"The restoration of the authentic appearance of the Mineral Bath in the Ovcha Kupel district of Sofia will cost BGN 8 million, with over BGN 4.4 million coming from the budget of the Sofia Municipality following a decision by the Sofia City Council. The bath will also serve as a cultural center." This was stated by the chairman of the Sofia City Council, Georgi Georgiev, during an inspection of the upcoming restoration of the Mineral Bath in Ovcha Kupel.
"For more than 40 years, this beautiful building has been in ruins. For many years, the Mineral Baths were state property, and at the initiative of the mayor and the Sofia Municipality at the beginning of the term, they were transferred to the municipality. Measures were immediately taken together with colleagues from the Sofia History Museum and Sofia University to apply for funding so that we could restore this architectural masterpiece," Georgiev said.
He hopes that the restoration will be completed in a few months. "This is the attitude towards the immovable cultural values that the municipality has, and we are looking for all possible ways to preserve them. One example is the Baths in Bankya, where we found the right way for them to be managed by Sofia Properties. There is also huge interest in it – around 5,500 visits per month – so it is a successful model," said Georgiev. (March 13, 2023, 1:00 p.m.)
The Regional History Museum is in charge of the restoration, and it's being funded by the Operational Program "Science and Education for Smart Growth" with 3.3 million leva and about 4.5 million from the municipal budget. The architectural appearance and main function of the building will be preserved, district mayor Angel Stefanov announced a few days ago.
The facility operated until the end of the 1980s, after which it was closed.
