134 Years since the Unification of the Principality of Bulgaria and the Province of Eastern Rumelia On September 6, 1885 Bulgaria managed to return Eastern Rumelia within the borders of the Principality of Bulgaria without any external help. This great political conquest of the Bulgarian people is a day of unification, a national act and the first firm claim for an independent, equal participation of Bulgaria in the modern history of Europe. In honour of the 134th anniversary of the Unification of the Principality of Bulgaria and the Province of Eastern Rumelia, the National History Museum and the National Museum of Military History have announced that on September 6 everyone will be able to visit the museums for free.134 Years since the Unification of the Principality of Bulgaria and the Province of Eastern Rumelia On September 6, 1885 Bulgaria managed to return Eastern Rumelia within the borders of the Principality of Bulgaria without any external help. This great political conquest of the Bulgarian people is a day of unification, a national act and the first firm claim for an independent, equal participation of Bulgaria in the modern history of Europe. In honour of the 134th anniversary of the Unification of the Principality of Bulgaria and the Province of Eastern Rumelia, the National History Museum and the National Museum of Military History have announced that on September 6 everyone will be able to visit the museums for free.In Sofia, the 134th anniversary of the Unification of Bulgaria will be celebrated on September 6 in front of the mausoleum and final resting place of Prince Alexander I of Battenberg.
Sofia celebrates its official holiday this month! The 17th of September marks the memory of the Christian Orthodox saints Faith, Hope and Love and their mother Sophia – a family in second-century Rome who sacrificed themselves fighting for their religion in the name of Jesus Christ. Sofia celebrates its official holiday this month! The 17th of September marks the memory of the Christian Orthodox saints Faith, Hope and Love and their mother Sophia – a family in second-century Rome who sacrificed themselves fighting for their religion in the name of Jesus Christ. The holiday will be accompanied by many events in the center of the city throughout the whole day. Around noon the military forces along with the Bulgarian Orthodox Church will hold a ceremony of sanctifying and raising of the Bulgarian national flag. Just take a walk around on the yellow pavement – the Saint Sophia Basilica, Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, the Sofia History Museum, as well as many attractions with free entrance for the day will bring you the festive mood. You will have the chance to experience a part of our culture, religion, traditions and history altogether! THE COAT OF ARMS OF SOFIAAs a way to celebrate the day of Sofia, we decided to spark your curiosity and dive into a special story. And it is namely about the coat of arms – the most distinctive symbol of our capital! The creator, Haralambi Tachev, has explained in a newspaper interview from 1937 in detail how he chose the different components, so it could represent Sofia at its best. He was given the task of creating a coat of arms of the city in 1900 – shortly after Bulgaria was liberated from the Ottoman rule and Sofia was chosen to be the new capital of Bulgaria. Sofia is an ancient city which succeeded to preserve portions of every epoch it went through. When it comes to history, we can all agree is it one of the main parts that create Sofia’s unique charm. On the upper left corner of the emblem you can see Ulpia Serdica - the head of a woman with a fortress on her head. That is thought to be Julia Domna – a Roman empress from the second century who was worshipped in the ancient city of Serdica and had influence of many of its culture and architecture. On the upper right side stands the Saint Sophia Basilica, which gave the city its name and is one of the oldest churches of the capital, holding a necropolis underneath it dating back to III – IV century. On the bottom left corner stands the mountain of Vitosha – the only century-old witness of all the eventful years of the city and a favourite place to relax these days for all tourists and locals. Right next to it is positioned the statue of Apollo Medicus inside a golden canopy – which represents the mineral springs in and around Sofia. This image is from an ancient coin found in the city as well. In the middle of the coat of arms you can see a lion – a symbol used only for the cities. It comes to show that Sofia succeeds Veliko Tarnovo as the new capital of Bulgaria. On top of it the three tower fortress resembles a crown and on the sides are positioned two twigs which symbolize victory. The motto of Sofia, written below, is translated to „Grows, but does not age”. Seeing all the symbolism put into the coat of arms, we are easily guided to the parts of Sofia which it should be remembered with. So, if you have any doubts about what to do during your stay here, take a second look at Sofia’s symbols and they will give you all the answers!Get to know Sofia better with our free app VisitSofia, at www.visitsofia.bg and on our Facebook page – Sofia Information Centre!
