By 1926, Sofia had already begun to resemble a modern city.
Skyscrapers rose from the ground. Though there were no hundred-story giants piercing the sky, buildings of ten or twenty stories could be found everywhere.
Under Ferdinand's influence, Bulgarian cities were designed with broad roads. Sofia, the capital, had been initially designed according to Ferdinand's requirements to accommodate a population of ten million and allow three million automobiles to pass through.
Even office districts for different industries were distributed across separate zones. In short, everything was neatly laid out—this could be considered a Bulgarian hallmark.
Sofia's total population had now surpassed three million. It was Bulgaria's largest city, and Europe's third-largest after London and Paris—Greater Paris, specifically.
Judging by urban development potential alone, Constantinople actually held a greater advantage. As the gateway to the Black Sea, it saw more than ten thousand ships pass through every year and was Bulgaria's busiest commercial port.
Even without massive government investment, Constantinople had become Bulgaria's second-largest city. But its commercial atmosphere was simply too heavy, and Ferdinand did not like it.
In fact, after Bulgaria acquired the Crimean Peninsula, some had proposed moving the capital to Constantinople, though there were not many supporters.
In terms of historical culture, Sofia could not compare with Constantinople or Athens, but within Bulgaria, it still ranked among the top five.
Economically, it remained Bulgaria's leading city for the time being, though Constantinople would overtake it in at most two or three years.
In terms of security, Sofia and Constantinople were much the same. Both cities were now far from the borders and faced no threat of war.
Geographically, Constantinople clearly held the greater advantage, situated at the junction of Europe and Asia and commanding the straits.
Constantinople possessed so many advantages, yet there was one respect in