Today Sofia's Dimitar Petkov Street is known as the site of one of the largest open markets in town. However, the name of Dimitar Petkov evokes memories in older citizens of the eminent politician who, during his 49-year life, was mayor of Sofia and prime minister of Bulgaria.

Petkov was born on October 21, 1858 in the village of Bashkoy in the Northern Dobrudja region (today part of Romania). At the age of 17 he went to Romania where he made contact with circles of Bulgarian revolutionary emigrants there. He took part in the Serbian-Turkish War in 1876 as a volunteer in Panayot Hitov's squad.

After the outbreak of the Russian-Turkish War that liberated Bulgaria, Petkov enlisted in the Bulgarian volunteer corps, which fought on the peak of Shipka mountain in Stara Planina. During the battles he was severely wounded and lost his arm. For his courage Petkov was awarded a medal by the Russian emperor Alexander II.

After the liberation he took an active role in Bulgaria's political life. Initially he joined the Liberal Party but after its split in 1884 he joined the group of extreme liberals led by Petko Karavelov.

Petkov stood firmly against the 1881 coup of Prince Alexander Battenberg who suspended the democratic Turnovo constitution and introduced an authoritarian regime.

In addition to his political activities, Petkov was also an active journalist and publisher. He became extremely popular with the satiric newspaper he printed from 1883 to 1885 named "Whistle." In 1885 he started publishing the Narodno Subranie (National Assembly) and Nezavisimost (Independence) newspapers.

After the coup against prince Alexander Battenberg, Petkov sided with Stefan Stambolov. He left Karavelov's liberal stream and joined the newly founded National Liberal Party (Stambolovist), which represented the interests of the large and pro-west oriented bourgeoisie. He took active part in publishing the party publication Svoboda (Freedom).

After the formation of Stefan Stambolov's first cabinet, Petkov was appointed mayor of Sofia. He occupied this post from 1887 to 1893 and did a lot for the architectural innovation of the capital and its transformation from an underdeveloped oriental town to a modern European city.

Petkov's political career continued with another high position. He was made speaker of the Sixth and Seventh National Assemblies. He was also appointed Minister of Public Buildings, Roads and Communications in Stambolov's 1893 cabinet.

After the fall of Stambolov's government, Petkov continued his involvement with publishing the Svoboda newspaper. He was elected leader of the party after Stambolov was assassinated in 1895. In 1899 Petkov changed the name of the party publication to Nov Vek (New Century).

In 1903, prince Ferdinand gave the National Liberal Party the mandate to form a government. General Racho Petrov was appointed prime minister and Petkov became minister of interior affairs.

Although he was not head of the government, Petkov was the soul of the cabinet. In October 1906 Petrov resigned and Petkov took the post of prime minister and kept his position as minister of the interior.

In its interior and foreign policy the government followed the strategies inherited from Stefan Stambolov - strong pressure on political adversaries, strong influence over the country's industry and trade and warm relations with Western European states, primarily Austro-Hungary and Germany.

Petkov's strict regime soon brought him the same fate as his predecessor Stambolov. In February 1907 a political adversary shot and killed him near Orlov Most (Eagle Bridge) in Sofia.