Hidden Ancient Sofia: Underground City (Tickets Included)

Step back in time and explore Sofia’s Roman roots! Walk through the ruins of ancient Serdica, visit key archaeological sites with included tickets, and uncover the fascinating history of the city’s Roman heritage.

Journey into the heart of ancient Serdica, where Sofia’s Roman heritage still stands beneath the modern city.

This walking tour will guide you through the most impressive Roman remains, from streets and baths to fortifications and mosaics, revealing the daily life of one of the empire’s thriving cities.

· Tickets included – skip the hassle and enjoy entry to major archaeological attractions.

· Expert storytelling – learn how Serdica became the city where “Constantine the Great wished to live.”

· Unique blend of old & new – see how Roman ruins are preserved in the very center of today’s Sofia.

Itinerary:

The Meeting point: The Saint Sofia Church

The Saint Sophia Church is one of the few preserved Christian basilicas in Bulgarian lands. It was built in the VI century on the site of several earlier churches from IV and V century. At the end of the XIV century it was rebuilt in a mosque with a minaret. It suffered the earthquakes in 1818 and 1858. Along with the church "St. George", it is one of the oldest and most valuable historical sites of Sofia from its Roman period.

Saint George Rotunda

The oldest and best-preserved functioning church since Roman times in Sofia is the rotunda church St. George. It was built in the beginning of the 4th century AD during the reign of the Roman emperor Constantine the Great

The Largo

Ancient cultural and communication complex “Serdica” combines areas with various purposes, divided into two zones. The “Largo” zone, situated underneath Nezavisimost Square, integrates the unearthed archaeological remains into a site for cultural events. The remains of one of the two main streets of the Roman town, the decumanus maximus, which connects the eastern and the western gate of the city, can be seen here. A large residential building, covering an entire insula (urban block), can be seen south of it. The building also had small shops, from which travelers and the town’s inhabitants could purchase food and various goods. A lapidarium is located close to the building.

The Old Thermal Bath

8. The style of the building, which is regarded as Torbov's best work, is Neo-Renaissance, featuring also elements of Neo-Byzantine architecture and Neo-Baroque. The façade is known for its relief of the coat of arms of Sofia above the main entrance created by the artist Haralampi Tachev. The famous little clock tower with three dials tops the edifice. The first fortification wall of Serdica was erected in the second half of the 2nd century AD. It had a width of 2.20 m. At the end of the 3rd , the beginning of the 4th c.АD, a remodeling of the wall was undertaken and a ditch was dug in front of it - 14 m west of the Western gate at about 2 m deep and 5 m wide, functioning in the 4th century.

The Western Gate of Sofia

The first fortification wall of Serdica was erected in the second half of the 2nd century AD. It had a width of 2.20 m. At the end of the 3rd , the beginning of the 4th c.АD, a remodeling of the wall was undertaken and a ditch was dug in front of it - 14 m west of the Western gate at about 2 m deep and 5 m wide, functioning in the 4th century

The Central Sofia Synagogue

The building of the Central Sofia Synagogue is rightly described as the pride of the Bulgarian Jewish community. It is one of the three largest Sephardic (Spanish-Jewish) synagogues in Europe and the largest on the Balkan Peninsula

The City Hall

It was opened in 1911 and is today an important trade centre in the city.

Banya Bashi Mosque

Banya Bashi Mosque It was built by the initiative and with the financial support of Mullah Effendi Kada Seyfullah and is also known as Mollah Effendi Mosque. It was designed by the famous Ottoman architect Mimar Sinan, who also built the mosque of Sultan Selim on Edirne and the Suleymaniye Mosque in Istanbul. Because of the number 974 above the entrance arch, the mosque is considered to be built in 974, the Hijri (Islamic calendar) or in 1566 – 1567 AD.

Ladies Market

Zhenski Pazar Market (Bulgarian: “Женски пазар”) is the oldest market in Sofia. Established more than 140 years ago, it has become one of the most important trading centres in the metropolitan city. The market is located in the so-called Area of Tolerance in Sofia. The name itself is coined after the close proximity of the temples of all the official religious communities in Bulgaria. Here you can find the church “Saints Cyril and Methodius“, the “Banya bashi” Mosque, and the Central Synagogue of Sofia. Almost 60 000 visit Zhenski Pazar Market every day.