Sofia History Museum

The Sofia History Museum occupies the restored Central Mineral Baths on Banski Square in central Sofia, Bulgaria, beside the Banya Bashi Mosque. The museum was first established in 1928 and held its collections in several buildings before reopening in 2015 in the former baths, a Secession and Neo-Byzantine building completed in 1913. It is the main institution devoted to the history of the capital, rather than the country as a whole, and its mission is to explain how Sofia developed from an ancient settlement around thermal springs into a modern capital.

The permanent exhibition is chronological. It begins with prehistoric and Thracian settlement in the Sofia Valley, then Roman Serdica, a major city and provincial capital with monumental buildings. Following sections present the medieval city of Sredets, under the First and Second Bulgarian Empires, the Ottoman period when Sofia became a regional administrative centre, and the post-Liberation city chosen as the capital in 1879. The collections include archaeological finds, coins, jewellery, ceramics, icons, documents, maps, photographs and models.

The museum's strengths include its use of the building. Visitors walk through the former bath halls with their tiled walls, domes and fountains, and the story of the baths themselves forms part of the exhibition. Interactive and multimedia displays complement the objects, and temporary exhibitions deal with topics such as urban life, architecture and everyday culture in 20th-century Sofia.

The building was closed in 1986 and restored over many years before its reopening. The conservation was extensive, and today the building is in good condition. The museum also manages other city sites and runs educational programmes. It serves as an ideal first stop for visitors who want context before exploring the city's ruins, churches and mosques.