The Ivan Vazov National Theatre (Bulgarian: Народен театър „Иван Вазов“, Naroden teatar „Ivan Vazov“) is Bulgaria's national theatre, as well as the oldest and most authoritative theatre in the country and one of the important landmarks of Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria.
The building's facade is depicted on the obverse of the Bulgarian 50 levs banknote, issued in 1999 and 2006.
[1] Founded in 1904 by the artists from the Salza i Smyah company, the theatre was initially called simply the National Theatre, but before being named after the prominent writer Ivan Vazov it also bore the name of Krastyu Sarafov between 1952 and 1962.
The building was extensively damaged by a fire in 1923 during an anniversary celebration, but was reconstructed in 1929 by German architect Martin Dülfer.
The bombing of Sofia in World War II caused further damage to the building, but it was reconstructed in 1945.