Doctor's garden

It is well-maintained, very green, colourful and suitable for a short break. It is located right next to Sofia University and starts behind the National library. A park with interesting history dating back to various epochs.
The lapidarium is located in park’s lower end. In it stone archaeological remnants are arranged in carefree manner dating back to various epochs – antique Serdika (III-IV century), statues, columns, plates with inscriptions aged over 2000 years, remnants of Zeus’ old temple, as well as such of early Christian origin and others with oriental fragments dating back to the times when the place was used as Turkish graveyard.
After the Liberation, according to a project by the city’s gardener Daniel Nef – of Swiss nationality, a park was developed with straight, inter-crossed alleys and circular movement in whose centre a monument was located in 1883 after which the park is named until nowadays. It was built in living memory of the medical workers and doctors who died during the Russian-Turkish War. It is shaped as a cut pyramid with stone sarcophagus on top. Four of its sides were built of roughly processed stone with the names of 531 doctors engraved onto it, since they lost their lives during the battles at Shipka, Pleven and the village of Mechka, battles of key importance to the victorious war outcome. The initiative and funding came from Russia, and the project is by the Czech architect with Russian roots, Antoniy Tomisko. 
Nevertheless, soon after its creation, the park started playing the role of botanic garden – numerous trees, shrubs, flowers were planted, rock garden was built. During this period that lasted almost 40 years, the garden was not used as a park, but it was used for scientific needs instead. Nevertheless, consequently it opened its doors once again for the city inhabitants, while keeping its unique tree, plant and flower species until today.