site.btaSofia to Mark Its 146th Anniversary as Capital with Exhibitions, Concerts

Documentary exhibitions, concerts and photocopies with cityscapes from the past will mark 146 years since Sofia was declared the capital of Bulgaria on April 3, Sofia Municipality said on Friday.

Photobooths with cityscapes from the past will be located in front of the National Theatre, the Regional History Museum - Sofia and in the Crystal Garden. Tours with curious facts from the history around the construction of Sofia as a European capital will invite visitors to explore the buildings on Paris str. 1 and Moskovska str. 33.

Sofia Municipality will open the Sofia City Art Gallery and the Regional History Museum - Sofia, as well as their branches, with free admission, the organizers informed.

The exhibition "Fashion in the Mirror of a Century (1850 - 1950)" will be on display on April 1-14 at Crystal Garden's open-air gallery. The City Garden's outdoor gallery will feature the exhibition "The City Garden: A Love Story of Culture and Nature," which can be viewed on April 3-22. 

On April 3, 1879, the Constituent Assembly in the old capital of Veliko Tarnovo elected Sofia as the capital of the Principality of Bulgaria. The proposal was made by Prof. Marin Drinov - historian, scientist and statesman. According to data from 1878, Sofia had 11,694 residents, 2 schools, 7 churches, 10 inns, 120 shops, 62 taverns, 19 bakeries and 3,306 houses, and its total area was 2.84 square kilometers.