HISTORY and ARCHITECTURE You could start your walk among the remnants of Antique Serdika in the very centre of Sofia city, as you head from the underpass at the Presidency and the Archaeological Museum and make it to the Old bath and the Mosque. All the excavations are below the level of the current city.

The history tells that the first known name of Sofia was Serdika, resulting from the name of the Thracian tribe “Serdi”, which used to live here as early as in the V century before Christ. In 27 BC the city was conquered by the Roman legions. It was assigned the statute of self-governing city that could mint its own coins. A stronghold wall was built around the city with four gates oriented in view of the directions of the world. 

Serdika enjoyed its greatest prosperity under Emperor Constantine (306-337). It is believed that his mother was born in the city. He used to say about it – “Serdika, my Rome”, he considered transferring his capital city in here, instead of in Constantinople, after Rome lost its statute of Emperor city.

Ever since then, only two buildings were preserved up to their roofs – the churches “Saint Sofia” and the rotunda “Saint George”. The ruins from the four gates were preserved as well, low fragments of the stronghold walls, tombs from the necropolis of various scale, which are located at present beneath the church “Saint Sofia”. Behind the Presidency is the so-called Constantine neighbourhood where probably Emperor’s palace was located.

Underneath “Independence” Square and “Maria Louisa” Boulevard, one could see the remnants of one of the two main streets that used to connect the Eastern and the Western gate of the city. Actually, the visitors walk directly onto its original millennial stone pavement. Underneath they found the remnants of sewerage system and water-conduit, probably coming from the mountain to Sofia - Vitosha.

Several other streets were found, as well as the remnants of an elite neighbourhood with big buildings that had a heating system, bathroom and interior decoration that illustrate the great capacities of the urban elite in the period of its bloom (IV−VI century). The accent is entirely on the fully preserved mosaic of geometric shapes, found in one of the houses and dated back to the end of the IV century. The mosaic was left in the way in which it was found – folded. At various places, they found parts of earlier buildings dated back to the II−III century, as well as interesting details of everyday life – parts of baths, swimming-pools, indoor and outdoor toilets, sewerage system and water-conduits with clay and lead pipes, numerous colourful mosaics and flooring. They have found traces of various animals reared in the city – birds, mammals and fish.

One could see the remnants of a small church with well-maintained wall paintings. Additionally, people believe that one of the houses in the centre of the main street was owned by the archbishop named Leontius, because at this location they found plates and crosses inscribed with his name.

The city had its own mineral spring – the city thermal springs built as soon as in II century, and the spring is operational until today nearby the Old bath (nowadays, Museum of Sofia). Probably because of its mineral spring, Serdika has the glory of a healing city.

Thus, until 809, when Serdika was besieged and forced to open its gates to the Bulgarian khan Krum. Thus, the city became part of the Bulgarian Kingdom and its name became Sredets, because it was located in the middle of Bulgaria.

Later on, in the end of the ХIV century, the Turkish invaders conquered Bulgaria. They took down the Roman stronghold walls, re-arranged the Christian temples into mosques and, unfortunately, destroyed the city in its antique appearance.

The research works continue.