From the Turkish BuyukDjarniya (15th century) — at the corner of Legue and Alexander Stamboliiski Blvd; Banya Bashi Djamiya (16th century), opposite the Central Supermarket; the Black Mosque (16th century), now the Seven Saints’ Church – at the comer of Graf Ignatiev and Tsar Shishman streets.
Small churches with interesting mural paintings: St Nikolai – Tsar Kaloyan St.; St Petka – in the courtyard of the building on the corner of Stamboliiski Blvd and Tsar Kaloyan Street; St Petka Samardjiiska — in the pedestrian sub-way on Lenin Square.
More recent monuments: Monument to the Liberators, Narodno Subranie Square, to the memory of the Russian liberators of Bulgaria from Ottoman mle, the work of the Italian sculptor Arnoldo Zocchi; Alexander Nevsky Memorial Church, on the square of the same name (in its basement the Crypt houses an original exhibition of icons); Monument to the Soviet Army — in the park between Rousski Blvd, Tolbukhin Blvd and Evlogi Georgiev Blvd; the Obelisk to those who fell in the antifascist struggle – on the common grave in Freedom Park; the Georgi Dimitrov Mausoleum – on the Ninth of September Square; Lenin’s Monument – on Lenin Square.
Museums: Archaeological Museum – Alexander Stamboliiski Blvd; Ethnographic Museum – The Ninth of September Square (in the former royal palace); Natural Science Museum, 1 Rousski Blvd; Museum of the Revolutionary Movement in Bulgaria, 14 Rousski Blvd; National Military History Museum, 23 Skobelev Blvd; Church History and Archaeological Museum, 19 Lenin Square; Museum of Bulgaro-Soviet Friendship, 4 Klement Gottwald Blvd; Museum of the History of Sofia, 27 Exarch Yossif Street ephesus sightseeing; Dimiter Blagoev Museum- House, Lajos Cossuth Street; Georgi Dimitrov Museum-House, 66 Opulchenska Street; Alexander Stamboliiski Museum- House, 44 Souhodol Street; Ivan Vazov Museum-House, 10 Ivan Vazov Street; Petko and Pencho Slaveikov Museum- House, 138 Rakovski Street; Peyo Yavorov Museum-House, 136 Rakovski Street; Hristo Smyrnenski Museum-House, 116 Emil Shekerdjiiski Street; Nikola Vaptsarov Museum-House, 37′ Angel Kunchev Street
National Art Gallery — Ninth of September Square, in the former royal palace.
The National Assembly
Interesting buildings: The National Assembly, the University of Sofia, the National Theatre, the Palace of Justice, the Central Home of the People’s Army, the Ministry of Defence, the Holy Synod Building, the Bulgarian National Bank, Universiade Hall, the Central Supermarket, etc.
Parks: Freedom Park, Hristo Smyrnenski Park (Western Park), Vladimir Zaimov Park, Park of the Doctors’ Monument, etc.
Major hotels: Park Hotel Moskva – tel. 45-51-21; Sofia, 4-Narodno Subranie Square — tel. 87-88-21; Balkan, 2 Lenin Square – tel. 87-65-43; Bulgaria, 4 Rousski Blvd —tel. 87-19-77; Pliska, 87 Lenin Blvd — tel. 72-37-21; Hemus, 31 Georgi Traikov Blvd – tel. 66-14-15; Slavia, Hippodrouma Housing Estate – tel. 52-55-51; Serdika, 2 Vladimir Zaimov Blvd – tel. 44-34-11; Slavyanska Besseda, 127 Rakovski Street tel. 88-36-91; Vitosha, 9 Isker Street- tel. 88-01-12; Sevastopol, 116 Rakovski Street – tel. 87-59-41; Preslav, 3 Triaditsa Street – tel. 87-65-86; Lyulin, 2 Triaditsa Street, tel. 88-56-42.
Well, the time has now come to get away from it all and go back to Mother Nature to take a breath of fresh air and mull over your impressions. Sofia is blessed in this respect, too, for its surroundings are of unique scenic beauty.So get your car ready and let’s go! The first place to go to, of course, is Mount Vitosha, the capital’s outstanding landmark and an integral part of its landscape. Moreover, on the way there is a little gem that you simply can’t afford to miss.
You’d hardly suspect that the little unassuming Boyana Church in a village in the foothills of Mount Vitosha, a mere six miles from the city centre, is one of Bulgaria’s foremost monuments of medieval art. But just go inside and you’ll have another ‘think’ coming for there you will find 13th-century murals that are veritable masterpieces of medieval art.
After leaving this little art treasure, you’ll be in the very heart of the mountain in less than half an hour. There you may visit Kopitoto (The Hoof),a modern hotel with restaurant built on a big rock projecting out into space, offering you a wonderful panoramic view of Sofia and the whole surrounding plain. If you drive on for another ten minutes, you will reach the famous Zlat- ni Mostove (Golden Bridges), a picturesque spot with a veritable
river of stones washed by the waters of a real river, and where you will find a very cosy Tyrolese-style restaurant.
Turkish Culture in Istanbul 