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Table of Contents
Sofia is the capital of the Balkan nation of Bulgaria. It is in the west of the country, below Vitosha Mountain. The city’s landmarks reflect over 2,000 years of history, including Greek, Roman, Ottoman and Soviet occupation. Medieval Boyana Church has 13th-century frescoes.
See the fact file below for more information on the Sofia or alternatively, you can download our 21-page Sofia worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.
Key Facts & Information
DESCRIPTION
- Sofia (София) is the capital of Bulgaria. It is also the biggest city in the country with about 1.7 million citizens (including suburbs).
- Today, Sofia is a dynamic Eastern European capital, distinguished by its unique combination of European and Communist-style architecture and many beautiful orthodox churches.
- It also claims to be one of the few European capitals with beautiful scenery and a developed ski resort (Vitosha Mountain) so close to it.
- The metropolitan area of Sofia can be covered in an hour by car, stretches internationally and includes Dimitrovgrad in Serbia.
HISTORY
- Sofia was founded 2,500 years ago. Over the centuries, it has been given several names including Serdica and Sredets, and the remains of the old cities can still be viewed today.
- Because of its strategic location in the middle of the Balkans, it was selected as the new capital of the Roman Empire.
- Near Sofia is Boyana church, one of the most valuable memorials in Bulgarian and European culture.
- The church has frescoes, acclaimed by specialists as “the best examples of Eastern medieval art during its twelve century history”.
- The decline of Sofia during the Turkish Ottoman Empire was followed by rejuvenation after the Russian liberation in 1878, when Sofia was chosen as the capital of Bulgaria at the First National Constituent Assembly, and a brisk and straightforward period of construction.
CLIMATE
- Sofia has a humid continental climate with an average annual temperature of 10.2°C (50.4°F).
- Winters are cold and snowy. On the coldest days, the temperature can drop as low as -15°C or even lower, especially in January.
- Foggy conditions are frequent, especially at the beginning of the season. On average, Sofia receives a total snowfall of 90 cm (35.5 in) and around 60 days with snow cover.
- Summers are warm and sunny. In summer, Sofia generally remains slightly cooler than other parts of Bulgaria, due to its higher altitude.
- However, the city is also subjected to heatwaves, with high temperatures reaching or exceeding 35°C on the hottest days, particularly in July and August.
- Springs and autumns in Sofia are short with variable and dynamic weather. The city receives an average annual precipitation of 591 mm (23.27 in), reaching a peak at the beginning of summer when thunderstorms are common.
SOFIA’S ATTRACTIONS
- Bulgaria’s capital has many stories to tell, and each historic attraction gives a new perspective on Sofia’s complicated past.
- The churches existed for several centuries as mosques. The overbearing Soviet architecture and Roman history are still being uncovered and blend with the modern city.
- Alexander Nevski holds 10,000 people and is the second-largest cathedral in the Balkan region. As with a great deal of Sofia’s grand architecture, the city’s cathedral dates back to the 1880s.
- This was directly after the Ottomans were overthrown and the state of Bulgaria was reestablished.
- It was originally dedicated to the Russian soldiers who lost their life in the course of the liberation. Its ceiling has a mural of the Lord God Sabbath.
- It was this church that gave the city of Sofia its name in the 1300s during the Second Bulgarian Empire.
- This unassuming redbrick building goes right back to Byzantine times and was founded in the 500s on top of the ancient city of Serdica’s necropolis, as well as an older church from a century before.
- Visitors can see the remnants of this ancient church and the tombs that date back more than 1500 years.
- For two centuries after the Ottoman invasion, this was a mosque, but was abandoned after an earthquake in the 1800s brought the minaret down and another killed the Imam’s two sons.
SOFIA TODAY
- The fall of the Communist Party was followed by over 10 years of chaos and bad government. Office buildings and hotels often sprang up in parks and gardens, infrastructure crumbled and the residents were terrorized by street dogs and ever-more brazen mafia-related shootings.
- Those days are now long gone and Sofia has turned, somewhat reluctantly, into a pleasant, safe city.
- EU-funded infrastructure projects like the Metro have eased the growing traffic problems and the latest craze for malls has transformed many of the city’s streets.
Sofia Worksheets
This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the Sofia across 21 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Sofia worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the Sofia which is the capital of the Balkan nation of Bulgaria. It is in the west of the country, below Vitosha Mountain. The city’s landmarks reflect over 2,000 years of history, including Greek, Roman, Ottoman and Soviet occupation. Medieval Boyana Church has 13th-century frescoes.
Complete List Of Included Worksheets
- Sofia Facts
- Four Facts
- Look Back!
- Sofia Trademarks
- Sofia Jumbled
- Know More about Sofia
- My City!
- Sofia Puzzle
- Complete Me
- My Prayer
- See, Think, Wonder
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Link will appear as Sofia Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, November 4, 2019
Use With Any Curriculum
These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.