SOPHIA, a city in Bulgaria In European Turkey, situated on the route from Constantinople to Belgrade, about midway between Nissa and Philippopoli, near the point indicated by 42° 37' N: let., 22° 27' K long., in a wide plain bounded by high ramifications of the Balkan, and traversed by the lees, • feeder of the Danube, and has about 10,000 inhabitants, the greater part of whom are Christians. It is a large place, and has • beautiful appearance from a distance, but the streets are narrow, tortuous, dirty, and lined by high mud walls, which here and there inclose good houses, but in general the houses are poorly built. It has a great number of mosques and Christian churches, which are the principal buildings in the city ; there are also a largo and well-frequented bazaar, public baths (which are supplied from a hot-spring), and khans. The chief industrial products are—knitted stockings, for which Sophia is celebrated, broad-cloth, some eilk-stuffs, leather, and tobacco. Sophia was formerly the residence of a pasha and capital of an eyelet of the samo name, but the eyelet is now named from its capital, Nina, called by the Turks Nish. It gives title to a
Greek archbishop and to a Catholic bishop. There are hot-springs in the environs. Sophia is • place of considerable commerce. It was founded by the emperor Justinian on the site of the ancient Sardica. The only remains of antiquity are the ruins of the church founded by Justinian. Sardica is famous for the council held in it A.D. 347, which confirmed the decree of the Pope acquitting St. Athanasins of the charges brought against him at the council of Antioch. The council of Sardica also passed twenty canons, one of which permits a bishop condemned by a provincial council to appeal to the Pope. The Arian bishops, to tho number of about eighty, withdrew from the council of Sardica to the town of Phiippopolis, and held what they called the council of Sardica, in which they pronounced sentence of excom munication against Osius, St. Athanasius, and the Pope. (Frontier Lands of the (7iristian and Turk; L'Art de Verifier les Dates)