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Sofia, the ageless city.
Sofia is the capital of Bulgaria.
The city was established more than 5,000 years ago -
far before Rome.
The settlement was born
near the presently existing mineral springs
and quickly turned into a Thracian city.
Romans gave it the name Serdika,
and presently around the entire center of Sofia
visitors can see ruins of their buildings.
The oldest preserved building in Sofia –
the rotunda "St. George the Victorious"
is a part of an ancient complex dating back to the beginning of the 4th century.
It is situated in close proximity to the Presidency.
Inside it visitors can see wall-paintings from Roman and Byzantine times,
as well as from the age of the Ottoman Dominion.
The history of Serdika is closely related to the temple "St. Sofia",
dedicated to God's holy wisdom.
It has no belfry, and its walls had never been covered in paintings.
Demolished by barbarians and natural disasters,
it had always been renovated, the way Sofia had been.
Sofia is a Christian city, but there is probably no other city,
where religious tolerance
exists in such a natural way.
The church "St. Sofia", the mosque "Banya Bashi",
the synagogue and the catholic church "St. Joseph"
form a spiritual and spatial rectangle -
a real symbol of faith tolerance.
With gilded domes, which can be seen from many kilometers,
it attracts tourists and worshippers from the entire world.
Its crypt stores invaluable icons of medieval icon-painters.
Another emblematic building in Sofia
is the Russian church "St. Nikolas the Miracle Maker".
It was designed for a chapel at the Russian Embassy,
but it quickly turned into a temple for the Russian emigrants in Bulgaria.
The architecture combines ancient Russian elements,
mosaics, fretworks and modern influences.
At a distance of only a few meters from the church
is the Natural Science Museum,
and after it, in a small park, is situated the former royal palace –
which is presently the National Art Gallery and the Ethnographic Museum.
The Archaeological Museum is also nearby.
Artifacts and stories from the ancient past are presented inside it.
A real dizzy transferring into antiquity
and coming back through the centuries to the present day
is offered by the National History Museum.
It is located in the outskirts of the city,
and it holds collections of ancient treasures, articles and expositions,
which take the breath of every visitor.
What capital is a city which does not offer places for relaxation and entertainment?
Sofia offers multiple of the aforementioned - the zoo,
wonderful parks, such as the Borisova Garden and
of course the Vitosha mountain - a real oasis of relaxation,
situated at a few minutes distance from the city center.
If you are an admirer of shopping, you can choose
between the traditional commercial streets and the modern malls.
And there is no end to nightlife in Sofia.
Sofia is a city rich in culture - opera, theaters, festivals -
a real palette of entertainment.
The city has a modern airport, multiple hotels
and it is a suitable place for tourism, as well as for business.
This is what this city is - ancient, cosmopolitan, with rich history,
on which you literally walk, religiously tolerant and modern.
This is a wise, and at the same time dynamic city,
which attracts multiple tourists - there is no way it can be different.
It is as if Sofia does not get old -
and it hides a lot more pleasant surprises and secrets,
which are waiting to be revealed and experienced.