The coat of arms of Sofia was made by the artist Haralampy Tachev on the occasion of Bulgaria’s participation in the Universal Exhibition in Paris in 1900.
The toothed crown-fortress above the shield depicts the mountains that surround Sofia. The fortress crown is a characteristic element of the city’s coats of arms. In heraldry the number of towers reflects the number of inhabitants of the city. So Sofia’s coat of arms is misleading today, with three towers marking a town of up to 100,000 people.
On the top left of the shield is depicted the ancient Greek goddess of fortune Tiehe – the patron of the city. The image is taken from an ancient coin with the inscription “Serdika”.
In the lower left is Vitosha Mountain – a symbol of eternity.
In the upper right-hand field is the Hagia Sophia, which gives the name of the city.
A Roman temple dedicated to Apollo Medicus (Healer) is shown in the lower right-hand field. It symbolizes the mineral springs of the city and was also taken from a coin with the inscription “Ulpia Serdika”.
A lion is depicted in the smaller shield in the middle of the coat of arms. The image is a medallion found during excavations in Veliko Tarnovo. The lion symbolizes the continuity between the two capitals.
The motto of Sofia “Growing, but not aging” was added in 1911. With the two laurel branches Haralampi Tachev finished his creation in 1928.
