Museums in Sofia-artistic value and exquisite collections
Sofia museums are great in number and all of them have the best resources for history, art connoisseurs or just visitors who are curious to get in touch with the most important and valuable antiquities of exceptional artistic and historical significance in Bulgaria. Museums in Sofia house impressive chronicles of Bulgaria once Great empire, the residents and nations, which have passed through it from Thracians through Greeks, Romans and Ottomans. Therefore, Sofia museums are among the main tourist attractions. In addition to that one can feel the turbulent history and explore the lives of Bulgarian nation in recent centuries. If you wish to gain a fascinating insight into the Balkan Peninsula and get familiar with cultural life and history of the Balkan nations, then you will not be disappointed to take a museum tour in Sofia city.
It is hard to distinguish and decide which the most notable Sofia museums are as each of them has its own character and artistic value. Sofia museums preserve the rich cultural heritage of the region, Bulgaria and even the Balkan Peninsula. Worth visiting museums include the National Museum of History, Earth and Man National Museum, the Ethnographic Museum, and the National Archaeological Museum and this is the reason why they are the most popular choices, but there are many, many more. One should visit at least a couple of museums in Sofia since they showcase exquisite collections of artifacts, handicrafts etc. and thereafter will become aware of glorious past of Bulgaria and its citizens.
Sofia is a typically European city with ancient culture, turbulent but impressive present and bright future. It is important to put an accent on the wonderful architecture of the city in constant flux as museums are also representatives of fine examples of exquisite architectural art which have been preserved in their original condition in order to admire the future generations and visitors.
The National Museum of History was established in 1973. The museum houses more than 650,000 exhibits and actually is one of the largest history museums on the Balkans.
The Archaeological Museum was founded in 1892 and thus this is the oldest museum in Bulgaria. Containing over 55,000 monuments and a staggering 1.3 million coins, you can spend an entire day here marvelling at the ancient artefacts which reflect the turbulent history of the country;
The Ethnographic Museum exhibits a wealth of collections of national costumes, embroidery, hand-made works of art and potteries.
The Earth and People National Museum is a unique mineralogical museum which keeps more than 20 000 samples collected from all over the globe.
The National Museum of Natural History is interesting to visit due to its unique collections of stuffed and live flora and fauna representatives It is the oldest museum in Bulgaria and the oldest and richest among the natural history museums on the Balkan Peninsula. Over one million specimens of animals, plants and minerals can be found there. The National Museum of Natural History has a history of almost one hundred and twenty years.
The museum of Medieval Bulgarian art in the "Alexander Nevski" cathedral crypt is very well designed, displayed and maintained museum, which presents about 200 original mural frescoes and icons
Bulgaria’s capital also hosts a sports museum, a polytechnical museum, a military museum, a natural history museum, a wealth of houses-museums and plenty more.
National Museum of History |
The National Museum of History in Sofia, founded in 1973, is one of the largest history museums on the Balkan Peninsula. The National History Museum has become the largest depository of Bulgaria’s cultural and historical heritage, a guardian of treasures of great cultural value and world importance.
Alexander Nevsky Crypt Icon museum |
The museum of icons inside the Alexander Nevski cathedral crypt houses what is claimed to be the largest collection of Orthodox icons in Europe. The museum of Medieval Bulgarian art in the "Alexander Nevski" cathedral crypt is very well designed, displayed and maintained museum, which presents about 200 original mural frescoes and icons.
National Archaeological Museum |
The National Archaeological Museum is an archaeological museum in the centre of Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. The Archaeological museum in Sofia is housed in a beautifully restored 15th century mosque Bouiuk Dzhamia (literally the Grand mosque) and the impressive building is well worth visiting. The museum has attractive display of Thracian, Greek, Roman and medieval Bulgarian artifacts.
Bulgarian Natural History Museum |
The National Museum of Natural History /abbreviated NMNHS/ is situated in the center of Sofia, the capital city of Bulgaria. It is the oldest museum in Bulgaria and the oldest and richest among the natural history museums on the Balkan Peninsula. The museum exhibitions occupy 16 halls on four floors.
Ethnographic Museum |
The National Ethnographic Museum in Sofia harbours one of the richest collections on the Balkan Peninsula. The museum is located at the Battenberg Square in Sofia and it is one of the famous museums amongst the three big museums in Bulgaria’s capital city. Sofia Ethnographic Museum was qualified as one of the richest on the Balkan Peninsula in the first decades of the 20th century.
Museum of Earth and Man |
The Earth and Man Museum in Sofia is one of the biggest mineralogy museums in the world. The museum of Earth and Man lies in the center of Sofia and occupies a refurbished building, a monument of culture, built in the end of last century.