Europe 2019 - Day 37 (Part 4)

12 June 2019, Wednesday

Next, my favourite building in the whole of Sofia - the beautiful St Alexander Nevsky Temple Church, an Orthodox Patriarchal Cathedral (God knows what the differences in the different Christian sects are). The main stones were set in 1882, but the design of the temple (by a Russian architect - explains the similarities to St Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow although that is more colourful and this is bigger) only began to take shape in 1904, and was completed in 1913. The domes were gilded in 2006. It takes on a Byzantine religious architectural pattern. 

It was named after St Alexander Nevsky, proclaimed a saint by the Russian Orthodox Church. He was actually a legendary Russian commander who became a symbol of the military power of medieval Rus with his victories over foreign invaders. Bulgaria agreed to name the church after a Russian saint in gratitude for Russia’s help to overthrow the Ottoman Empire’s grip on Bulgaria which led to Bulgaria’s independence. It is the biggest operating Orthodox Cathedral in Bulgaria. 

Then the Saint Sophia Basilica which is the oldest and most sacred place in Sofia, which spread the city’s glory far away in the Roman Empire. It is one of the oldest operating churches in Europe. The name “St Sophia” comes from the Greek language and means “Wisdom of God”, apparently one of the names of Jesus Christ. It was built under the orders of Emperor Justinian, who also ordered the building of the Hagea-Sofea in Istanbul. Apparently he ordered the building of many churches with the name ‘Sofia’ or variations of it, as it meant “Wisdom of God”. 

The St Sophia Basilica was built on top of a hill near the ancient city of Serdica, so that in those days people coming from afar would first see the church and say, “There’s Sofia!”. From here comes the name of Sofia city, and the Basilica built in the 6th century is closely intertwined with the city’s history. The Basilica was built on the foundations of older churches from the time of the Roman city of Serdica in the 4th century. The Basilica was transformed into a mosque during the Ottoman Empire, and was reconstructed in 1930. Since then the Basilica has been functioning as an Orthodox temple which was its original purpose. Ivan Vazov is buried in the garden on the eastern side of the church.