Vladaya

History

The history of the village reflects the fate of the nearby Sofia city. It is believed that there has been a settlement on the site since ancient eras. The first known inhabitants of the area were Thracian tribes. The settlement was part of numerous kingdoms and empires, including the Thracian and Macedon kingdoms, Roman, Byzantine, Bulgarian and Ottoman Empires. Over the centuries, different tribes and peoples invaded the area - Ancient Macedonians, Celts, Romans, Goths, Bulgarians and Turks. There is a legend and two alternative theories about the name of the village. According to the first legend, the village's name dates back the Second Bulgarian Empire (1185 - 1396) and was named after one of the three daughters of the tsar called Vladaya. Her sisters' names - Boyana and Yana gave name to other settlements in the area. The alternative theory is that the name is derived from the Bulgarian word "владей" [vladey] which literary means own in imperative, the other alternative theory is that it is simply derived from villa. Etymological studies derive it from the genitive and accusative form of the Bulgarian personal name Vladay. The name of Vladaya was first attested in 1576 as Viladay or Vladay.