Sofia

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I had not associated Sofia with the Romans. But I learned that the Roman city of Serdica formed the origins of Sofia. The Church of St. George, built in the 4th Century as a Roman basilica, is a vivd reminder of the Roman origins of Sofia. It's been a Roman public building, a Christian church, a mosque during the Ottoman period, and an active church into the present day. Other Roman ruins of Serdica were scattered about in the courtyard.

A monument that did not last nearly as long was the Georgi Dimitrov Mausoleum. This was the resting place of Georgi Dimitrov (1882-1949), the first Communist leader of Bulgaria. An honor guard in dress uniform was stationed at the mausoleum when we saw it. (It was demolished in 1999 and Dimitov interred elsewhere.)

One thing about Sofia was that all of the main sights downtown, including the ornate Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, were in a relatively small area near the hotel. So, for the afternoon, we headed to the Vitosha Mountains surrounding the city. A unique geological feature found in Vitosha is the stone river or, properly, a stone run. Stone runs are accumulations of boulders with no granular material between them They appear as though they could tumble, but are fixed in place by the process of their formation.

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Photos

Rotonda Sveti Georgi
Rotonda Sveti Georgi - Church of St. George. The structure is a brick Roman rotunda (basilica) dating to the 4th century. Became St. George's Church. Ruins of Roman Serdica surround the church. EE1975126

Guards at Georgi Dimitrov Mausoleum
Guards at Georgi Dimitrov Mausoleum. The mausoleum held the remains of Bulgarian Communist leader Georgi Dimitrov (1882-1949). Demolished in 1999. EE1975128

Changing of the Guard
Changing of the guard at Georgi Dimitrov Mausoleum. The mausoleum held the remains of Bulgarian Communist leader Georgi Dimitrov (1882-1949). Demolished in 1999. EE1975129

Museum of Archaeology
Museum of Archaeology. Established in 1893. It occupies the building of the largest and oldest former Ottoman mosque in the city, Büyük camii (Grand Mosque), built around 1474 under Mehmed II. EE1975127p1

Saint Nedelya Church
Sveta Nedelya - Saint Nedelya (Holy Sunday) Church. Eastern Orthodox church originally built in 1856-1867. Rebuilt in 1928-1933 with a new central dome. EE1975123p1

Bulgarian Communist Party House
Bulgarian Communist Party House. Part of the Largo complex, built in 1955. Socialist Realism architecture.
EE1975125p1

St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral
St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. Built between 1882 and 1912. A Bulgarian Orthodox cathedral. EE1975132

Sofia from Vitosha Mountain
EE1975135

Stone Run
Vitosha stone river. Vitosha Mountain National Park. Stone runs are accumulations of boulders with no finer material between them. EE1975137

Vitosha Mountain
EE1975136

Bulgarian Folkloric Evening
EE1975138p1

Hotel Sofia
The statue is the Tsar Liberator Monument, installed in 1903. It commemorates Russian Tsar Alexander II who freed Bulgaria of Ottoman rule during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878.
EE1975131p1

Comments

[D MJ Binkley]

Sofia
We have a friend who lives in Bulgaria and we are going to tour with her when we go. We are excited about having a local friend taking us around.