Sofia history reveals that the city has always been a commercial and cultural centre of its Bulgaria. Sofia has been under the domination of several empires like the Romans, Byzantines and the Ottomans. The city also went into the control of the Soviet bloc for a considerable period of time. The history of Sofia dates back to 3000 years ago. The initial settlers were the Thracian tribes known as Serdi. They used to call Sofia by the name of Serdica.
Sofia history further mentions that in 500 BC, a new tribal group known as Odrysi tribe settled in the city. In 400 BC, the city of Sofia went under the control of Philip of Macedon and then his son Alexander the Great. This city was converted into an administrative region by the Romans in 29 AD. The city got its new name Ulpia Serdica. A lot of urban planning and its execution were done.
After the Romans, it was the Byzantines who took over the control of Sofia. Byzantine emperor Justinian I changed the name of the city to Triaditsa in 447 AD. Under the rule of Khan Krum in 809 AD, the city was made a part of the First Bulgarian Empire. Despite the efforts of the Byzantines, the city went under the control of the Bulgarian Empire. The Slavic name of Sofia was Sredets.
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It was finally in 1376 AD that the city got its present name of Sofia after the name of the Hagia Sophia Church. But the name of Sredets continued to be used till the 16th century. In 1382 AD Sofia was taken over by the Ottoman Empire. For more than 400 years, the city remained the capital of the province of Rumelia. During the 16th and 17the centuries, Sofia was considered to be one of the major trade centers of the country.
As per the modern history of Sofia, the city achieved independence with the help of the Russians in 1878. An autonomous position was granted to Bulgaria, with Sofia as its capital city. In the course of Second World War, Sofia suffered heavily due to a great deal of bombardment. At the end of the war, the city went under the domination of the Russian soldiers. The country of Bulgaria became a member of the Eastern Bloc. A huge development took place in the city under the communist rule which ultimately ended in 1989.
The period of 90s witnessed a good deal of unemployment and political turmoil in Sofia. In January, 2007, Bulgaria became a part of the European Union (EU). This has been instrumental in the development of trade and tourism in Sofia.
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