Founded
seven
thousand
years
ago,
Sofia
is
the
second
oldest
city
in
Europe.
It
has
been
given
several
names
in
the
course
of
history
and
the
remnants
of
the
old
cities
can
still
be
seen
today.
Serdika
was
the
name
of
the
central
dwelling
of
the
ancient
Thracian
tribe
known
as Serdi.
It
bore
that
name
when
it
became
part
of
the
Bulgarian
state
at
the
beginning
of
the
ninth
century
and
was
soon
recognized
as
one
of
the
most
important
feudal
towns,
acquiring
the
Slavic
name Sredets.
Near
Sofia
lies
Boyana
church,
which
is
one
of
the
most
valuable
memorials
of
Bulgarian
and
European
culture.
The
church
boasts
frescoes,
acclaimed
by
specialists
as
“the
best
examples
of
eastern
mediaeval
art
during
its
twelve
century
history”.
The
decline
of
Sofia
during
the
Ottoman
Empire
was
followed
by
the
rejuvenation
after
the
liberation
in
1879,
when
Sofia
was
chosen
as
the
capital
of
Bulgaria
at
the
First
National
Constituent
Assembly.
The
plans
of
1881-1882
were
followed
by a
brisk
and
straight-forward
period
of
construction.
