Sofia Metro

The Sofia Metropolitan (Bulgarian: Софийско метро, translit. Sofiysko metro) is the rapid transit network servicing the Bulgarian capital city Sofia. It began operation on January 28, 1998.As of May 2015, the Sofia Metro consists of two interconnected lines, serving 34 stations, with a total route length of 38.6 kilometres (24.0 mi) being among the top 30 of the most extensive European metro systems. The Metro links the densely populated districts of Lyulin – Mladost (Line 1 – Red) and Nadezhda – Lozenets (Line 2 – Blue). Also, since 2 April 2015, Line 1 has been servicing the Sofia Airport.

History

Planned since the 1960s, construction of the Metro was not officially launched until the late 1990s mainly because the city did not experience an urgent need for an underground system in addition to the stalled construction due to lack of sufficient funding. Another factor was the depth at which the construction works had to be carried out: being one of the oldest cities in Europe, Sofia contains many historical layers underneath its central areas. Evidence of antiquity can be clearly seen at the Serdika Station which exhibits a wealth of unearthed Thracian and Roman ruins and modern architecture. During the construction of the enormous complex of the National Palace of Culture two stations forming part of the then future Line 2 and their connecting tunnels were built.

Sofia

Sofia (/ˈsoʊfiə/) (Bulgarian: София, Sofiya,pronounced [ˈsɔfijɐ]) is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria. Sofia is the 15th largest city in the European Union with population of more than 1.2 million people. The city is located at the foot of Vitosha Mountain in the western part of the country, within less than 50 kilometres (31 mi) drive from the Serbian border. Its location in the centre of the Balkan peninsula means that it is the midway between the Black Sea and the Adriatic Sea, whereas the Aegean Sea is the closest to it.

Sofia has been an area of human habitation since at least 7000 BCE. Many of the major universities, cultural institutions and commercial companies of Bulgaria are concentrated in Sofia. Sofia is one of the top 10 best places for start-up business in the world, especially in IT technologies. Sofia is Europe's most affordable capital to visit as of 2013.

Names

For the longest time the city possessed a Thracian name, derived from the tribe Serdi, who were either of Thracian,Celtic, or mixed Thracian-Celtic origin. The Serdi and the name of emperor Marcus Ulpius Traianus (53 – 117 AD) prompted the Romans to give the city the combinative name of Ulpia Serdica; Ulpia is derived from an Umbrian cognate of the Latin word lupus, meaning "wolf." It seems that the first written mention of Serdica was made during his reign and the last mention was in the 19th century in a Bulgarian text (Сардакіи, Sardaki). During the Romans civitas Serdenisium was mentioned the "brightest city of the Serdi" in official inscriptions. The city was major throughout the past ever since Antiquity, when Roman emperor Constantine the Great referred to it as "my Rome", and it nearly became his capital.

Sophia (name)

Sophia is a female name derived from σοφία, the Greek word for "Wisdom". The name was used to represent the personification of wisdom.

Popularity

Sophia has been a popular name throughout the Western world and in parts of the Islamic world. It is the most popular given name for girls in the US for 2012. Sophie was the fifth most popular name for girls in Australia in 2013.

Name variants

People

Sofía (Echinades)

Sofia (Greek: Σοφία or Σοφιά also Isle of Gaia) is an island of the Echinades, among the Ionian Islands group of Greece. As of 2011, it had no resident population.

In June 2015 it was reported that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie were considering buying the 17 hectares (42 acres) island for $4.7 million. It has planning permission for six villas.

References

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