# Slaveykov Square

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{{Short description|Square in Sofia, Bulgaria}}
{{coord|42|41|31|N|23|19|27|E|region:BG|display=title}}thumb|The sculpture of Petko and Pencho Slaveykov (right to left)
'''Slaveykov Square''' ({{langx|bg|Площад Славейков}}) is one of the most popular squares in [Sofia](/source/Sofia), the capital of [Bulgaria](/source/Bulgaria). It is named after Bulgarian writers [Petko](/source/Petko_Slaveykov) and [Pencho Slaveykov](/source/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](/source/Ottoman_Empire) police stations were situated there.

In the 17th century, the square was an important crossroad stretching from modern [Sveta Nedelya Square](/source/Sveta_Nedelya_Square) to [Vitosha Boulevard](/source/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.
thumb|Bookstalls on the square
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.

==References==
{{Commons category}}
* {{cite web|url=http://www.libsofia.bg/slaveikov.html |title=Площад "Славейков" вчера и днес |language=Bulgarian |access-date=2007-02-18 |publisher=Столична библиотека |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041012211544/http://www.libsofia.bg/slaveikov.html |archive-date=October 12, 2004 }}

Category:Squares in Sofia
Category:Bookstore neighbourhoods

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Slaveykov Square](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slaveykov_Square) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slaveykov_Square?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.