The Bulgarian First Army was a Bulgarian field army during the Balkan Wars , World War I and World War II .
131-665: Following the military reforms of 1907 the territory of the Bulgarian Kingdom was divided into three Army Inspectorates. Each of them was further divided into three division districts and in war time formed a field army. The First Army was formed by the First Army Inspectorate , which had its headquarters in Sofia and controlled the First, Sixth and Seventh divisions. However, because of different circumstances
262-659: A tetrarchic capital of the Roman Empire. In 343 AD, the Council of Sardica was held in the city, in a church located where the current 6th century Church of Saint Sophia was later built. The city was destroyed in the 447 invasion of the Huns and laid in ruins for a century It was rebuilt by Byzantine Emperor Justinian I . During the reign of Justinian it flourished, being surrounded with great fortress walls whose remnants can still be seen today. Serdica became part of
393-785: A Bulgarian counter-offensive which never came. Then for a period of almost one year there were only a few local actions along the entire front. By 1918 the Bulgarian positions in Macedonia had deteriorated drastically as the morale of the forces decreased due to lack of supplies and ammunition. Then in May the positions of the First Army in the sector of the Fifth Division were attacked by the Greek Army, which had officially joined
524-550: A centre of Sredets province (Sredetski komitat, Средецки комитат). The Bulgarian patron saint John of Rila was buried in Sredets by orders of Emperor Peter I in the mid 10th century. After the conquest of the Bulgarian capital Preslav by Sviatoslav I of Kyiv and John I Tzimiskes ' armies in 970–971, the Bulgarian Patriarch Damyan chose Sredets for his seat in the next year and the capital of Bulgaria
655-512: A counter-attack with his army supported by the neighboring Second Army which until now had remained completely inactive. In addition he could also rely on the Fourth Army , further down the Struma. In this decisive moment on 19 September the acting commander-in-chief general Georgi Todorov met with general Friedrich von Scholtz to decide what to do. The question of a counter offensive with
786-833: A demarcation agreement with British V Corps commander Charles Keightley in Klagenfurt , southern Austria . From 1950, the army was stationed in Sofia. During the Cold War it was reestablished, and it covered mainly the southwestern direction, opposing the Greek Army . The 3rd Army with headquarters in Sliven opposed the Turkish Land Forces ' First Army , and the Bulgarian 2nd Army with its headquarters in Plovdiv
917-585: A general offensive. To counter these negative developments the Bulgarians planned an offensive of their own with both their flanks aiming to shorten the front line and influence Romania in its decision to enter the war. The advance on the right flank was to be undertaken by the Bulgarian First Army which had the following order of battle in July 1916: The Germans finally agreed that an offensive
1048-503: A history of nearly 7,000 years, with the great attraction of the hot water springs that still flow abundantly in the centre of the city. The neolithic village in Slatina dating to the 5th–6th millennium BC is documented. Another neolithic settlement was founded in the 3rd–4th millennium BC near the site of the modern National Art Gallery , which has been the traditional centre of the city ever since. The earliest tribes who settled were
1179-520: A machine-gun battalion, other artillery units, engineers, and other supporting units. In the spring of 1942, Hitler requested Boris' help controlling occupied Serbia . The Tsar allowed the Germans to use his First Army, and so the First Army began its occupation duty in Yugoslavia , where the partisan movement was already active. In early September 1944, the rapidly advancing Red Army reached
1310-572: A new line from Lule Burgas to Bunar Hisar . The Bulgarians decided to carry out a frontal assault with the Third Army while the weakened First Army tried to enveloped the Ottoman left flank. This largest and bloodiest battle of the Balkan Wars the Bulgarians again emerged victorious and the Ottoman forces retreated in complete disorder. The heavy fighting inflicted around 20,000 casualties to
1441-460: A plan to encircle the Serbian forces. The Bulgarian High Command and the headquarters of Army Group "Mackensen" agreed to pursue relentlessly the retreating opponent, to cut its possible retreat routes through Macedonia and to undertake a decisive advance towards Pristina and prevent a Serbian retreat to the west. The plan required the Bulgarian First Army to attack from the east, a detached part of
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#17327801889861572-628: A result regained Southern Dobruja in the Treaty of Craiova of September 1940, and occupied Western Thrace , and much of Macedonia after the Germans invaded Yugoslavia and Greece in April 1941. In the Bulgarian Army , there were four or five field armies, including the First Army, and some 30 divisions. On 22 June 1941, the First Army included the 1st Division ; the 7th Division ( bg:Седма_пехотна_рилска_дивизия ); two border guard regiments,
1703-583: A significant political and economical centre, more so as it became one of the first Roman cities where Christianity was recognised as an official religion (under Galerius ). The Edict of Toleration by Galerius was issued in 311 in Serdica by the Roman emperor Galerius, officially ending the Diocletianic persecution of Christianity. The Edict implicitly granted Christianity the status of " religio licita ",
1834-646: A worship recognised and accepted by the Roman Empire. It was the first edict legalising Christianity, preceding the Edict of Milan by two years. Serdica was the capital of the Diocese of Dacia (337–602). For Constantine the Great it was 'Sardica mea Roma est' (Serdica is my Rome). He considered making Serdica the capital of the Byzantine Empire instead of Constantinople. which was already not dissimilar to
1965-632: A year, reaching its peak in late spring and early summer when thunderstorms are common. The driest recorded year was 2000 with a total precipitation of 304.6 mm (11.99 in), while the wettest year on record was 2014 with a total precipitation of 1,066.6 mm (41.99 in). The geographic position of the Sofia Valley limits the flow of air masses, increasing the chances of air pollution by particulate matter and nitrogen oxide . Solid fuel used for heating and motor vehicle traffic are significant sources of pollutants. Smog thus persists over
2096-476: Is 57 cm (22.4 in) (25 December 2001). The coldest recorded year was 1893 with an average January temperature of −10.4 °C (13 °F) and an annual temperature of 8.2 °C (46.8 °F). Summers are quite warm and sunny. In summer, the city generally remains slightly cooler than other parts of Bulgaria, due to its higher altitude. However, the city is also subject to heat waves with high temperatures reaching or exceeding 35 °C (95 °F) on
2227-507: Is most typically Central European. After World War II and the establishment of a Communist government in Bulgaria in 1944, the architectural style was substantially altered. Stalinist Gothic public buildings emerged in the centre, notably the spacious government complex around The Largo , Vasil Levski Stadium, the Cyril and Methodius National Library and others. As the city grew outwards,
2358-504: Is registered are the duplicate of the Gospel of Serdica, in a dialogue between two salesmen from Dubrovnik around 1359, in the 14th-century Vitosha Charter of Bulgarian tsar Ivan Shishman and in a Ragusan merchant's notes of 1376. In these documents, the city is called Sofia , but, at the same time, the region and the city's inhabitants are still called Sredecheski ( Church Slavonic : срѣдечьскои , "of Sredets"), which continued until
2489-845: Is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria . It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain, in the western part of the country. The city is built west of the Iskar river and has many mineral springs, such as the Sofia Central Mineral Baths . It has a humid continental climate . Being in the centre of the Balkans , it is midway between the Black Sea and the Adriatic Sea and closest to
2620-431: The 2012 Pernik earthquake occurred west of Sofia with a moment magnitude of 5.6 and a much lower Mercalli intensity of VI ( Strong ). The 2014 Aegean Sea earthquake was also noticed in the city. Sofia has a humid continental climate ( Köppen climate classification Dfb ; Cfb if with −3 °C isotherm ) with an average annual temperature of 10.9 °C (51.6 °F). Winters are relatively cold and snowy. In
2751-726: The Aegean Sea . Known as Serdica in antiquity and Sredets in the Middle Ages , Sofia has been an area of human habitation since at least 7000 BC. The recorded history of the city begins with the attestation of the conquest of Serdica by the Roman Republic in 29 BC from the Celtic tribe Serdi . During the decline of the Roman Empire , the city was raided by Huns , Visigoths , Avars , and Slavs . In 809, Serdica
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#17327801889862882-541: The Balkan mountains to the north. The valley has an average altitude of 550 metres (1,800 ft). Sofia is the second highest capital of the European Union (after Madrid ) and the third highest capital of Europe (after Andorra la Vella and Madrid). Unlike most European capitals, Sofia does not straddle any large river, but is surrounded by comparatively high mountains on all sides. Three mountain passes lead to
3013-511: The Bulgarian National Revival . In 1858 Nedelya Petkova created the first Bulgarian school for women in the city. In 1867 was inaugurated the first chitalishte in Sofia – a Bulgarian cultural institution. In 1870 the Bulgarian revolutionary Vasil Levski established a revolutionary committee in the city and in the neighbouring villages. Following his capture in 1873, Vasil Levski was transferred and hanged in Sofia by
3144-1131: The Bulgarian Orthodox Church , was included onto the World Heritage List in 1979. With its cultural significance in Southeast Europe , Sofia is home to the National Opera and Ballet of Bulgaria , the National Palace of Culture , the Vasil Levski National Stadium , the Ivan Vazov National Theatre , the National Archaeological Museum , and the Serdica Amphitheatre . The Museum of Socialist Art includes many sculptures and posters that educate visitors about
3275-600: The Eleventh Army , now under the command of general Arnold von Winckler , and came under the new Army Group " Below ", replacing Army Group "Mackensen" which was dissolved on the Macedonian Front on 30 July 1916 as field marshal Mackensen was needed in northern Bulgaria to take command of the forces concentrating for the operations against Romania. The former units of the First Army, now under German command, continued fighting around Monastir till December when
3406-767: The First Bulgarian Empire during the reign of Khan Krum in 809, after a long siege . The fall of the strategic city prompted a major and ultimately disastrous invasion of Bulgaria by the Byzantine emperor Nikephoros I , which led to his demise at the hands of the Bulgarian army . In the aftermath of the war, the city was permanently integrated in Bulgaria and became known by the Slavic name of Sredets. It grew into an important fortress and administrative centre under Krum's successor Khan Omurtag , who made it
3537-603: The Romanian Army entered Vrazhdebna in 1913, then a village 11 kilometres (7 miles) from Sofia, now a suburb, this prompted the Tsardom of Bulgaria to capitulate. During the war, Sofia was flown by the Romanian Air Corps , which engaged on photoreconnaissance operations and threw propaganda pamphlets to the city. Thus, Sofia became the first capital on the world to be overflown by enemy aircraft. During
3668-695: The Second World War , Bulgaria declared war on the US and UK on 13 December 1941 and in late 1943 and early 1944 the US and UK Air forces conducted bombings over Sofia . As a consequence of the bombings thousands of buildings were destroyed or damaged including the Capital Library and thousands of books. In 1944 Sofia and the rest of Bulgaria was occupied by the Soviet Red Army and within days of
3799-620: The Thracian Tilataei . In the 500s BC, the area became part of a Thracian state union, the Odrysian kingdom from another Thracian tribe the Odrysses . In 339 BC Philip II of Macedon destroyed and ravaged the town for the first time. The Celtic tribe Serdi gave their name to the city. The earliest mention of the city comes from an Athenian inscription from the 1st century BC, attesting Astiu ton Serdon , i.e. city of
3930-624: The Vatican established the See of Sofia for Catholics of Rumelia , which existed until 1715 when most Catholics had emigrated. There was an important uprising against Ottoman rule in Sofia, Samokov and Western Bulgaria in 1737. Sofia entered a period of economic and political decline in the 17th century, accelerated during the period of anarchy in the Ottoman Balkans of the late 18th and early 19th century, when local Ottoman warlords ravaged
4061-730: The Western Front and on the Eastern Front their Gorlice–Tarnów Offensive ended in major defeat for the Russians. Under these circumstances on 6 September (24 August) 1915 at the German military headquarters in Pleß Bulgaria and Germany signed a treaty of alliance . A military convention, which included Austria-Hungary as a third party and laid the plan for the conquest of Serbia , was also concluded. In accordance with
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4192-501: The 10th division was formed by one brigade from the 1st division and another one from the 6th division. Hence it was called the "Mixed" division. The order of battle on 4 of October 1912 O.S. was as follows: The Bulgarian plan placed the First Army commanded by Lieutenant General Vasil Kutinchev in the center of the battle line and its task was to advance rapidly, engage the main Ottoman forces positioned between Kirk Kilisse and Adrianople and position itself so it could assist both
4323-402: The 11th century many Pechenegs were settled down in Sofia region as Byzantine federats. It was once again incorporated into the restored Bulgarian Empire in 1194 at the time of Emperor Ivan Asen I and became a major administrative and cultural centre. Several of the city's governors were members of the Bulgarian imperial family and held the title of sebastokrator , the second highest at
4454-632: The 14th century till the 19th century Sofia was an important administrative center in the Ottoman Empire. It became the capital of the beylerbeylik of Rumelia ( Rumelia Eyalet ), the province that administered the Ottoman lands in Europe (the Balkans ), one of the two together with the beylerbeylik of Anatolia . It was the capital of the important Sanjak of Sofia as well, including the whole of Thrace with Plovdiv and Edirne , and part of Macedonia with Thessaloniki and Skopje . During
4585-439: The 20th century. The Ottomans came to favour the name Sofya ( صوفيه ). In 1879, there was a dispute about what the name of the new Bulgarian capital should be, when the citizens created a committee of famous people, insisting for the Slavic name. Gradually, a compromise arose, officialisation of Sofia for the nationwide institutions, while legitimating the title Sredets for the administrative and church institutions, before
4716-475: The 3rd "Balkan" division took Prizren and was placed under the command of the First Army. With the end of the campaign a general order for the regrouping of all Bulgarian forces was issued. The 9th division was moved to the Skopje - Prilep area, the 1st "Sofia" division was ordered to concentrate around Kratovo , where it would remain under the direct control of the Bulgarian high command. The cavalry division and
4847-533: The 3rd century, it became the capital of Dacia Aureliana , and when Emperor Diocletian divided the province of Dacia Aureliana into Dacia Ripensis (at the banks of the Danube ) and Dacia Mediterranea , Serdica became the capital of the latter. Serdica's citizens of Thracian descent were referred to as Illyrians probably because it was at some time the capital of Eastern Illyria ( Second Illyria ). Roman emperors Aurelian (215–275) and Galerius (260–311) were born in Serdica. The city expanded and became
4978-407: The 7th and 6th divisions were detached from the First Army and replaced by the 3rd and newly formed 10th division, which were otherwise part of the Second Army Inspectorate. Thus after the declaration of general mobilization in September 1912 the army consisted of three infantry division and a cavalry regiment. However, only the 3rd division had its full wartime strength of three infantry brigades while
5109-443: The 8th "Tunzha" infantry division were also ordered to join the First Army. With the successful conclusion of the Serbian campaign and withdrawal of the French and British expeditionary forces back to Salonika the Bulgarian armies reached the Greek border. Under the influence of the German high command they were ordered not to cross into Greek territory. The Bulgarian commander-in-chief general Nikola Zhekov remained concerned about
5240-421: The 8th, 9th and 3rd infantry divisions and the cavalry divisions and occupied a 140-kilometer front, from Debar and Struga to the bend of the river Cherna and the Vardar . It remained part of Army Group "Mackensen", which had its headquarters in Skopje , together with the Bulgarian 5th "Danube" division, the German 4th Reserve Corps and the German 210th composite brigade which formed the Eleventh Army . In
5371-557: The 90s and 102,623 between 2000 and 2011. Until 1949, 13,114 buildings were constructed and between 10,000 and 20,000 in each following decade. Sofia's architecture combines a wide range of architectural styles, some of which are aesthetically incompatible. These vary from Christian Roman architecture and medieval Bulgarian fortresses to Neoclassicism and prefabricated Socialist-era apartment blocks, as well as newer glass buildings and international architecture. A number of ancient Roman, Byzantine and medieval Bulgarian buildings are preserved in
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5502-463: The 9th "Pleven" infantry division to be given to that army so that it can consolidate its position. General Zhekov agreed and ordered the division to leave the First Army, join the Eleventh Army and concentrate behind the German 4th Corps. By 1 June the Entente forces were additionally strengthened by the arrival of some 115,488 Serbian soldiers, which were organized in three corps-sized formations called armies. The Allies now had over 313,000 troops in
5633-408: The 9th Division while a secondary attack was planned against the 1st brigade of the 11th Infantry Division. The Allied Vardar Offensive opened on 15 September 1918 with the Battle of Dobro Pole and after a relative short struggle a breakthrough was achieved. On the next day at Lake Doiran the Allies began a two-day artillery barrage in which more than 300,000 ordinary and gas shells were fired on
5764-457: The Allied Salonica forces Franchet d'Espèrey planned to take advantage of this by organizing a new great offensive in Macedonia. For that purpose he gathered a force of 28 divisions or between 670,000 and 717,000 men with over 2,000 artillery pieces, 2609 machine guns and 200 airplanes. The main blow was to be delivered against the German Eleventh Army, which by now consisted almost entirely by Bulgarian units at Dobro Pole, with secondary attacks to
5895-431: The Allied forces in 1917. In the ensuing Battle of Skra-di-Legen at the peak of Yarebichina the Bulgarians lost almost their entire 49th Infantry Regiment. This victory was of little strategic value to the Allies but it sapped the morale of the Bulgarian troops in the sector. After the battle general Nikola Zhekov , general Sholtz and crown prince Boris arrived at the headquarters of the Fifth Division to inquire for
6026-447: The Allied offensive was finally halted. The new Bulgarian First Army now consisted of the Fifth "Danube" Infantry Division on the western bank of the Vardar , the Ninth "Pleven" Infantry Division between the Vardar and Lake Dojran , one brigade from the Eleventh "Macedonian" Infantry Division from Lake Dojran to the Belasica Mountain. For the rest of 1916 its sector saw only secondary fighting. On 21 April 1917 general Otto von Below
6157-421: The Allies but also failed to achieve its final military objective to take the Chegan village and the pass north of Lake Ostrovo. General Maurice Sarrail now prepared a counterattack against the First Bulgarian Army that would eventually develop in the Monastir Offensive . The blow was to be directed against the right wing of the First Army which consisted of the Third infantry brigade of the 6th "Bdin" division,
6288-434: The Austro-Hungarian Third Army. On 1 October(14 October) 1915 the army had the following organization: The Serbians were informed about the Bulgarian war preparations by their military attaché in Sofia and the units covering the border between the two countries. Once Bulgaria declared mobilization the Serbian High Command planned a preemptive strike against the Bulgarian forces who were still concentrating and organizing on
6419-428: The Balkan Mountains, passing between the eastern city suburbs, next to the main building and below the runways of Sofia Airport , and flows out of the Sofia Valley at the town of Novi Iskar , where the scenic Iskar Gorge begins. The city is known for its 49 mineral and thermal springs. Artificial and dam lakes were built in the twentieth century. While the 1818 and 1858 earthquakes were intense and destructive,
6550-409: The Balkan Wars. In 1915 activities in the diplomatic arena intensified and both the Entente and the Central powers tried to win new allies, especially in the Balkans . Bulgaria's main aim was to regain Macedonia but Serbia was unwilling to make any compromises which gave the German diplomacy a great advantage. The general military situation also favored the Central Powers—the Germans were holding firm on
6681-406: The Bulgarian command began transferring its forces from Eastern Thrace to the western part of the country. During this time the organization of the field armies went through some major changes, including the creation of several new brigades and the formation of a new field army. The First Army, still under the command of Lieutenant General Vasil Kutinchev , was deployed in the northwestern part of
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#17327801889866812-472: The Bulgarian forces which again forced the Bulgarian command to order a couple of days' rest for the armies. By the time the Bulgarians continued the advance the Ottoman Army had occupied the Chataldzha defensive line where it finally managed to hold its opponent after the battle on 4 and 5 November 1912. The First and Third Bulgarian armies remained at the Chataldzha line until the end of the war and managed to repel several Ottoman attempted breakthroughs. In
6943-411: The Bulgarian positions. Unlike at Dobro Pole, however, the troops in the Doiran sector preserved their high morale due to the personal inspection of the battlefield that the army commander general Nerezov made and the skilful leadership of the commander of the division general Vladimir Vazov . In addition the two commanders had regrouped their forces in such a way that a sufficient reserve of two regiments
7074-612: The EU norm of 50 μg/m . Even areas with few sources of air pollution, like Gorna Banya , had PM2.5 and PM10 levels above safe thresholds. In response to hazardous spikes in air pollution, the Municipal Council implemented a variety of measures in January 2018, like more frequent washing of streets. However, a report by the European Court of Auditors issued in September 2018 revealed that Sofia has not drafted any projects to reduce air pollution from heating. The report also noted that no industrial pollution monitoring stations operate in Sofia, even though industrial facilities are active in
7205-403: The Entente for assistance in the form of a 150,000 strong army. Although the Entente couldn't provide the troops the Serbian army was prepared to attack Bulgaria. However, the Serb Prime Minister Pašić did not dare to attack Bulgaria over explicit opposition of all the Allied Powers (Russia, France and Great Britain). On 1 October(14 October) 1915 Bulgaria declared war on Serbia and the First Army
7336-435: The First Army consisted of three 10,000-men divisions. By December 1944, the First Army numbered 99,662 men. The First Army took part in the Bulgarian Army's advance northwards into the Balkan Peninsula with logistical support and under command of the Red Army. The First Army, along with the rest of the Bulgarian forces, advanced into Hungary and Austria in the spring of 1945, despite heavy casualties and bad conditions in
7467-418: The First Army general Dimitar Geshov with the former commander of the Ninth "Pleven" Division general Stefan Nerezov . Morale in some parts of the front, however, remained critical as news about German misfortunes in the Western Front reached the troops on the Balkans the few remaining German troops in Macedonia were being pulled out and the deprivations in the Bulgarian Army continued. The new commander of
7598-443: The Muslim population left Sofia. For a few decades after the liberation, Sofia experienced large population growth, mainly by migration from other regions of the Principality (Kingdom since 1908) of Bulgaria, and from the still Ottoman Macedonia and Thrace . In 1900, the first electric lightbulb in the city was turned on. In the Second Balkan War , Bulgaria was fighting alone practically all of its neighbouring countries. When
7729-409: The Northern Operations Group of the Second Bulgarian Army in an attempt to break through and join the French and British forces advancing up the Vardar valley. In view of these events on 6 November the 8th "Tundzha" division left the First Army and was placed under the command of the Northern Operations Group while the 6th "Bdin" division was ordered to redeploy around Blagoevgrad and Dupnitsa under
7860-419: The Ottoman Empire's key province in Europe. Bulgarian rule was restored in 1878. Sofia was selected as the capital of the Third Bulgarian State in the next year, ushering a period of intense demographic and economic growth. Sofia is the 14th-largest city in the European Union . It is surrounded by mountainsides, such as Vitosha by the southern side, Lyulin by the western side, and the Balkan Mountains by
7991-475: The Ottomans. During the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–78 , Suleiman Pasha threatened to burn the city in defence, but the foreign diplomats Leandre Legay, Vito Positano , Rabbi Gabriel Almosnino and Josef Valdhart refused to leave the city thus saving it. Many Bulgarian residents of Sofia armed themselves and sided with the Russian forces. Sofia was relieved (see Battle of Sofia ) from Ottoman rule by Russian forces under Gen. Iosif Gurko on 4 January 1878. It
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#17327801889868122-407: The Romanian Army. Even though by now most of northwestern Bulgaria was lost, General Kutinchev kept a few battalions in the fortress of Vidin which managed to hold off all Serbian attacks until the end of the war. The Bulgarian high command now planned a decisive offensive operation against the Greek Army which was advancing in the Kresna Gorge. For that purpose Lieutenant General Vasil Kutinchev
8253-399: The Romanian forces around Montana . The rest of the Ninth managed to retreat to Sofia and later form the Samokov detachment which took an important part in the Battle of Kresna Gorge . The rest of the army also retreated towards Sofia and took defensive positions in the Balkan mountain passes. The Serbians took advantage of this and occupied Belogradchik where they established contact with
8384-408: The Second Army on the right flank and the Third Army on the left flank. To achieve this as soon as the advance began the 1st Brigade of the 3rd division was temporary assigned to the Second Army while the rest of the army advanced in the space between the two fortresses. In the ensuing Battle of Kirk Kilisse , in which the Ottoman Eastern Army was defeated and retreated, the First Army bore the brunt of
8515-411: The Second Bulgarian Army from the South, the Eleventh army from the north and finally the main forces of the Third Army from the northwest while its XIX Army Corps blocks any Serbian retreat to the west. However, after the fall of Niš the Germans began pulling out some of their forces from the Balkans and the Bulgarian Sixth and Ninth divisions had been slowed by the swollen waters of the Morava and
8646-463: The Serbians achieved a breakthrough around Gornichevo and forced the Bulgarian 8th division to retreat. Meanwhile, the battle for Kajmakcalan also began. The fall of Florina on 23 September and the retreat of the Bulgarian First Army forced some changes in the Central Powers command structure. On 27 September general Kliment Boyadzhiev was replaced as commander of the First Army by general Dimitar Geshov . The Army itself exchanged headquarters with
8777-415: The Serbians and the French who attack through the Cherna Loop in May. This offensive, however, proved a big disappointment as the French who took the Yarebichina peak from the Fifth "Danube" Division were driven back by the Bulgarians and the British suffered a heavy defeat in the Second Battle of Dojran . By 23 May the offensive was cancelled and the Allies began fortifying their positions in expectation of
8908-424: The Serdi. According to the inscription and to the writings of Dio Cassius , the Roman general Crassus subdued the Serdi and behanded the captives. Dio Cassius, Pliny the Elder and Ptolemy say that in 27–29 BC Crassus attacked the region "Segetike", which is assumed to be Serdica, or the city of the Serdi. The ancient city is located between TZUM , Sheraton Hotel and the Presidency. It gradually became
9039-404: The Soviet invasion Bulgaria declared war on Nazi Germany. In 1945, the communist Fatherland Front took power. The transformations of Bulgaria into the People's Republic of Bulgaria in 1946 and into the Republic of Bulgaria in 1990 marked significant changes in the city's appearance. The population of Sofia expanded rapidly due to migration from rural regions. New residential areas were built in
9170-404: The Third cavalry brigade and the 8th "Tundzha" and First infantry brigade of the Third "Balkan" infantry division or in total about 36 infantry battalions, 74 machine guns and 35 artillery batteries. Against them were arrayed the Serbian Third Army and the divisional group of general Cordonnier. The offensive began with the battle of Malka Nidzhe on 12 September 1916. After two days of fighting
9301-486: The aftermath of the First Balkan War the tensions between the allies grew significantly, as Bulgaria felt cheated out of its rightful share by Serbia and Greece. After a surprise attack ordered by Ferdinand I of Bulgaria , Serbia and Greece formed a new alliance directed against Bulgaria and the skirmishes between their troops and the much smaller Bulgarian forces that were left behind to protect their country's claims were becoming ever more frequent. In view of this situation
9432-654: The border. For that purpose it deployed the entire Second Army , the Timok Army, the Kraina detachment and the Vlasinski detachment against the sector of the Bulgarian First Army. These were sizable forces of around 100 battalions with 90,000 rifleman, 248 cannons and 94 machine guns. In addition the Serbians also had a defensive alliance with Greece and hoped the Greek Army would also intervene. The Serbs have also asked
9563-520: The causes of the defeat. They reinforced the division with the 80th infantry regiment and planned a demonstrative attack along the Struma by the Second Army in order to retake the heights. The plan, however, never went into action as the morale of the forces in the Fifth Division was so low that an attack was impossible. General Zhekov then sought to remedy the situations by replacing the commander of
9694-522: The centre of the city. These include the 4th century Rotunda of St. George , the walls of the Serdica fortress and the partially preserved Amphitheatre of Serdica . After the Liberation War, knyaz Alexander Battenberg invited architects from Austria-Hungary to shape the new capital's architectural appearance. Among the architects invited to work in Bulgaria were Friedrich Grünanger , Adolf Václav Kolář, and Viktor Rumpelmayer , who designed
9825-557: The city as temperature inversions and the mountains surrounding the city prevent the circulation of air masses. As a result, air pollution levels in Sofia are some of the highest in Europe. Particulate matter concentrations are consistently above the norm. During the October 2017 – March 2018 heating season, particulate levels exceeded the norm on 70 occasions; on 7 January 2018, PM10 levels reached 632 μg/m , some twelve times
9956-672: The city's earliest name, first appeared on paper in an 11th-century text. The city was called Atralisa by the Arab traveller Idrisi and Strelisa , Stralitsa , or Stralitsion by the Crusaders . The name Sofia comes from the Saint Sofia Church , as opposed to the prevailing Slavic origin of Bulgarian cities and towns . The origin is in the Greek word sophía ( σοφία , "wisdom"). The earliest works where this latest name
10087-528: The city, which have been key roads since antiquity, Vitosha being the watershed between Black and Aegean Seas . A number of shallow rivers cross the city, including the Boyanska , Vladayska and Perlovska . The Iskar River in its upper course flows near eastern Sofia. It takes its source in Rila , Bulgaria's highest mountain, and enters Sofia Valley near the village of German . The Iskar flows north toward
10218-414: The city. A monitoring station on Eagles' Bridge, where some of the highest particulate matter values were measured, was moved away from the location and has measured sharply lower values since then. Particulates are now largely measured by a network of 300 sensors maintained by volunteers since 2017. The European Commission has taken Bulgaria to court over its failure to curb air pollution. The area has
10349-455: The coldest days temperatures can drop below −15 °C (5 °F), most notably in January. The lowest recorded temperature is −31.2 °C (−24 °F) (16 January 1893). On average, Sofia receives a total snowfall of 98 cm (38.6 in) and 56 days with snow cover. The snowiest recorded winter was 1939/1940 with a total snowfall of 169 cm (66.5 in). The record snow depth
10480-596: The communication and supply lines of the Serbian Army concentrated in Macedonia . The conflict, however, began on 16 June 1913 when only the Fourth and Second armies were ordered to attack the Serbian and Greek armies. In the ensuing confusion for almost one week the remaining three Bulgarian armies received no orders to attack. It was only on the evening of 21 June when the First Army was ordered to advance against
10611-545: The convention Bulgaria began mobilizing and concentrating its forces its western border. For the campaign the Bulgarian high command planned to attack Serbia with two armies. The First Army under the command of Lieutenant General Kliment Boyadzhiev was deployed between the Danube and Tran . As stipulated by the military convention it was part of Army Group Mackensen together with the German Eleventh Army and
10742-402: The country between Vidin and Berkovitsa , along the old border with Serbia . Its composition had changed significantly by 15 June 1913 and included two divisions, each with only two brigades, a few cavalry squadrons and an independent infantry brigade. The Bulgarians planned to begin the war with an offensive in which the First and Third armies were to advance deep into Old Serbia and cut
10873-487: The country territory. The metropolitan area of Sofia is based upon one hour of car travel time, stretches internationally and includes Dimitrovgrad in Serbia. The metropolitan region of Sofia is inhabited by a population of 1.66 million. For a long time, the city possessed a Thracian name, Serdica ( Ancient Greek : Σερδικη , Serdikē , or Σαρδικη , Sardikē ; Latin : Serdica or Sardica ), derived from
11004-585: The countryside. 1831 Ottoman population statistics show that 42% of the Christians were non-taxpayers in the kaza of Sofia and the amount of middle-class and poor Christians were equal. Since the 18th century the beylerbeys of Rumelia often stayed in Bitola , which became the official capital of the province in 1826. Sofia remained the seat of a sanjak (district). By the 19th century the Bulgarian population had two schools and seven churches, contributing to
11135-556: The destruction of its bridges. In these circumstances on 1 November the Central Powers began the Kosovo Offensive . Contrary to the intentions of generalfeldmarschall Mackensen the advance of his army group proved to be difficult and slow due to bad roads, lack of supplies and the cold weather. This allowed the Serbians to gradually retreat in good order further into Kosovo and to concentrate greater forces against
11266-402: The direct control of the Bulgarian high command. The exhausted Serbians failed to achieve their aims and in the face of the continued advance of the Bulgarian forces towards Pristina from the east and the south ordered a general withdrawal . On 10 November the 9th "Pleven" division and the German 101st division entered the town but the successful retreat of the Serbian Army on the right bank of
11397-534: The divisions of the army operated independently towards achieving their individual objectives. In the southern sector the "Sofia" infantry division was engaged in heavy fighting with parts of the Serbian Second Army and failed to take Pirot . However, the Bulgarian advance in the north was proceeding more rapidly and the taking of Knjaževac by the "Tundzha" division eventually forced the Serbians to pull out of Pirot in order to avoid encirclement. This
11528-421: The fighting and suffered the greater part of the 5,745 Bulgarian casualties in that battle. The Bulgarian command ordered a couple of days' rest so that the forces can regroup before pursuing the enemy. When the advance was renewed the First Army left behind the entire 3rd division around Adrianople to protect against attacks from the right flank. The Ottoman Army meanwhile had consolidated and reinforced itself on
11659-428: The final results of the offensive because his army was scattered on a 140 km front and lacked enough mountain and heavy artillery. Facing the Bulgarians were the six infantry and one cavalry divisions of the three Serbian armies. The offensive began on 17 August 1916 with the Bulgarians taking Florina (Lerin), Banitsa and Kastoria . The advance, however, soon ran into difficulty and slowed down considerably due to
11790-522: The forces to dig in on the occupied positions between Lake Ostrovo , Lake Petrovsko and along the ridges of the Nidže. For the next several days the Bulgarian positions were subjected to heavy artillery fire and few Serbian attacks that were repulsed. The so-called Chegan Offensive , also known as the Lerin Offensive, had failed. It failed to influence Romania , which entered the war on the side of
11921-485: The hottest days, particularly in July and August. The highest recorded temperature is 40.2 °C (104 °F) (5 July 2000). The hottest recorded month was July 2012 with an average temperature of 24.8 °C (77 °F). The warmest year on record was 2023 with an annual temperature of 12.1 °C (54 °F). Springs and autumns in Sofia are usually short with variable and dynamic weather. The city receives an average precipitation of 625.7 mm (24.63 in)
12052-541: The increased Serbian resistance. The fighting was especially heavy on the bare rocky slopes of the Chegan Mountain and the Nidže . The Serbians were constantly reinforced with new artillery and fresh troops thanks to railway that reached the battlefield while the Bulgarians soon began depleting their ammunition stocks. This and the slow advance forced the Bulgarian high command to call off all attacks on 27 August and order
12183-639: The increasing Allied presence in Greece and insisted upon an attack on Salonika. Instead on 9 February 1916 during a meeting in the German military headquarters in Pleß he and the Chief of the General Staff von Falkenhayn agreed to begin fortifying the positions that were already taken on the Greek border and to resolve the question of an offensive latter. Since December 1915 the Bulgarian First Army consisted of
12314-523: The initial stages of the Crusade of Varna in 1443, it was occupied by Hungarian forces for a short time in 1443, and the Bulgarian population celebrated a mass Saint Sofia Church . Following the defeat of the crusader forces in 1444, the city's Christians faced persecution. In 1530 Sofia became the capital of the Ottoman province (beylerbeylik) of Rumelia for about three centuries. During that time Sofia
12445-472: The largest bedesten (market) of the Balkans. Additionally, there were fountains and hammams (bathhouses). Most prominent churches such as Saint Sofia and Saint George were converted into mosques, and a number of new ones were constructed, including Banya Bashi Mosque built by the renowned Ottoman architect Mimar Sinan . In total there were 11 big and over 100 small mosques by the 17th century. In 1610
12576-475: The last mention was in the 19th century in a Bulgarian text ( Сардакіи , Sardaki ). Other names given to Sofia, such as Serdonpolis ( Byzantine ‹See Tfd› Greek : Σερδών πόλις , "City of the Serdi") and Triaditza ( Τριάδιτζα , "Trinity"), were mentioned by Byzantine Greek sources or coins. The Slavic name Sredets ( Church Slavonic : Срѣдецъ ), which is related to "middle" ( среда , "sreda") and to
12707-401: The latter was abandoned through the years. Sofia City Province has an area of 1344 km , while the surrounding and much bigger Sofia Province is 7,059 km . Sofia's development as a significant settlement owes much to its central position in the Balkans . It is situated in western Bulgaria, at the northern foot of the Vitosha mountain, in the Sofia Valley that is surrounded by
12838-768: The lifestyle in communist Bulgaria . The population of Sofia declined from 70,000 in the late 18th century, through 19,000 in 1870, to 11,649 in 1878, after which it began increasing. Sofia hosts some 1.28 million residents within a territory of 500 km , a concentration of 17.9% of the country population within the 200th percentile of the country territory. The urban area of Sofia hosts some 1.54 million residents within 5723 km , which comprises Sofia City Province and parts of Sofia Province ( Dragoman , Slivnitsa , Kostinbrod , Bozhurishte , Svoge , Elin Pelin , Gorna Malina , Ihtiman , Kostenets ) and Pernik Province ( Pernik , Radomir ), representing 5.16% of
12969-512: The most important Roman city of the region. It became a municipium during the reign of Emperor Trajan (98–117). Serdica expanded, as turrets , protective walls, public baths , administrative and cult buildings, a civic basilica , an amphitheatre , a circus, the City council (Boulé), a large forum, a big circus (theatre), etc. were built. Serdica was a significant city on the Roman road Via Militaris , connecting Singidunum and Byzantium . In
13100-480: The most important public buildings needed by the newly re-established Bulgarian government, as well as numerous houses for the country's elite. Later, many foreign-educated Bulgarian architects also contributed. The architecture of Sofia's centre is thus a combination of Neo-Baroque , Neo- Rococo , Neo-Renaissance and Neoclassicism , with the Vienna Secession also later playing an important part, but it
13231-602: The next several days the situation deteriorated and several thousand Bulgarian soldiers revolted and headed towards Sofia and on 27 September they proclaimed the overthrow of the monarchy. During this time the Bulgarian government was under pressure from all sides and finally decided to begin negotiations so on 29 September the Salonica Armistice was concluded. The First Army was demobilized on 15 October 1918. The Kingdom of Bulgaria , under Tsar Boris III , aligned itself with Adolf Hitler 's Nazi Germany , and as
13362-517: The north, which makes it the third highest European capital after Andorra la Vella and Madrid . Being Bulgaria's primary city, Sofia is home of many of the major local universities, cultural institutions and commercial companies. The city has been described as the "triangle of religious tolerance". This is because three temples of three major world religions— Christianity , Islam and Judaism —are situated close together: Sveta Nedelya Church , Banya Bashi Mosque and Sofia Synagogue . This triangle
13493-735: The northern border of Bulgaria. The Bulgarians continued fighting the guerrillas in Thrace and Macedonia, but also turned their guns on the Germans . By the end of the month the First Army, together with the Bulgarian Second and Fourth Armies, was in full-scale combat against the German Army along the Bulgarian-Yugoslav border, with Yugoslav guerrillas on their left flank and a Soviet force on their right. At this time
13624-494: The northern part of the country. This new enemy threatened the rear of the First Army and forced the Bulgarian high command to order its retreat back to the border. That move had a very negative effect on the morale of the troops and even caused opened mutinies in the Ninth Division which became completely disorganized during the retreat. The situation was particularly bad in the division's Second Brigade which surrendered to
13755-709: The outskirts of the city, like Druzhba, Mladost and Lyulin. During the Communist Party rule, a number of the city's most emblematic streets and squares were renamed for ideological reasons, with the original names restored after 1989. The Georgi Dimitrov Mausoleum , where Dimitrov's body had been preserved in a similar way to the Lenin mausoleum , was demolished in 1999. In Sofia there are 607,473 dwellings and 101,696 buildings. According to modern records, 39,551 dwellings were constructed until 1949, 119,943 between 1950 and 1969, 287,191 between 1970 and 1989, 57,916 in
13886-486: The renewed drive of the Bulgarian Army faced determined resistance but it was not enough to prevent the fall of Aleksinac and on 23 October (5 November) 1915 the 9th "Pleven" division entered Niš where the Serbians had left some 42 old fortress cannons, several thousand rifles and a big amount of ammunitions, in addition around 5,000 soldiers surrendered or were captured by the Bulgarians. The Belgrade–Sofia railway
14017-466: The right wing of the Eleventh Army and the Bulgarian First Army was put forward but was quickly dismissed by the Germans as impossible. In addition no real reinforcements from them were going to arrive on time. During this period of hesitation the danger to the right flank of the First Army grew and it was finally ordered to retreat. The defeated British took advantage of this and began pursuing. In
14148-564: The river Sitnica meant that its attempted encirclement had failed. This ended the second phase of the campaign. After the defeat in Kosovo the remnants of the Serbian Army began its retreat through Albania to the Adriatic coast. The Germans thought that the campaign was over and continued pulling out their troops from the front while the pursuit of the retreating opponent was left mostly to Bulgarian and Austro-Hungarian forces. On 24 November
14279-532: The spring of 1916 as the Allies had finished fortifying the area around Salonica and it became obvious that no Bulgarian and German offensive was going to take place, the French and British forces moved up to the Greek border where they established contact with the Bulgarian forces. In the beginning of April the positions of the Eleventh Army were subjected to heavy artillery shelling and field marshal Mackensen requested
14410-464: The theater which increased the Bulgarian concerns. By July Romania was preparing to enter the war on the side of the Entente which placed Bulgaria in a difficult position facing a possible war on two fronts and in the beginning of August the French and British launched an offensive against the Bulgarian positions at Lake Dojran which convinced the Bulgarian high command that the Allies were preparing
14541-540: The time, after the tsar . Some known holders of the title were Kaloyan , Peter and their relative Aleksandar Asen (d. after 1232), a son of Ivan Asen I of Bulgaria ( r. 1189–1196 ). In the 13th and 14th centuries Sredets was an important spiritual and literary hub with a cluster of 14 monasteries in its vicinity, that were eventually destroyed by the Ottomans. The city produced multicolored sgraffito ceramics, jewelry and ironware. In 1382/1383 or 1385, Sredets
14672-605: The town of Knjaževac and after it had occupied it to divide its forces in two with one part to be directed against Zaječar and the other one send to assist the Third army around Pirot . Facing the First Army was the Timok Army of 31 battalions and 12 gun batteries—mostly third line infantry, commanded by colonel Vukuman Arachich. The Bulgarians managed to defeat part of these forces and occupy Knjaževac while suffering only 280 men killed and 820 men wounded. Meanwhile, Romania had declared war on Bulgaria and its army had begun invading
14803-520: The tribe Serdi , who were either of Thracian , Celtic , or mixed Thracian-Celtic origin. The emperor Marcus Ulpius Traianus (53–117 AD) gave the city the combinative name of Ulpia Serdica ; Ulpia may be derived from an Umbrian cognate of the Latin word lupus , meaning "wolf" or from the Latin vulpes (fox). It seems that the first written mention of Serdica was made during his reign and
14934-514: The west around Bitola and to the east against the Bulgarian First Army at Lake Doiran . In September 1918 the First Army had the following order of battle: For the operations against the Bulgarian First Army the Allied command designated the forces of general Milne . Those consisted of 4 British and 2 Greek infantry divisions or about 66 battalions with 300 artillery pieces and 400 machine guns. General Milne decided to deliver his main blow against
15065-457: The winter. Because of the army's equipment shortages, on March 14, 1945, the Soviets agreed to provide the Bulgarians 344 aircraft, 65 T-34 tanks, 410 guns, 115 anti-aircraft guns, 370 mortars, 370 transport vehicles, and some 30,000 small arms, all free of charge. During 1944–45, the Bulgarian First Army was commanded by Lieutenant-General Vladimir Stoychev . On 8 May 1945, Gen. Stoychev signed
15196-578: Was a minor success for the Bulgarians which captured 14 cannons and c. 1,500 prisoners but the main Serbian forces were allowed to retreat in good order. Faced with the war on several fronts the Serbian High Command decided that it is best for the army to try to hold its opponents for as long as possible and retreat slowly to the south, southwest until help arrived from the Allies who had landed in Thessaloniki . Under these circumstances
15327-453: Was ambushed and soundly defeated by the Bulgarians in the battle of the Gates of Trajan . The city eventually fell to the Byzantine Empire in 1018, following the Byzantine conquest of Bulgaria . Sredets joined the uprising of Peter Delyan in 1040–1041 in a failed attempt to restore Bulgarian independence and was the last stronghold of the rebels, led by the local commander Botko. During
15458-542: Was assigned commander of the Second Army and the units of the First Army were transferred south to reinforce it. A general armistice was concluded on 18 July 1913 and ten days later the Treaty of Bucharest , which stipulated immediate demobilization of the Bulgarian Army, was signed. With the outbreak of the Great War Bulgaria declared neutrality, as it still hadn't recovered from the losses suffered in
15589-576: Was called to the Western Front and was replaced by general Friedrich von Scholtz who established a new army group bearing his name and composed of the Eleventh and First armies. During that time general Maurice Sarrail attempted a new offensive aiming to break the Macedonian front . The British were the first to attack the Ninth "Pleven" Division around Lake Dojran on 22 April. They were followed by
15720-469: Was immediately available. The modern and well build fortifications also made the casualties from the barrage extremely low. So when the Allied infantry began advancing the Bulgarians were ready to meet them with all their available forces. The result was a two-day bloody battle in which the British and Greeks suffered a heavy defeat. In fact the victory was so encouraging that general Nerezov was preparing for
15851-581: Was incorporated into the Bulgarian Empire by Khan Krum and became known as Sredets. In 1018, the Byzantines ended Bulgarian rule until 1194, when it was reincorporated by the reborn Bulgarian Empire . Sredets became a major administrative, economic, cultural and literary hub until its conquest by the Ottomans in 1382. From 1530 to 1836, Sofia was the regional capital of Rumelia Eyalet ,
15982-710: Was marked by a wave of persecutions against the Bulgarian Christians, a total of nine became New Martyrs in Sofia and were sainted by the Orthodox Church, including George the New (1515), Sophronius of Sofia (1515), George the Newest (1530), Nicholas of Sofia (1555) and Terapontius of Sofia (1555). When it comes to the cityscape, 16th century sources mention eight Friday mosques , three public libraries, numerous schools, 12 churches, three synagogues, and
16113-480: Was needed and on 12 August general Boyadzhiev received his orders from the headquarters of Army Group "Mackensen" . The right wing of the army, consisting of the reinforced 8th infantry division (four and half infantry brigades) was to advance and take Florina while parts of the 3rd division towards the Chegan mountain range and the village of the same name. General Boyadzhiev agreed to attack but had concerns regarding
16244-627: Was now opened for the Central Powers and a permanent land connection was established. The Serbians, however, managed to destroy the bridges of the Morava river and slowed significantly the Bulgarian First Army which spend the time between 24 and 31 October in unsuccessful attempts to cross the river. This marked the end of the Morava Offensive. Having suffered heavy losses the Serbian Army retreated towards Kosovo where they prepared to make their last stand. The Central Powers meanwhile prepared
16375-518: Was ordered to begin its Morava Offensive . Its primary objectives were to push the Serbian forces out of the Timok and Morava valleys, to link up with Austro-Hungarian forces advancing from Orșova and secure the Belgrade—Sofia railway by capturing Niš , war-time capital of Serbia. The Bulgarian Army crossed the border on October 11. But the first two weeks of the offensive the advance was slow as
16506-678: Was planned to support the 1st and 3rd Armies). In 1988 the army included the: Other smaller units included the 88th Army Engineer Regiment (Kyustendil, Bulgaria); the 4th Army Communications Regiment (Sofia); the 38th Army Chemical Defence Battalion (Musachevo, Bulgaria); the 1st Cable-Layer Communications Battalion (Sofia); the 1st independent Electronic Warfare Battalion (Sofia); and the 1st Army Parachute Reconnaissance Battalion (Gorna Banya). Sofia Sofia ( / ˈ s oʊ f i ə , ˈ s ɒ f -, s oʊ ˈ f iː ə / SOH -fee-ə, SOF - ; Bulgarian : София , romanized : Sofiya , IPA: [ˈsɔfijɐ] )
16637-508: Was proposed as a capital by Marin Drinov and was accepted as such on 3 April 1879. By the time of its liberation the population of the city was 11,649. Most mosques in Sofia were destroyed in that war, seven of them destroyed in one night in December 1878 when a thunderstorm masked the noise of the explosions arranged by Russian military engineers. Following the war, the great majority of
16768-546: Was recently expanded to a "square" and includes the Catholic Cathedral of St Joseph . Sofia has been named one of the top ten best places for startup businesses in the world, especially in information technologies. It was Europe's most affordable capital to visit in 2013. The Boyana Church in Sofia, constructed during the Second Bulgarian Empire and holding much patrimonial symbolism to
16899-605: Was seized by the Ottoman Empire in the course of the Bulgarian-Ottoman Wars by Lala Şahin Pasha , following a three-month siege . The Ottoman commander left the following description of the city garrison: "Inside the fortress [Sofia] there is a large and elite army, its soldiers are heavily built, moustached and look war-hardened, but are used to consume wine and rakia —in a word, jolly fellows." From
17030-580: Was temporarily moved there. In the second half of 10th century the city was ruled by Komit Nikola and his sons, known as the " Komitopuli ". One of them was Samuil , who was eventually crowned Emperor of Bulgaria in 997. In 986, the Byzantine Emperor Basil II laid siege to Sredets but after 20 days of fruitless assaults the garrison broke out and forced the Byzantines to abandon the campaign. On his way to Constantinople, Basil II
17161-594: Was the largest import-export-base in modern-day Bulgaria for the caravan trade with the Republic of Ragusa . In the 15th and 16th century, Sofia was expanded by Ottoman building activity. Public investments in infrastructure, education and local economy brought greater diversity to the city. Amongst others, the population consisted of Muslims , Bulgarian and Greek speaking Orthodox Christians , Armenians , Georgians , Catholic Ragusans, Jews ( Romaniote , Ashkenazi and Sephardi ), and Romani people . The 16th century
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