the city’s central park is currently un-dergoing renovation.[118] There are also various othersports complexes in the city which belong to institutionsother than football clubs, such as those of the NationalSports Academy, the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences,or those of different universities. There are more thanfifteen swimming complexes in the city, most of themoutdoor.[119] Nearly all of these were constructed as com-petition venues and therefore have seating facilities forseveral hundred people.There are two golf courses just to the east of Sofia — inElin Pelin (St Sofia club) and in Ihtiman (Air Sofia club),and a horseriding club (St George club).

8 Demographics

Population growth over the years (in thousands):

Students of the National Academy of Arts. People aged 20–25years have been the most numerous group in the city since theprocess of Bulgarian urbanization.

According to 2016 data, the city has a population of1,304,772 and the whole Sofia Capital Municipality of1,441,918.[6] The first census carried out in February1878 by the Russian Army recorded a population of11,694 inhabitants including 6,560 Bulgarians, 3,538Jews, 839 Turks and 737 Romani.The ratio of women per 1,000 men was 1,102. The birthrate per 1000 people was 12.3 per mille and steadily in-creasing in the last 5 years, the death rate reaching 12.1per mille and decreasing. The natural growth rate dur-ing 2009 was 0.2 per mille, the first positive growth rate

10 9 ECONOMY

in nearly 20 years. The considerable immigration to thecapital from poorer regions of the country, as well as ur-banisation, are among the other reasons for the increase inSofia’s population. The infant mortality rate was 5.6 per1,000, down from 18.9 in 1980. According to the 2011census, people aged 20–24 years are the most numer-ous group, numbering 133,170 individuals and account-ing for 11% of the total 1,202,761 people. The medianage is 38 though. According to the census, 1,056,738 cit-izens (87.9%) are recorded as ethnic Bulgarians, 17,550(1.5%) as Romani, 6,149 (0.5%) as Turks, 9,569 (0.8%)belonged to other ethnic groups, 6,993 (0.6%) do notself-identify and 105,762 (8.8%) remained with unde-clared affiliation.[120] This statistic should not necessar-ily be taken at face value due to conflicting data – such asfor the predominantly Roma neighbourhood of Fakulteta,which alone may have a population of 45,000.[121]

According to the 2011 census, throughout the whole mu-nicipality some 892,511 people (69.1%) are recordedas Eastern Orthodox Christians, 10,256 (0.8%) asProtestant, 6,767 (0.5%) as Muslim, 5,572 (0.4%) asRoman Catholic, 4,010 (0.3%) belonged to other faithand 372,475 (28.8%) declared themselves irreligious ordid not mention any faith. The data says that roughlya third of the total population have already earned auniversity degree. Of the population aged 15–64 –265,248 people within the municipality (28.5%) arenot economically active, the unemployed being anothergroup of 55,553 people (6%), a large share of whom havecompleted higher education. The largest group are occu-pied in trading, followed by those inmanufacturing indus-try. Within the municipality, three quarters, or 965,328people are recorded as having access to television athome and 836,435 (64.8%) as having internet. Out of464,865 homes – 432,847 have connection to the com-munal sanitary sewer, while 2,732 do not have any. Ofthese 864 do not have any water supply and 688 haveother than communal. Over 99.6% of males and fe-males aged over 9 are recorded as literate. The largestgroup of the population aged over 20 are recorded to livewithin marriage (46.3%), another 43.8% are recorded assingle and another 9.9% as having other type of coexis-tence/partnership, whereas not married in total are a ma-jority and among people aged up to 40 and over 70. Thepeople with juridical status divorced or widowed are ei-ther part of the factual singles or those having anothertype of partnership, each of the two constitutes by around10% of the population aged over 20. Only over 1% of thejuridically married do not de facto live within marriage.The families that consist of two people are 46.8%, an-other 34.2% of the families are made up by three people,whereas most of the households (36.5%) consist of onlyone person.[82]

Sofia was declared the national capital in 1879. Oneyear later, in 1880, it was the fifth-largest city in thecountry after Plovdiv, Varna, Ruse and Shumen. Plov-div remained the most populous Bulgarian town until

1892 when Sofia took the lead. The city is the hot spotof internal migration, the capital population is increas-ing and is around 17% of the national,[122] thus a smallnumber of people with local roots remain today, theydominate the surrounding rural suburbs and are calledShopi. Shopi speak one of the transitional South Slavicdialects, along with Torlakian, sharing features with botheastern (Bulgarian and Macedonian) and western (Serbo-Croatian) branches,[123] although they are given non-Slavic origin through the ancient Thracian Serdi, thefounders of the city.[124]

9 Economy

Capital Fort, the 126-meter skyscraper near Tsarigradsko shose.

Sofia is the economic heart of Bulgaria and home to mostmajor Bulgarian and international companies operating inthe country, as well as the Bulgarian National Bank andthe Bulgarian Stock Exchange. The city’s GDP PPS percapita at current market prices stood at €26,600[125] in2012, which was 100% of the then EU average, accordingto Eurostat data – well above the same year’s national av-erage of 46%. The city and its surrounding YugozapadenNUTS II planning region had a per capita PPS GDP of€20,600[126] in 2014, higher than any other region inthe country. In 2008, the average per capita annual in-come was 4,572 leva ($3,479).[127] For the same year,the strongest sectors of the city’s economy in terms ofannual production were manufacturing ($5.5 bln.), metal-lurgy ($1.84 bln.), electricity, gas and water supply ($1.6bln.) and food and beverages ($778 mln.).[128] Economicoutput in 2011 amounted to 15.9 billion leva, or $11.04billion.[129] The average monthly gross wages paid in De-cember 2015 amount to €645, the highest in Bulgariaand the lowest among EU capitals.[130]

In 2015, Forbes listed Sofia as one of the top 10 placesin the world to launch a startup business, because of thelow corporate tax (10%), the extremely fast internet con-nection speed available – one of the fastest in the world,and the presence of several investment funds, includingEleven Startup Accelerator, LAUNCHub and Neveq.[131]

Historically, after World War II and the era of indus-trialisation under socialism, the city and its surround-

11

ing areas expanded rapidly and became the most heav-ily industrialised region of the country.[132] The influx ofworkers from other parts of the country became so in-tense that a restriction policy was imposed, and residingin the capital was only possible after obtaining Sofianitecitizenship.[132] However, after the political changes in1989, this kind of citizenship was removed.Increasingly, Sofia is becoming an outsourcing desti-nation for multinational companies, among them IBM,Hewlett-Packard, SAP, Siemens, Software AG.[133]Bulgaria Air, PPD, the national airline of Bulgaria, hasits head office on the grounds of Sofia Airport.[134] From2007 to 2011, the city attracted a cumulative total of$11.6 billion in foreign direct investment.[129]

Up until 2007 Sofia experienced rapid economic growth.In 2008, apartment prices increased dramatically, with agrowth rate of 30%.[135] In 2009, prices fell by 26%.[136]

In January 2015 Sofia was ranked 30th out of 300 globalcities in terms of combined growth in employment andreal gross domestic product (GDP) per capita in 2013–2014. This was the highest rank amongst cities in South-east Europe.[137] The real GDP (PPP) per capita growthwas 2.5% to $33,105 (28,456 euro) and the employmentwent up by 3.4% to 962,400 in 2013–2014.[138]

10 Transport and infrastructure

Sofia Metro train at Musagenitsa Metro Station

With its developing infrastructure and strategic location,Sofia is a major hub for international railway and automo-bile transport. Three of the ten Pan-European TransportCorridors cross the city: IV, VIII and X.[139] All majortypes of transport (except water) are represented in thecity. The Central Railway Station is the primary hub fordomestic and international rail transport. Sofia has 186km (116 miles) of railway lines.[129] Sofia Airport han-dled 3,815,158 passengers in 2014.[140]

Public transport is well-developed with bus (2,380km (1,479 mi) network),[141] tram (308 km (191mi)) network,[142] and trolleybus (193 km (120 mi)network),[143] lines running in all areas of the city,[144][145]

although some of the vehicles are in a poor condition. TheSofiaMetro became operational in 1998, and now has twolines and 34 stations.[146] As of 2012, the system has 39km (24 mi) of track. Six new stations were opened in2009, twomore in April 2012, and eleven more in August2012. Construction works on the extension of the firstline are underway and it is expected to reach the airportby 2014. A third line is currently in the late stages of plan-ning and it is expected that its construction starts in 2014.This line will complete the proposed subway system ofthree lines with about 65 km (40 mi) of lines.[147] Themaster plan for the Sofia Metro includes three lines witha total of 63 stations.[148] In recent years the marshrutka,a private passenger van, began serving fixed routes andproved an efficient and popular means of transport by be-ing faster than public transport but cheaper than taxis. Asof 2005 these vans numbered 368 and serviced 48 linesaround the city and suburbs.[139] There are around 13,000taxi cabs operating in the city.[149] Low fares in compari-son with other European countries, make taxis affordableand popular among a big part of the city population.

Tsarigradsko shose, one of the busiest boulevards in Sofia

Private automobile ownership has grown rapidly in the1990s; more than 1,000,000 cars were registered in Sofiaafter 2002. The city has the 4th-highest number of auto-mobiles per capita in the European Union at 546.4 vehi-cles per 1,000 people.[150] The municipality was knownfor minor and cosmetic repairs and many streets are ina poor condition. This is noticeably changing in thepast years. There are different boulevards and streetsin the city with a higher amount of traffic than others.These include Tsarigradsko shose, Cherni Vrah, Bulgaria,Slivnitsa and Todor Aleksandrov boulevards, as well asthe city’s ring road, where long chains of cars are formedat peak hours and traffic jams occur regularly.[151] Con-sequently, traffic and air pollution problems have becomemore severe and receive regular criticism in local media.The extension of the underground system is hoped to al-leviate the city’s immense traffic problems.Sofia has an extensive district heating system basedaround four combined heat and power (CHP) plants andboiler stations. Virtually the entire city (900,000 house-holds and 5,900 companies) is centrally heated, usingresidual heat from electricity generation (3,000 MW) andgas- and oil-fired heating furnaces; total heat capacity is4,640 MW. The heat distribution piping network is 900

12 12 INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

km (559 mi) long and comprises 14,000 substations and10,000 heated buildings.

11 Education

One of the lecturing halls in the Rectorate of Sofia University

Sofia concentrates a significant portion of the nationalhigher education capacity, including 109,000 univer-sity and college students[152] and 22 of Bulgaria’s 51higher education establishments.[153] These include fourof the five highest-ranking national universities – SofiaUniversity (SU), University of Architecture, Civil Engi-neering and Geodesy, the Technical University of Sofia,University of National and World Economy and the Uni-versity of Mining and Geology.[154] Sofia University wasfounded in 1888.[155] More than 20,000 students[156]study in its 16 faculties.[157] A number of research andcultural departments operate within SU, including itsown publishing house, botanical gardens,[158] a space re-search centre, a quantum electronics department,[159] anda Confucius Institute[160] Rakovski Defence and StaffCollege, the National Academy of Arts, and Sofia Medi-cal University are other major higher education establish-ments in the city.[154]

There are 5 primary, 77 middle and 187 secondaryschools, of all 77 are private. Education institutions in-clude 13 specialized for children with disabilities, 8 artschools, 22 professional colleges. 35 professional highschools, 25 profiled high schools and 4 sport schools.[161]The “elite” secondary language schools provide educationin a selected foreign language. These include the First En-glish Language School, Sofia High School of Mathemat-ics, 91st German Language School, 164th Spanish Lan-guage School, and 9th French Language School. Someof them provide a language certificate upon graduation,while the 9th French Language School has exchange pro-grams with a number of lycées in France and Switzerland,such as the Parisian Collège-lycée Jacques-Decour. TheAmerican College of Sofia, a private secondary schoolwhich developed from a school founded by Americanmissionaries in 1860, is among the oldest American edu-cational institutions outside of the US.[162]

Other institutions of national significance, such as theBulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS) and the SS. Cyriland Methodius National Library are located in Sofia.BAS is the centrepiece of scientific research in Bulgaria,employing more than 4,500 scientists in various insti-tutes, including the Bulgarian Space Agency.

12 International relations

12.1 Twin and sister cities

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Bulgaria

Sofia is twinned with:

• Algiers, Algeria

• Amman, Jordan

• Ankara, Turkey[163]

• Bratislava, Slovakia[164]

• Bucharest, Romania

• Karlovac, Croatia

• Kiev, Ukraine

• Maraş, Turkey

• Madrid, Spain

• Moscow, Russia

• Pittsburgh, United States

• Prague, Czech Republic[165]

• Saint Petersburg, Russia

• Salalah, Oman (since 2011)

• Shanghai, China (since 2014)[166]

• Sidon, Lebanon

• Skopje, Macedonia (since 2015)[167]

• Tel Aviv, Israel[168]

• Warsaw, Poland

• Yerevan, Armenia[169]

13

12.2 Cooperation agreements

In addition Sofia has cooperation agreements with:

• Budapest, Hungary

• Paris, France[170]

• Lisbon, Portugal[171]

13 Honour

Serdica Peak on Livingston Island in the South ShetlandIslands, Antarctica is named after Serdica.

14 Gallery

• Satellite image of Sofia

• Aerial view

• Sunset behind Vitosha

• Twilight

• Red moon

• Lightning storms

• Rainbow

• Tram in snowy Sofia, 1995

• The Sofia Public Mineral Baths

• A faculty of Sofia University

• St Nedelya Church assault

• The rebuilt Saint Nedelya Church

• The detonated Georgi Dimitrov Mausoleum

• Artifacts from Serdica

• Remains from the settlement in Slatina dating to6000- 5500 BC

15 See also

• List of churches in Sofia

• List of shopping malls in Sofia

• List of tallest buildings in Sofia

• Sofia Province

16 References[1] Sofia, Bulgaria, SoloGuides

[2] “Sofia through centuries”. Sofia Municipality. Retrieved2009-10-16.

[3] Ghodsee, Kristen (2005). The Red Riviera: Gender,Tourism, and Postsocialism on the Black Sea. Duke Uni-versity Press. p. 21.

[4] ARCHAEOLOGIST DISCOVERS 8,000-YEAR-OLDNEPHRITE ‘FROG-LIKE’ SWASTIKA IN SLATINANEOLITHIC SETTLEMENT IN BULGARIA’S CAP-ITAL SOFIA

[5] Editors of Britannica. “Sofia”. Britannica. Retrieved2016-02-12.

[6] ,

[7] “Functional Urban Areas - Population on 1 January by agegroups and sex”. Eurostat. 1 April 2016. Retrieved 12April 2016.

[8] http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/metropolitan-regions/data/database. Missing or empty |title= (help)

[9] Wells, John C. (2008), Longman Pronunciation Dictio-nary (3rd ed.), Longman, ISBN 9781405881180

[10] Roach, Peter (2011), Cambridge English PronouncingDictionary (18th ed.), Cambridge: Cambridge UniversityPress, ISBN 9780521152532

[11] “Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, the Czech Republic, andSlovakia”. Britannica Educational Publishing.

[12] Lauwerys, Joseph (1970). Education in Cities. Evan’sBrothers. ISBN 0-415-39291-8.

[13] Rogers, Clifford (2010). The Oxford Encyclopedia of Me-dieval Warfare and Military Technology 1. Oxford Uni-versity Press. p. 301. ISBN 9780195334036.

[14] Internet Hostel Sofia, Tourism in Sofia. Retrieved Jan,2012

[15] Sofia is one of the top 10 places for start-up businesses inthe world, Bulgarian National TV

[16] Clark, Jayne. “Is Europe’s most affordable capital worththe trip?". USA Today. Retrieved 2016-02-12.

[17] . Sofia official website

[18] Grant, Michael (211). The Emperor Constantine.Hachette. ISBN 9781780222806.

[19] “The Cambridge Ancient History”, Volume 3, Part 2: TheAssyrian and Babylonian Empires and Other States of theNear East, from the Eighth to the Sixth Centuries BC byJohn Boardman, I. E. S. Edwards, E. Sollberger, and N.G. L. Hammond, ISBN 0-521-22717-8, 1992, p. 600:“In the place of the vanished Treres and Tilataei we findthe Serdi for whom there is no evidence before the firstcentury BC. It has for long being supposed on convincinglinguistic and archeological grounds that this tribe was ofCeltic origin”

14 16 REFERENCES

[20] Mihailov, G., Thracians, Sofia, 1972, BulgarianAcademy of Sciences, quote in Bulgarian: Иметосерди е засвидетелствано след келтската инвазияна Балканите. Сердите са от смесен трако-келтскипроизход.

[21] Popov, D. Thracians, Sofia, p.h. Iztok – Zapad, 2005

[22] World and Its Peoples. 2010.

[23] Irina Florov, Nicholas Florov (2001). Three-thousand-year-old Hat. Michigan University: Golden Vine Pub-lishers. p. 303. ISBN 0968848702.

[24] Julian Bennett, Trajan: Optimus Princeps (Routledge,1997), p. 1.

[25] Erwin Anton Gutkind. International history of city de-velopment, (8 ed.). Michigan University: Free Press ofGlencoe.

[26] "София" (in Bulgarian). Мила Родино. Retrieved 2008-09-14.

[27] Dr. Molefi Kete Asante. “n African Origin of Philosophy:Myth or Reality?". City Press. Retrieved 29 August 2015.

[28] Imhotep, Asar (2008). Esodus (1 ed.). p. 16. ISBN 978-0-6151-7875-2.

[29] Uždavinys, Algis. PHILOSOPHYASARITEOFREBIRTH(PDF). Dilton Marsh, Westbury Wiltshire, BA13 4DG,UK: The Prometheus Trust. p. 5(distinguish with RomanV). ISBN 978 1 898910 35 0. Retrieved 2016-02-12.

[30] Bernal, Martin (1987). Black Athena: The linguistic evi-dence. Rutgers University Press. p. 275. ISBN 978-0-8135-3655-2.

[31] Preus, Anthony (2015). Historical Dictionary of AncientGreek Philosophy. ISBN 978-1-4422-4638-6.

[32] Encyclopedia Americana (25 ed.). Pennsylvania StateUniversity: Grolier Incorporated. 1999. p. 878. ISBN0717201317.

[33] “History”. Capital Municipality. Retrieved 20 October2015.

[34] “District Sofia-city”. Guide Bulgaria. Retrieved 19 Febru-ary 2012.

[35] Bulgarian National Seismological Data Center, Area:Pernik, 2012-05-22 00:00:31, Lat: 42.6; Lon: 23; Depth:10km, Mag: 5.8

[36] Mediapool

[37] Feinstaub: Bukarest zweitschmutzigste Hauptstadt derEU, 16 May 2012

[38] stringmeteo

[39] stringmeteo

[40] stringmeteo

[41] Архив-Бг3 » 11-1995 София

[42] stringmeteo

[43] freemeteo

[44] freemeteo

[45] stringmeteo

[46] stringmeteo

[47] stringmeteo

[48] climatedata eu

[49] climatebase ru

[50] Station name: Sofia

[51] stringmeteo

[52] freemeteo

[53]

[54] Trudy, Ring; Noelle, Watson; Paul, Schellinger (5November 2013). “Southern Europe: International Dic-tionary of Historic Places”. Routledge. Retrieved 20 De-cember 2015.

[55] Sofia official website

[56] One+ (1 ed.). Cornell University: Meeting ProfessionalsInternational. 2008.

[57] Business Central Europe (7 ed.). Northwestern University:Economist Group. 2000. Some claim it dates back 7,000years, though it first got an official mention in the 7th cen-tury BC, when it was settled by the Thracian Serdi tribe

[58] John G. Kelcey; Norbert Müller. Plants and Habitats ofEuropean Cities. Czech Republic; Germany – Universityof Applied Sciences Erfurt: Springer. ISBN 978-0-387-89684-7.

[59] Masters, Tom (2007). Eastern Europe. Lonely Planet. p.138.

[60] History

[61] Murray, Lorraine (2013). Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania,the Czech Republic, and Slovakia. Britannica EducationalPublishing.

[62] The Cambridge Ancient History, Volume 3, Part 2:, ISBN0-521-22717-8, 1992, page 600

[63] Balkan Celts

[64] Ivanov, Rumen (2006). Roman cities in Bulgaria.

[65] Wilkes, John (2005). “Provinces and Frontiers”. In Bow-man, Alan K.; Garnsey, Peter; Cameron, Averil. TheCambridge ancient history: The crisis of empire, A.D. 193–337. The Cambridge ancient history 12. Cambridge Uni-versity Press. p. 253. ISBN 978-0-521-30199-2.

[66] Encyclopaedia Londinensis, or, Universal dictionary ofarts, sciences, and literature. University of Minnesota.1827.

[67] Saunders, Randall Titus (1992). A biography of the Em-peror Aurelian (AD 270–275). Ann Arbor, Michigan:UMI Dissertation Services. pp. 106–7.

15

[68] Eutropius. Breviarivm historiae romanae, IX, 22

[69] Nikolova, Kapka Sofia University of Indiana. "EmperorConstantine the Great even considered the possibility forSerdika to become the capital of the Eastern Roman Em-pire"

[70] Green, Bernard Christianity in Ancient Rome ISBN 978-0-567-03250-8

[71] Theophanes Confessor. Chronographia, p.485

[72] Slaviani. 1967.

[73] Godisnjak. Drustvo Istoricara Bosne i Hercegovine, Sara-jevo. 1950. p. 174. Санџак Софија Овај је санџакоснован око г. 1393.

[74] “Sofia – Trip around Sofia”. Balkan tourist, 1968.

[75] This article incorporates text from a publication now inthe public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913).“Sardica”. Catholic Encyclopedia. NewYork: Robert Ap-pleton.

[76] Krestovskiy, cit., pp. 479–480

[77] Kiradzhiev, Svetlin (2006). “Sofia. 125 years a capital.1879–2004”. “Guttenberg”. ISBN 978-954-617-011-8

[78] Crampton 2006, p. 114.

[79] Crampton, RJ (2006) [1997], A Concise History of Bul-garia, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, ISBN 0-521-85085-1

[80] Mohailova, Tihomria. In 1900 the first electric lamp wasturned on on the streets of Sofia. Novinar

[81] Hall (2000), p. 97.

[82] 2011 census, Sofia-capital (PDF) (23 ed.). Sofia: NationalStatistical Institute of Bulgaria. 2012. p. 37 40 43 68 7174 99 117 132 190 193 196. Archived from the original(PDF) on February 15, 2016.

[83] Collective (1980). Encyclopedia of Figurative Arts in Bul-garia, volume 1. Sofia: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.pp. 209–210.

[84] “National parks in the world” (in Bulgarian). journey.bg.Retrieved 2008-05-24.

[85] “Vitosha Mountain”. www.vitoshamount.hit.bg. Re-trieved 2014-04-29.

[86] Местни избори :: Местни избори и националенреферендум 2015

[87] Общинската избирателна комисия в София най-сетнеготова – Фандъкова надхвърли 60% – 24chasa.bg

[88] България | Официално: Новите общински съветницив София (допълнена в 9.30 ч.) – Dnevnik.bg

[89] България | Листата на ГЕРБ в София се срина с 63хил. гласа спрямо 2011 г. – Dnevnik.bg

[90] “District Mayors”. Sofia Municipality. Retrieved 2009-12-26.

[91] “Fandakova over 60%". 24 Hours. Retrieved 2 November2015.

[92] “2015 Election”. Central Election Commission. Re-trieved 2016-02-12.

[93] “The party of Kuneva overcomes the falsified ballots withmachines”. Topnews. Retrieved 2 November 2015.

[94] “Escaped from Arena Armeets tell about the nightmare”.Vesti. Retrieved 2 November 2015.

[95] “The head of the electoral commission in Sofia is resign-ing at the request of Borissov”. Dnevnik. Retrieved 2November 2015.

[96] Mayor: Stray Dogs Are Sofia’s Top Problem. Novinite

[97] “Sofia’s stray dog problem gets worse”. Demotix.Archived from the original on July 27, 2015. Retrieved22 July 2015.

[98] “Wordpress”.

[99] http://www.sofia.bg/prebroiavane%202011/sofia-prebroyavane2011.pdf

[100] http://sfadm.gis-sofia.bg/displayImage.php?folder=Sofia_30000_GIS_logo/

[101] Местни избори :: Местни избори и националенреферендум 2015

[102] David Coulby; Robert Cowen; Crispin Jones (17 January2013). World Yearbook of Education 2000: Education inTimes of Transition. Routledge. p. 10. ISBN 978-1-136-16603-7. crime rates have exploded in Sofia as well as inMoscow and St Petersburg.

[103] Gergana Noutcheva (26 July 2012). European ForeignPolicy and the Challenges of Balkan Accession: Condi-tionality, legitimacy and compliance. Routledge. p. 192.ISBN 978-1-136-30619-8. The strongest EU demand –structural changes of the judicial system – had to do withthe crime rate in Bulgaria and the apparent impotence ofthe authorities in Sofia to convict any of the murderes inthe high-profile mafia killings that shook the country in2003–2005.

[104] “Bulgarian Crime – Where killing is a habit”. TheEconomist. 27 October 2005. Archived from the origi-nal on 29 June 2015. Retrieved 21 October 2015.

[105] Crime Rates in Bulgaria’s Sofia on the Rise Novinite

[106] Bulgaria 2015 Crime and Safety Report, Department ofState

[107] “The Most Dangerous Cities In Europe”. Business InsiderInc. Retrieved 23 October 2015.

[108] “Crime in Sofia. Safety in Sofia.”. Archived from the orig-inal on 19 September 2015. Retrieved 21 October 2015.

[109] The prison in Sofia. Gdin

[110] Only 10000 in the jail 7000 of them Gypsies. 24 hours

[111] Фондове и колекции, Cyrl and Methodius National Li-brary (in Bulgarian)

16 16 REFERENCES

[112] Ecker, Gerhard (1984). Bulgarien. Kunstdenkmäler ausvier Jahrtausenden von den Thrakern bis zur Gegenwart.(in German). Köln: DuMont Buchverlag.

[113] Колекции, National Historical Museum (in Bulgarian)

[114] “BVA-News”. www.balkanvolleyball.org. Archivedfrom the original on 2008-02-20. Retrieved 2008-05-11.

[115] “Sofiamunicipality—Tennis courts”. www.sofia.bg. Re-trieved 2008-05-11.

[116] "Тенис Клуб Малееви". www.maleevaclub.com. Re-trieved 2008-05-11.

[117] “Skate rinks in Sofia”. kunki.org. Archived from the orig-inal on April 17, 2008. Retrieved 2008-05-11.

[118] “Journey.bg — History of the Sofia velodrome”. jour-ney.bg. Retrieved 2008-05-11.

[119] “Swimming pools in Sofia (including Spa centers)".tonus.tialoto.bg. Retrieved 2008-05-11.

[120] “Population”. nsi.bg. National Statistical Institute of Bul-garia, 2011. Retrieved 2016-02-12.

[121] Romani isolated, mediapool.bg, 11 December 2007 (Bul-garian)

[122] NSI. Retrieved July, 2015

[123] Strnadel, Leslie (2012). Bulgaria (Other Places TravelGuide). p. 118.

[124] .(Marinov, 1978). Retrieved July, 2015

[125] “Regional gross domestic product (PPS per inhabitant atcurrent market prices), by NUTS 3 regions”. Eurostat.Retrieved 13 March 2016.

[126] “Regional gross domestic product (PPS per inhabitant), byNUTS 2 regions”. Eurostat. Retrieved 17 October 2013.

[127] "Sofia in Figures 2009, p.53. Retrieved on 20 March2012. Archived October 11, 2011, at the Wayback Ma-chine.

[128] Sofia in Figures, p.106

[129] “Sofia (capital)". National Statistical Institute regionalstatistics. 11 February 2013. Archived from the originalon November 14, 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2013.

[130] “Averagemonthly wages and salaries of the employees un-der labour contract by statistical regions and districts in2015”. National Statistical Institute. Retrieved 13 March2016.

[131] “10 Top Cities Around The World To Launch YourStartup”. Forbes. 29 November 2015. Retrieved 13March 2016.

[132] The capital’s changing face, The Sofia Echo

[133] Invest in Sofia

[134] "Contacts.” Bulgaria Air. Retrieved on 10 May 2010.

[135] “Bulgaria Housing Market Favors Buyers but Far Awayfrom Collapse”. www.novinite.com. Retrieved 2009-02-08.

[136] “Bulgaria Residential Property Prices Down by 26% inQ4y/y”. www.novinite.com. Retrieved 2010-01-30.

[137] “Sofia ranks 30th in GDP/capita, employment growth2013–2014 global report”. www.seenews.com. Re-trieved 2015-01-22.

[138] “Global Metro Monitor An Uncertain recovery” (PDF).brookings.edu. Retrieved 2015-01-22.

[139] Sofia infrastructure from the official website of the Mu-nicipality (Bulgarian)

[140] “Sofia Airport Handled a Record Number of Passengersfor 2013 (in Bulgarian)". dnes.bg. Retrieved 2015-01-21.

[141] “History of the bus network in Sofia”. Sofiatraffic.bg. Re-trieved 2012-08-30.

[142] “History of the tramway network in Sofia”. Sofiatraffic.bg.Retrieved 2012-08-30.

[143] “History of the trolleybus network in Sofia”. Sofiatraf-fic.bg. 1941-02-14. Retrieved 2012-08-30.

[144] “Public transport Sofia — official website” (in Bulgarian).www.sumc.bg. Retrieved 2008-05-24.

[145] “Transport Company Bulgaria— official website” (in Bul-garian). www.dak-transport.com. Retrieved 2009-08-21.

[146] "Българска национална телевизия – Новини (Bulgar-ian National Television – News)" (in Bulgarian). www.bnt.bg. Retrieved 2012-09-02.

[147] “Metropolitan Sofia Web Place”. www.metropolitan.bg.Retrieved 2008-05-24.

[148] “General Scheme”. Metropolitan.bg. Retrieved 2013-03-12.

[149] “National Federation of the Taxi Drivers in Bulgaria. Re-gional Member Sofia”. nftvb.com. Retrieved 2008-05-24.

[150] Sofia in Figures, p.26

[151] “Fines for bad repair work – 'Dnevnik' newspaper”. www.dnevnik.bg. Retrieved 2008-05-24.

[152] http://www.nsi.bg/spageen.php?SHP=66. Retrieved Oc-tober 17, 2013. Missing or empty |title= (help). NSI

[153] “Accredited Higher Schools in Bulgaria”. Ministry of Ed-ucation, Youth and Science. Archived from the original onMay 28, 2013. Retrieved 23 July 2013.

[154] “Bulgarian universities”. Webometrics Ranking of WorldUniversities. Retrieved 19 October 2013.

[155] “Official website of the Sofia university — History”. SofiaUniversity. Retrieved 19 October 2013.

[156] “Sofia University aims to attract more foreign students”(in Bulgarian). Akademika. 14 June 2013. Retrieved 19October 2013.

17

[157] “University Faculties”. Sofia University. Retrieved 19October 2013.

[158] “Independent structures of SU”. Sofia University. Re-trieved 19 October 2013.

[159] “Faculty of Physics structure”. Sofia University. Re-trieved 19 October 2013.

[160] “University Centres”. Sofia University. Retrieved 19 Oc-tober 2013.

[161] Registry of schools, Ministry of Education of Bulgaria

[162] American College of Sofia Website – History

[163] “Kardeş Kentleri Listesi ve 5 Mayıs Avrupa Günü Kutla-ması [via WaybackMachine.com]" (in Turkish). AnkaraBüyükşehir Belediyesi – Tüm Hakları Saklıdır. Archivedfrom the original on 14 January 2009. Retrieved 2013-07-21.

[164] "Bratislava City – Twin Towns". © 2003–2009 Bratislava-City.sk. Retrieved 7 July 2009.

[165] “Prague Partner Cities”. magistrat.praha-mesto.cz (inCzech). Retrieved 2 July 2009.

[166] “Shanghai, Sofia sign intent agreement to become sistercities”. Retrieved 27 January 2015.

[167] Macedonia’s Skopje, Bulgaria’s Sofia to Become SisterCities. Novinite 2015

[168] “Tel Aviv sister cities” (in Hebrew). Tel Aviv-Yafo Mu-nicipality. Retrieved 1 July 2009.

[169] “Yerevan – Partner Cities”. Yerevan Municipality Offi-cial Website. © 2005—2013 www.yerevan.am. Archivedfrom the original on November 5, 2013. Retrieved 2013-11-04.

[170] “Friendship and cooperation agreements”. Paris.fr. Re-trieved 12 October 2013.

[171] “Acordos deGeminação, de Cooperação e/ouAmizade daCidade de Lisboa” [Lisbon – Twinning Agreements, Co-operation and Friendship]. Camara Municipal de Lisboa(in Portuguese). Retrieved 2013-08-23.

17 Further reading

• Gigova, Irina (March 2011). “The City and the Na-tion: Sofia’s Trajectory from Glory to Rubble inWWII”. Journal of Urban History 37 (2): 155–175.The 110 footnotes provide a guide to the litera-ture on the city

• “Sofia in Figures 2009” (PDF). Regional StatisticalOffice of Sofia. 2009. Archived from the original(PDF) on October 11, 2011.

• “Sofia — 130 Years Capital” (in Bulgarian).Archived from the original on September 12, 2009.

18 External links• Official website

• Online guide to Sofia

• Official Site of Sofia Public Transport

• Sofia at DMOZ

• Archival images of Sofia

• Sofia by Night Light: A Photographic Exhibition

• Virtual Guide to Ancient Serdica

• More than 25 live webcams from Sofia

• Pictures from Vitosha mountain

18 18 EXTERNAL LINKS

{{int:Coll-attribution-page|

• Sofia Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sofia?oldid=731427737 Contributors: Mav, Zoe, Olivier, Infrogmation, Lexor, Sannse, Delir-ium, Александър, Bogdangiusca, Djnjwd, Tobias Conradi, Lfh, Kroum, WhisperToMe, AHands, Maya~enwiki, Bbugg~enwiki, Tpbrad-bury, Itai, Paul-L~enwiki, Bevo, Warofdreams, Wetman, PuzzletChung, Chuunen Baka, Robbot, Moncrief, Ianb, Academic Challenger,Hippietrail, Bkell, Hadal, Profoss, Cyrius, Carnildo, MPF, Arved, Ngruev, Meursault2004, Snowdog, Mboverload, Gugilymugily, Avala,Bobblewik, Pgan002, Andycjp, Quadell, Lesgles, Untifler, Balcer, Johnfkoen, Joyous!, Shabanski, Mike Rosoft, D6, ChrisRuvolo, CALR,EugeneZelenko, Discospinster, Rich Farmbrough, Qutezuce, Delyan, Wikiacc, Silence, Kostja, Kassabov, Rajev, Bender235, Dcabrilo,Violetriga, Fenice, VMORO, Zscout370, MBisanz, El C, Kwamikagami, Kross, Zeledi, Bobo192, Foobaz, Daniel Medina, Hawklord, Manvyi, Nk, Scotthatton, Pschemp, Obradovic Goran, Pearle, Jumbuck, Red Winged Duck, Anthony Appleyard, Hektor, Brosen~enwiki, Wt-mitchell, Velella, Adarshpandit, Evil Monkey, Jguk, Drbreznjev, Axeman89, Deror avi, Bastin, Isfisk, Thryduulf, Philipstoev, Woohookitty,Carcharoth, Robwingfield, WadeSimMiser, Tabletop, Male1979, Hughcharlesparker, BD2412, Kbdank71, Sjakkalle, Moosh88, Adama-cious, Sdornan, MZMcBride, Ligulem, LjL, The wub, MarnetteD, Matt Deres, Sabinpopa, Asphinx, Madcat87, FlaBot, Ian Pitchford,SchuminWeb, Ground Zero, CalJW, GünniX, Ielsner, RexNL, Riso, Chobot, Soul assassin~enwiki, Guliolopez, Bgwhite, Dúnadan, Robotode Ajvol, YurikBot, Wavelength, Paffka, Quentin X, RobotE, Extraordinary Machine, Jimp, Un sogno modesto, TodorBozhinov, Black-worm, RussBot, Mithridates, TwilaStar, RadioKirk, Valkov, Ugur Basak, Big Brother 1984, Megistias, NawlinWiki, Teb728, Wiki alf,Dijxtra, Duran, Rjensen, CrazyC83, Aldux, Moe Epsilon, RL0919, AlbertR, Alex43223, Bota47, Doncram, Closedmouth, Pb30, Chan-heigeorge, Cassini83, Fram, ArielGold, Curpsbot-unicodify, Katieh5584, Kungfuadam, NeilN,Mardus, Anonimu,West Virginian, Vanka5,SmackBot, Battle Ape, David Kernow, CopperMurdoch, Unyoyega, Sue Anne, Clpo13, Nickst, Zyxw, Feens, Gilliam, Donama, Hmains,Betacommand, Polaron, Flexxx, Nbraykov, MK8, Preslav, MalafayaBot, Viewfinder, DHN-bot~enwiki, Cassan, AKMask, D-Rock, Can'tsleep, clown will eat me, Vasilken, OrphanBot, MJCdetroit, Ww2censor, Greenshed, Khoikhoi, Downwards, Khukri, Johncmullen1960,Valenciano, RandomP, Ligulembot, Evlekis, Pkeets, Ceoil, Ohconfucius, The undertow, SashatoBot, Nathanael Bar-Aur L., Mukadderat,FunkyFly, BraikoT, Sambot, Carnby, J 1982, Alexandermcnaughton, Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington, Blinutne, Dhaliwal, Green Giant,Aleenf1, Syrcatbot, Георги Антонов, Cortezz~enwiki, Voceditenore, Stwalkerster, Apcbg, JuniorBG, InTheFlesh?, AxG, TastyPoutine,Dr.K., Andrwsc, MTSbot~enwiki, Jose77, NeroN BG, Hectorian, Iridescent, PetaRZ, Courcelles, Chicho Ficho, Tawkerbot2, Internedko,HDCase, J Milburn, Radi83~enwiki, Daggerstab, CmdrObot, Van helsing, Georgi Genchev, Kerne, LoshoKuche, Kylu, Ræv, Chmee2, Py-rope, AndrewHowse, Cydebot, Ntsimp, Mblumber, Пакко, Future Perfect at Sunrise, Turpster, Yuzz, Eu.stefan, Tkynerd, Julian Mendez,Jel mih, Mathpianist93, Thijs!bot, Epbr123, Wikid77, Deianstoyanov, Marek69, Woody, Edal, Evanescenceboy~enwiki, LaughingSkull,EdJohnston, Nick Number, DemonX, Futurebird, Escarbot, Oreo Priest, Raupp, Neumannk, Derzsi Elekes Andor, Euratlas, TimVick-ers, Malcolm, Kapustin, Sluzzelin, JAnDbot, Husond, MER-C, Epeefleche, MelanieN, SAMbo, Martinkunev, Hut 8.5, GGreeneVa,Frankie816, TAnthony, Cameltrader, SunnieBG, .anacondabot, El Greco, Bongwarrior, VoABot II, Eliade, Transcendence, Chavdarbg, At-ticusX, Adrianski, FDD19, Groser, Corky Butchek, MetsBot, Glen, DerHexer, Msgrjosh, MartinBot, Bissinger, R'n'B, CommonsDelinker,Lilac Soul, Ssolbergj, Gligan, J.delanoy, BigrTex, DandyDan2007, Dwart, Phible, Brest, Reedy Bot, Mannschaftskapitän, Lantonov, Elkost,Abhijitsathe, Austin512, Naniwako, Skier Dude, Warut, Christopher Kraus, Erdeniss, Pdcook, Petardimitrov, Useight, Gpetrov, Lieutenantpepper, Idioma-bot, Xnuala, Black Kite, VolkovBot, Tourbillon, AlnoktaBOT, Ph8l, Ilieva~enwiki, Kinneytj, Lasombra bg, Philip True-man, TXiKiBoT, JudeFawley, Rei-bot, Lf89, ElinorD, CoJaBo, Laveol, Nam3, JhsBot, LeaveSleaves, Bleaney, Natg 19, Madhero88,Uannis~enwiki, Ditta43, Yk Yk Yk, Synthebot, Trojan51, Le Fou, AlleborgoBot, SalJyDieBoereKomLei, EmxBot, Nkfor, SieBot, Ég erAlmar, Phe-bot, ForeignerFromTheEast, Ploutarchos, Jingiby, Triwbe, Editore99, Mr. Neutron, Byrialbot, Harry-, AcerStan, KPH2293,BenoniBot~enwiki, Thm13857, IdreamofJeanie, OKBot, Phaseitem, SiefkinDR, Madenham, Paulinho28, Pmia, Li4kata, Kensington-Blonde, Tbeditor, Stone555, Denisarona, Markrushmore, ImageRemovalBot, Athenean, ClueBot, PipepBot, Fyyer, Arachnidzone, Spar-takus79, Saddhiyama, Drmies, Chech Explorer, Angilari~enwiki, Pareshdesh, CounterVandalismBot, Imperium Europeum, Niceguyedc,Pudelek, Vannisher, Timothyleerussell, No such user, Jusdafax, Estirabot, Rhododendrites, Sun Creator, MacedonianBoy, Sun4life, Kaiba,Aleksd, Bald Zebra, IvanBogoev, DerBorg, Yoman82, Avidius, Qwfp, T06kata, DumZiBoT, XLinkBot, Joseph031164, BodhisattvaBot,MagnusA, Mishobg12, SilvonenBot, PL290, T kanemska, JinJian, Nellyellow, Klačko, Jhendin, Stealman~enwiki, Mich1993, Bare Neck,V.shrike, UltioUltionis, AkhtaBot, SI31, Fieldday-sunday, Pryde 01, Dimezzz~enwiki, Rmiltchev~enwiki, CarsracBot, Debresser, Chen-zwBot, Vovan7349, Doniago, Genchev, Fireaxe888, Ronron101010, Tassedethe, Numbo3-bot, Äppelmos~enwiki, Bigzteve, Tide rolls,IvoBrasil, Filip MKD, Lightbot, Sofia23tippi, M sotirov, Xenobot, Fryed-peach, Wickiss0, आशीष भटनागर, Luckas-bot, Yobot, Sofiac-ityguide, II MusLiM HyBRiD II, Amirobot, THEN WHO WAS PHONE?, Dzochithin, Samtar, GvmBG, MacTire02, AnomieBOT, Ar-chon 2488, Vinyra, Piano non troppo, Ulric1313, Materialscientist, Citation bot, ArthurBot, LovesMacs, LilHelpa, TrueColour, Maurits-Bot, Xqbot, Valkov h, Stoichkov8, AudeBot, Prinzesa~enwiki, Macfloyd, SummerBG, Ghj84li83, The Z UKBG, KrisBogdanov, Balka-nregion~enwiki, Almabot, J04n, GrouchoBot, Bgpatriot, Foreverprovence, RibotBOT, Nedim Ardoğa, Kufalka, Aspirina, Asparukh.,Captain-n00dle, FrescoBot, George6996, SofiaSoGood, LucienBOT, Rezwalker, Komalantz, Tomica, HJ Mitchell, Lovetrance, M2545,SargentIV, Rgvis, M4arnold, DrilBot, July666, Pinethicket, Plevenchanin, LittleWink, Jonesey95, Emanuilsabotinov, Nicksss93, C filev,Serols, Fixer88, Jujutacular, Dangelobg, Jeppiz, Turian, Cnwilliams, KevThei, Bikerboy-93, MrPanyGoff, FoxBot, TobeBot, Trappist themonk, Smr117, Kosiosl, Lotje, Vrenator, Jafargholi, Greg Pandatshang, Cowlibob, Nemoilloyd, Petar ppk, , Diannaa, Tbhotch,Reach Out to the Truth, Merdeluynomierda, Onel5969, Bahnfrend, Sargdub, DRAGON BOOSTER, Antidiskriminator, Yakamoz51,CalicoCatLover, Kralowec, Sbrianhicks, EmausBot, John of Reading, WikitanvirBot, Dewritech, CharlieSofia, GoingBatty, Rename-dUser01302013, Maso123, Slightsmile, Jim Michael, Chefeca, Cadiboy, Pkulczycki, Subtropical-man, Kiwi128, H3llBot, Tim2007viatge,SporkBot, Erianna, EricWesBrown, Sfoske70, Apronbuddy, Vivisexionist, Nitrobulgarine, Donner60, Xiaoyu of Yuxi, Tigerdoom, Hazard-Bot, Puechredon, Quake44, Mjbmrbot, Seliora, DDragonNk-Visual, ClueBot NG, Kreuzkümmel, Dfine2, Movses-bot, Johny SYSEL, Step-kay8, MusicGeek101, Pepo1229, Scapegoat413, Pensionero, Widr, Nickygg, Vlonkov, Civilcolorsadrhsgh, Blood657, Pataki.soma, Help-ful Pixie Bot, Alexandru M., Vitalsignsdfgag, Orderstandgstyetedt, Stepstreesfsdgdfg, Gaurav Pruthi, Titodutta, Dwarvenaxe, BG19bot,Munnery, Pine, Blabyl, Ymblanter, Protectorman, Kndimov, Slav74, AvocatoBot, Matipupi, Knightserbia, Altaïr, Tropcho, Citedhoursrgd,Blamertbhr, DPL bot, Mapsonia, Mateom28, OPolkruikenz, George7Varna, Gwickwire, Clearworthtyj, Wilwhymurmoe, Aisteco, Hurry-takenkgit, Lieutenant of Melkor, Navalpathth, JeanPirès, Lommaren, Brickmotortyui, ThismajorUSA, MeanMotherJr, Antikaramitevorg,Gohan999222, Sadsaque, Smileguy91, Gayboy2001, Lora1307, Cyberbot II, Mario lem73, Andreas Hasanai, Blood8657, Kaloianm,Ceco31, InsideSofia, Khazar2, 4farrar4, 4idaho, Dexbot, SantoshBot, Hmainsbot1, Webclient101, Svubit, Steinsplitter, Speedstar1, Copy-toneso, Ssbbplayer, Lugia2453, VoliBear, Nortimer, ZH8000, Sg.andreev, SnrRailways, Faizan, Epicgenius, Looppushh, Timurr online,Gogo303, Iliangospodarqpetrov, Farrar4, Splendidsounds, The Anonybot, Jakec, MWRBlood, DavidLeighEllis, Juliancho90, Tsvd89, The-worldgymnast1, Softexalty, Cizlini, Null Drei Null, Svetoslavv, EmmaSmithG, Tyanoff, TorpetLegionary, Icensnow42, Owain Knight,JanHusCz, Gerg2013, Monkbot, Vtravel, Dguzzo, Monopoly31121993, Gustavus Adoulphus, Kges1901, Kvantikos afros, Stolichanin, Sig-maEridani, Pishoni, Joseph2302, Coolabahapple, Orangesaft, Robert.stefan.m, Marilyngreene, KasparBot, Zhoxy, Kaloyan34-FR, Musik-Bot, Ajeanivanov, Serdik, Andrea.juliano87, Primetcapraz, Dmr 92, Velin.penev, Apseiqbalio, Tiypistilek, Kargoncium, Green skokljo,

19

Kalin Petrunski, Vargala, Zory5rova, GreenC bot, Jzlatanova, Krasimir ivg, Nkonstanti and Anonymous: 947

|

• File:1-Sofia-parliament-square-ifb.JPG Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/74/1-Sofia-parliament-square-ifb.JPG License: CC BY 2.5 Contributors: http://www.imagesfrombulgaria.com/ Original artist: ArnoldoZocchi

• File:13.modelat_bay_Georgi_i_studenti_ot_akademiata.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1d/13.modelat_bay_Georgi_i_studenti_ot_akademiata.jpg License: CC BY-SA 3.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist:[//commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=User:Temastan&action=edit&redlink=1 Temastan]

• File:376bombgroup-bulgaria-01-jun-1944.gif Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5c/376bombgroup-bulgaria-01-jun-1944.gif License: Public domain Contributors: USAAF Via National Archives Original artist:United States Army Air Forces

• File:Alexander_Nevsky,_Sofia_-_01.JPG Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a9/Alexander_Nevsky%2C_Sofia_-_01.JPG License: CC BY-SA 3.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: Mogadir

• File:Arms_of_Luxembourg.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/05/Arms_of_Luxembourg.svg License:CC BY-SA 3.0 Contributors: This vector graphics image was created with Adobe Illustrator. Original artist: Katepanomegas

• File:BG_Sofia_flag.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/72/BG_Sofia_flag.svg License: CC BY 2.5 Con-tributors: Own work Original artist: Brosen

• File:Basilica_of_St._Sophia1.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c0/Basilica_of_St._Sophia1.jpg License:CC BY-SA 4.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: Miroslav.Nikolov

• File:Boby_Dimitrov_-_Summer_lightning_storm_over_Sofia_(2)_(by-sa).jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/17/Boby_Dimitrov_-_Summer_lightning_storm_over_Sofia_%282%29_%28by-sa%29.jpg License: CC BY-SA 2.0Contributors: Summer lightning storm over Sofia Original artist: Boby Dimitrov from Sofia, Bulgaria

• File:Borisova_gradina_autumn.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cb/Borisova_gradina_autumn.jpg Li-cense: CC BY-SA 2.5 Contributors: Urbnastyle Original artist: Gergana

• File:Bronze_coin_of_Serdi_Celts.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3f/Bronze_coin_of_Serdi_Celts.jpg License: CC BY-SA 3.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: Johny SYSEL

• File:Coat_of_Arms_of_Brussels.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/22/Coat_of_Arms_of_Brussels.svgLicense: GFDL Contributors: This vector image was created with Inkscape. Original artist: Ssolbergj

• File:Coat_of_arms_of_Bulgaria.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/24/Coat_of_arms_of_Bulgaria.svgLicense: Public domain Contributors: The Law for the Coat of Arms of the Republic of Bulgaria, adopted on 05. 07. 1997 (in Bulgarian:lex.bg). Original artist: Пакко

• File:Commons-logo.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg License: CC-BY-SA-3.0 Contribu-tors: ? Original artist: ?

• File:Downtown_Sofia_Boby_Dimitrov_1.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8f/Downtown_Sofia_Boby_Dimitrov_1.jpg License: CC BY-SA 2.0 Contributors: Downtown Sofia Original artist: Boby Dimitrov from Sofia, Bulgaria

• File:Europe_blank_laea_location_map.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b4/Europe_blank_laea_location_map.svg License: CC BY-SA 3.0 Contributors:

• Data from http://naturalearthdata.com/, Scale: 1:10 Mio Original artist: Alexrk2• File:Europe_green_light.png Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3b/Europe_green_light.png License: Public

domain Contributors: Own work Original artist: Aegean Boy• File:Festung_Serdica_Sofia_20090405_006.JPG Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/90/Festung_Serdica_

Sofia_20090405_006.JPG License: CC BY-SA 3.0 Contributors: Self-photographed Original artist: Apostoloff• File:Flag_of_Algeria.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/77/Flag_of_Algeria.svg License: Public domainContributors: SVG implementation of the 63-145 Algerian law "on Characteristics of the Algerian national emblem" ("Caractéristiques duDrapeau Algérien", in English). Original artist: This graphic was originaly drawn by User:SKopp.

• File:Flag_of_Armenia.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2f/Flag_of_Armenia.svg License: Public do-main Contributors: Own work Original artist: SKopp

• File:Flag_of_Bulgaria.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9a/Flag_of_Bulgaria.svg License: Public do-main Contributors: The flag of Bulgaria. The colors are specified at http://www.government.bg/cgi-bin/e-cms/vis/vis.pl?s=001&p=0034&n=000005&g= as: Original artist: SKopp

• File:Flag_of_Croatia.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1b/Flag_of_Croatia.svg License: Public domainContributors: http://www.sabor.hr/Default.aspx?sec=4317 Original artist: Nightstallion, Elephantus, Neoneo13, Denelson83, Rainman,R-41, Minestrone, Lupo, Zscout370,<a href='//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:MaGa' title='User:MaGa'>Ma</a><a href='//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Croatian_squares_Ljubicic.png' class='image'><img alt='Croatian squares Ljubicic.png' src='https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7f/Croatian_squares_Ljubicic.png/15px-Croatian_squares_Ljubicic.png' width='15' height='15' srcset='https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7f/Croatian_squares_Ljubicic.png/23px-Croatian_squares_Ljubicic.png 1.5x,https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7f/Croatian_squares_Ljubicic.png/30px-Croatian_squares_Ljubicic.png2x' data-file-width='202' data-file-height='202' /></a><a href='//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User_talk:MaGa' title='Usertalk:MaGa'>Ga</a> (based on Decision of the Parliament)

• File:Flag_of_Europe.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b7/Flag_of_Europe.svg License: Public domainContributors:

20 18 EXTERNAL LINKS

• File based on the specification given at [1]. Original artist: User:Verdy p, User:-xfi-, User:Paddu, User:Nightstallion, User:Funakoshi,User:Jeltz, User:Dbenbenn, User:Zscout370

• File:Flag_of_France.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c3/Flag_of_France.svg License: PD Contributors: ? Orig-inal artist: ?

• File:Flag_of_Hungary.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c1/Flag_of_Hungary.svg License: Public do-main Contributors:

• Flags of the World – Hungary Original artist: SKopp• File:Flag_of_Israel.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d4/Flag_of_Israel.svg License: Public domain Con-tributors: http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/History/Modern%20History/Israel%20at%2050/The%20Flag%20and%20the%20Emblem Origi-nal artist: “The Provisional Council of State Proclamation of the Flag of the State of Israel” of 25 Tishrei 5709 (28 October 1948) providesthe official specification for the design of the Israeli flag.

• File:Flag_of_Jordan.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c0/Flag_of_Jordan.svg License: Public domainContributors: ? Original artist: ?

• File:Flag_of_Lebanon.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/59/Flag_of_Lebanon.svg License: Public do-main Contributors: ? Original artist: Traced based on the CIA World Factbook with some modification done to the colours based oninformation at Vexilla mundi.

• File:Flag_of_Macedonia.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f8/Flag_of_Macedonia.svg License: Publicdomain Contributors: Own work Original artist: User:SKopp, rewritten by User:Gabbe

• File:Flag_of_Oman.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dd/Flag_of_Oman.svg License: CC0 Contributors:? Original artist: ?

• File:Flag_of_Poland.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/12/Flag_of_Poland.svg License: Public domain Contrib-utors: ? Original artist: ?

• File:Flag_of_Portugal.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5c/Flag_of_Portugal.svg License: Public do-main Contributors: http://jorgesampaio.arquivo.presidencia.pt/pt/republica/simbolos/bandeiras/index.html#imgs Original artist: Colum-bano Bordalo Pinheiro (1910; generic design); Vítor Luís Rodrigues; António Martins-Tuválkin (2004; this specific vector set: see sources)

• File:Flag_of_Romania.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/73/Flag_of_Romania.svg License: Public do-main Contributors: Own work Original artist: AdiJapan

• File:Flag_of_Russia.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f3/Flag_of_Russia.svg License: PD Contributors: ? Origi-nal artist: ?

• File:Flag_of_Slovakia.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e6/Flag_of_Slovakia.svg License: Public do-main Contributors: Own work; here, colors Original artist: SKopp

• File:Flag_of_Spain.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9a/Flag_of_Spain.svg License: PD Contributors: ? Originalartist: ?

• File:Flag_of_Turkey.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b4/Flag_of_Turkey.svg License: Public domainContributors: Turkish Flag Law (Türk Bayrağı Kanunu), Law nr. 2893 of 22 September 1983. Text (in Turkish) at the website of theTurkish Historical Society (Türk Tarih Kurumu) Original artist: David Benbennick (original author)

• File:Flag_of_Ukraine.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/49/Flag_of_Ukraine.svg License: Public domainContributors: ДСТУ 4512:2006 — Державний прапор України. Загальні технічні умови Original artist: Government of Ukraine

• File:Flag_of_the_Czech_Republic.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cb/Flag_of_the_Czech_Republic.svg License: Public domain Contributors:

• -xfi-'s file• -xfi-'s code• Zirland’s codes of colors

Original artist:(of code): SVG version by cs:-xfi-.

• File:Flag_of_the_People’{}s_Republic_of_China.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fa/Flag_of_the_People%27s_Republic_of_China.svg License: Public domain Contributors: Own work, http://www.protocol.gov.hk/flags/eng/n_flag/design.html Original artist: Drawn by User:SKopp, redrawn by User:Denelson83 and User:Zscout370

• File:Flag_of_the_United_States.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a4/Flag_of_the_United_States.svg License:PD Contributors: ? Original artist: ?

• File:Increase2.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b0/Increase2.svg License: Public domain Contributors:Own work Original artist: Sarang

• File:Insigne_Aemonae.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4a/Insigne_Aemonae.svg License: CC BY-SA4.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: Ssolbergj

• File:Insigne_Amstelodamensis.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3d/Insigne_Amstelodamensis.svg Li-cense: CC BY-SA 4.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: Ssolbergj

• {{int:Coll-image-attribution|File:Insigne_Athenarum.svg|https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/54/Insigne_Athenarum.svg|CC BY-SA 4.0|Own work, based on [1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6], [7], [http://ngw.nl/heraldrywiki/index.php?title=Athens [8]] [9], [10], [11], [http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-101997016/stock-vector-athens-coat-of-arms-vintage-illustration-from-brockhaus-konversations-lexik-on.html|Ssolbergj}}

• File:Insigne_Berolini.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7a/Insigne_Berolini.svg License: CC BY-SA 4.0Contributors: Own work Original artist: Ssolbergj

21

• File:Insigne_Bucarestae.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/46/Insigne_Bucarestae.svg License: CC BY-SA 4.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: Ssolbergj

• File:Insigne_Budapestini.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/96/Insigne_Budapestini.svg License: CCBY-SA 4.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: Ssolbergj

• File:Insigne_Eblanae.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a8/Insigne_Eblanae.svg License: CC BY-SA 4.0Contributors: Own work Original artist: Ssolbergj

• File:Insigne_Helsingiae.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/af/Insigne_Helsingiae.svg License: CCBY-SA4.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: Ssolbergj

• File:Insigne_Holmiae.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/03/Insigne_Holmiae.svg License: CCBY-SA 4.0Contributors: File:Coat of arms of Stockholm.jpg Original artist: Oscar Larsson, Yngve Larsson

• File:Insigne_Loninii.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e1/Insigne_Loninii.svg License: CC BY-SA 4.0Contributors: Own work Original artist: Ssolbergj

• File:Insigne_Lutetiae.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0a/Insigne_Lutetiae.svg License: CC BY-SA 4.0Contributors: Own work Original artist: Ssolbergj

• File:Insigne_Matriti.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/30/Insigne_Matriti.svg License: CC BY-SA 4.0Contributors: File:Blason de Madrid.svg Original artist: SanchoPanzaXXI

• File:Insigne_Nicosiae.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3f/Insigne_Nicosiae.svg License: CCBY-SA 4.0Contributors: Own work Original artist: Ssolbergj

• File:Insigne_Olipsionis.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fc/Insigne_Olipsionis.svg License: CC BY-SA4.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: Ssolbergj

• File:Insigne_Posonii.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7c/Insigne_Posonii.svg License: CC BY-SA 4.0Contributors: Own work Original artist: Ssolbergj

• File:Insigne_Pragae.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5e/Insigne_Pragae.svg License: CC BY-SA 4.0Contributors: Own work Original artist: Ssolbergj

• File:Insigne_Rigae.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a4/Insigne_Rigae.svg License: CC BY-SA 4.0 Con-tributors: Own work Original artist: Ssolbergj

• File:Insigne_Romanum.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/ff/Insigne_Romanum.svg License: CC BY-SA3.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: Ssolbergj

• File:Insigne_Serdicae.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/da/Insigne_Serdicae.svg License: CCBY-SA 4.0Contributors: Own work Original artist: Ssolbergj

• File:Insigne_Serdicae_coronatum.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7e/Insigne_Serdicae_coronatum.svg License: CC BY-SA 4.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: Ssolbergj

• File:Insigne_Valettae.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c6/Insigne_Valettae.svg License: CC BY-SA 4.0Contributors: Own work Original artist: Ssolbergj

• File:Insigne_Varsoviae.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0b/Insigne_Varsoviae.svg License: CC BY-SA2.5 Contributors: File:POL Warszawa COA.svg Original artist: Poznaniak

• File:Insigne_Vilnae.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c7/Insigne_Vilnae.svg License: CC BY-SA 4.0Contributors: Own work Original artist: Ssolbergj

• File:Insigne_Vindobonae.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2c/Insigne_Vindobonae.svg License: CCBY-SA 4.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: Ssolbergj

• File:Insigne_Zagrabiae.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/11/Insigne_Zagrabiae.svg License: CC BY-SA4.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: Ssolbergj

• File:Ivan_Vazov_National_Theatre.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9f/Ivan_Vazov_National_Theatre.jpg License: CC BY 2.0 Contributors: https://www.flickr.com/photos/pixelsblue/23092945374/ Original artist: Sami C

• File:Lesser_coat_of_arms_of_Copenhagen.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5b/Lesser_coat_of_arms_of_Copenhagen.svg License: CC BY-SA 3.0 Contributors: Own work based on: File:Københavns byvåben 1894.png Original artist:Greater_coat_of_arms_of_Copenhagen.svg: *Greater_coat_of_arms_of_the_City_of_Brussels.svg: S. Solberg J. and autors of sourcefiles

• File:NDK_Sofia_2012_PD_06.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/13/NDK_Sofia_2012_PD_06.jpg Li-cense: CC BY-SA 3.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: Bin im Garten

• File:Party_House_by_night,_Sofia_(by_Pudelek,_cropped_by_ArionEstar).JPG Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c3/Party_House_by_night%2C_Sofia_%28by_Pudelek%2C_cropped_by_ArionEstar%29.JPG Li-cense: CC BY-SA 3.0 Contributors: This file was derived from Party House by night, Sofia (by Pudelek).JPG: <ahref='//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Party_House_by_night,_Sofia_(by_Pudelek).JPG' class='image'><img alt='Party Houseby night, Sofia (by Pudelek).JPG' src='https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/11/Party_House_by_night%2C_Sofia_%28by_Pudelek%29.JPG/50px-Party_House_by_night%2C_Sofia_%28by_Pudelek%29.JPG' width='50' height='32'srcset='https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/11/Party_House_by_night%2C_Sofia_%28by_Pudelek%29.JPG/75px-Party_House_by_night%2C_Sofia_%28by_Pudelek%29.JPG 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/11/Party_House_by_night%2C_Sofia_%28by_Pudelek%29.JPG/100px-Party_House_by_night%2C_Sofia_%28by_Pudelek%29.JPG2x' data-file-width='2551' data-file-height='1612' /></a>Original artist: Pudelek (Marcin Szala)

• File:Question_book-new.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/99/Question_book-new.svg License: Cc-by-sa-3.0Contributors:Created from scratch in Adobe Illustrator. Based on Image:Question book.png created by User:Equazcion Original artist:Tkgd2007

22 18 EXTERNAL LINKS

• File:Red_pog.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/0c/Red_pog.svg License: Public domain Contributors: ? Originalartist: ?

• File:Remains_of_Serdica_fortress_walls_in_the_basement_of_central_market_hall_Sofia_20090406_002.JPG Source:https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8b/Remains_of_Serdica_fortress_walls_in_the_basement_of_central_market_hall_Sofia_20090406_002.JPG License: CC BY-SA 3.0 Contributors: Self-photographed Original artist: Apostoloff

• File:Road_junction_@_Sitnyakovo_blvd,_Sofia.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c6/Road_junction_%40_Sitnyakovo_blvd%2C_Sofia.jpg License: CC BY-SA 2.0 Contributors: Road junction @ Sitnyakovo blvd, Sofia Original artist: BobyDimitrov from Sofia, Bulgaria

• File:Sofia-oberbauer.png Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cc/Sofia-oberbauer.png License: Public domainContributors: mydsb.files.wordpress.com/2008/01/sofia_past_and_present_1.ppt Original artist: Joseph Oberbauer (1853–1926)

• File:Sofia_University_9.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/55/Sofia_University_9.jpg License: CC BY-SA 3.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: Antoine Taveneaux

• File:Sofia_from_above.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/31/Sofia_from_above.jpg License: CC BY 2.0Contributors: https://www.flickr.com/photos/77667666@N07/9978795445/ Original artist: Tsvetan Bondzhov

• File:Sofia_metro_at_Musagenitsa.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e7/Sofia_metro_at_Musagenitsa.jpg License: CC BY 2.0 Contributors: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nightpish/3513172152/sizes/l/in/photostream/ Original artist: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nightpish/

• File:Sofia_skyline.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4f/Sofia_skyline.jpg License: CC BY 2.0 Contribu-tors: https://www.flickr.com/photos/pixelsblue/23612559722/ Original artist: Sami C

• File:Sophia_the_Martyr.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f3/Sophia_the_Martyr.jpg License: Publicdomain Contributors: http://ikona.orthodoxy.ru/icon.php?source=source3/111 Tretiakov’s Gallery Original artist: Anonimous, Novgorodschool

• File:Speaker_Icon.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/21/Speaker_Icon.svg License: Public domain Con-tributors: No machine-readable source provided. Own work assumed (based on copyright claims). Original artist: No machine-readableauthor provided. Mobius assumed (based on copyright claims).

• File:Sredets_seal_1878.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ac/Sredets_seal_1878.jpg License: Public do-main Contributors: Кираджиев, Светлин (2006). „София. 125 години столица. 1879-2004 година“. ИК „Гутенберг“. ISBN 978-954-617-011-8 Original artist: ?

• File:Statue_of_Sveta_Sofia.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/02/Statue_of_Sveta_Sofia.jpg License:CC BY-SA 3.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: Railroadwiki

• File:Vitosa.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a7/Vitosa.jpg License: CC BY 2.0 Contributors: https://www.flickr.com/photos/podoboq/141880343/in/album-1535963/ Original artist: podoboq from Sofia, Bulgaria

• File:Vitosha_Blvd._2.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/19/Vitosha_Blvd._2.jpg License: CC BY 2.0Contributors: https://www.flickr.com/photos/pixelsblue/23721040585/ Original artist: Sami C

• File:Wikibooks-logo.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fa/Wikibooks-logo.svg License: CC BY-SA 3.0Contributors: Own work Original artist: User:Bastique, User:Ramac et al.

• File:Wikinews-logo.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/24/Wikinews-logo.svg License: CC BY-SA 3.0Contributors: This is a cropped version of Image:Wikinews-logo-en.png. Original artist: Vectorized by Simon 01:05, 2 August 2006 (UTC)Updated by Time3000 17 April 2007 to use official Wikinews colours and appear correctly on dark backgrounds. Originally uploaded bySimon.

• File:Wikiquote-logo.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fa/Wikiquote-logo.svg License: Public domainContributors: Own work Original artist: Rei-artur

• File:Wikisource-logo.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg License: CC BY-SA 3.0Contributors: Rei-artur Original artist: Nicholas Moreau

• File:Wikiversity-logo-Snorky.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1b/Wikiversity-logo-en.svg License:CC BY-SA 3.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: Snorky

• File:Wikivoyage-Logo-v3-icon.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dd/Wikivoyage-Logo-v3-icon.svg Li-cense: CC BY-SA 3.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: AleXXw

• File:Wiktionary-logo-v2.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/06/Wiktionary-logo-v2.svg License: CC BY-SA 4.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: Dan Polansky based on work currently attributed to Wikimedia Foundation but originallycreated by Smurrayinchester

• File:Yordanka_Fandakova.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/13/Yordanka_Fandakova.jpg License: CCBY-SA 3.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: Radoslav Milev

• File:Zx620y348_2628889.png Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/09/Zx620y348_2628889.png License: CCBY-SA 3.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: Serdik

• File:Арена_Армеец_интериор.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8a/%D0%90%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B0_%D0%90%D1%80%D0%BC%D0%B5%D0%B5%D1%86_%D0%B8%D0%BD%D1%82%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%BE%D1%80.jpg License: CC BY-SA 4.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: Ecobul

|

• Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0

}}