Slaveykov Square

{{Short description|Square in Sofia, Bulgaria}}

{{coord|42|41|31|N|23|19|27|E|region:BG|display=title}}Image:Petko and his son Pencho Slaveykov.jpg

Slaveykov Square ({{langx|bg|Площад Славейков}}) is one of the most popular squares in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. It is named after Bulgarian writers Petko and Pencho Slaveykov, father and son. A sculpture of the two sitting on a bench is one of its main landmarks.

A square called Kafene Başi is first mentioned to have existed at the modern place in 1515. A coffeehouse, a mosque, and two Turkish police stations were situated there.

In the 17th century, the square was an important crossroad stretching from modern Sveta Nedelya Square to Vitosha Boulevard and featured a fountain.

After the liberation of Bulgaria, the square was extended, and many one- and two-story houses with gardens were erected on the site, one of which belonged to Petko Slaveykov, whose name the square later took.

Image:BookstallsSlaveykov.JPG

During the 1920s and 1930s, Slaveykov Square formed its modern appearance, with five- to seven-storey buildings featuring a shop on the ground floor. The first significant constructions appeared in this period — the Teachers' Fund (1924). the Ministry of Public Works (1928), and the French Institute (1934).

After 1944, the automobile traffic around the square was gradually limited, and it turned into a pedestrian area.

In the years following 1990, the square became a preferred place for booksellers, and many bookshops emerged on it. This is probably because the Sofia City Library is at the square.