Sofia

**Sofia** (, ) is the caipital an lairgest ceety o Bulgarie an the 47t lairgest ceety bi population in the European Union wi 1.3 million fowk. It is locatit in wastren Bulgarie, at the fuit o Munt Vitosha an is ranked as a Beta warld ceety.

Prehistoric settlements wur excavatit in the centre o the present ceety, near the ryal palace, as well as in ooter districts sic as Slatina an Obelya. The well-preserved toun walls (especially thair substructures) frae antiquity date back afore the 7t century BC, when Thracians establisht thair ceety next tae the maist important an heichlie respectit mineral sprung, still functionin the day. Sofia haes haed several names in the different periods o its existence, an remnants frae the ceety's past can still be seen the day alangside modren laundmerks.

## Names

Sofia wis first mentioned in the soorces as *Serdica* in relation tae Marcus Licinius Crassus' campaigns in 59 BC. The name *Serdica* or *Sardica* (Σερδική, Σαρδική) wis popular in Laitin, Auncient Greek an Byzantine Greek soorces frae Antiquity an the Middle Ages; it wis relatit tae the local Celtic tribe o the Serdi. The name wis last uised in the 19t century in a Bulgarie text, *Service an hagiografie o Saunt George the New o Sofia*: ВЪ САРДАКІИ. Anither o Sofia's names, *Triaditsa* (Τριάδιτζα), wis mentioned in Greek medieval soorces. The Bulgarian name *Sredets* (СРѢДЄЦЪ), which is relatit tae среда *sreda* (middle), first appeared in the 11t-century *Vision o Daniel* an wis widely uised in the Middle Ages. The current name *Sofia* wis first uised in the 14t-century Vitosha Chairter o Bulgarian tsar Ivan Shishman or in a Ragusan merchant's notes o 1376; it refers tae the famous Hagia Sophia, an auncient kirk in the ceety namit efter the Christian concept o the Holy Wisdom. Awtho *Sredets* remained in uise till the late 18t century, *Sofia* gradually owercame the Slavic name in popularity. Durin the Ottoman rule it wis cawed Sofya bi the Turkish population.

The ceety's name is pronooncit bi Bulgaries wi a stress on the 'o', in contrast wi the tendency o foreigners tae place the stress on 'i'. Interestingly, the female gien name "Sofia" is pronooncit bi Bulgaries wi a stress on the 'i'.

## Internaitional relations

### Twin touns — Sister ceeties
Sofia is twinned wi:

* **[[Algiers]]**, Algerie
* **[[Ankara]]**, Turkey (syne 1992)
* **[[Berlin]]**, Germany
* **[[Bratislava]]**, Slovakie (syne 2008)
* **[[Brussels]]**, Belgium
* **[[Bucharest]]**, Romanie
* **[[Budapest]]**, Hungary
* **[[Bursa]]**, Turkey (syne 1998)
* **[[Helsinki]]**, Finland
* **[[Kiev]]**, Ukraine (syne 1997)
* **[[Lunnon]]**, Unitit Kinrick
* **[[Madrid]]**, Spain
* **[[Milan]]**, Italy
* **[[Paris]]**, Fraunce (syne 1998)
* **[[Pittsburgh]]**, Unitit States
* **[[Prague]]**, Czech Republic
* **[[Saunt Petersburg]]**, Roushie
* **[[Kahramanmaraş|Maraş]]**, Turkey
* **[[Skopje]]**, Macedonie (syne 2006)
* **[[Tel Aviv]]**, Israel (syne 1992)
* **[[Tirana]]**, Albanie (syne 2008)
* **[[Yerevan]]**, Armenie (syne 2008)
* **[[Warsaw]]**, Poland
* **[[Salalah]]**, Oman

## References

## Freemit airtins
* Three gigapixels photo o Sofia frae 08.10.2010
* Ceety o Sofia 
* Sofia public transport Offeecial Site 
* Sofia Ceety Cooncil 
* Auld pictures frae Sofia
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* 
* Virtual panoramas frae Sofia
* Gallery o Sofia bi Nicht 
* Image Gallery frae Sofia 
* Video Photo Gallery o Sofia, Bulgarie (video) 
* Archival images o Sofia
* Sofia live webcam - the Roushie monument 
*"Sofia"  — pictures frae Sofia