Saint Sofia Church, Sofia

The Church of Sveta Sofia ( Bulgarian Света София, dt Ayasofya) of the Bulgarian Orthodox church in the Bulgarian capital Sofia is one of the oldest churches in southeastern Europe. In a previous building was 342, the Council of Serdica instead. The history of Serdica (now Sofia, named after this same church) is closely connected with the church Sveta Sofia. The Church is the oldest religious building of the city, which was built within a necropolis on a hill outside the city. The church is currently being restored ( January 2013), but is open for worship and visitors.

The church is like the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople Opel dedicated to the " Holy Wisdom."

History

The present church Sveta Sofia is a cross basilica with a vestibule ( narthex ). It is built with three naves and an apse dreiwändigen. The church was built on the foundations of several ancient churches of the Roman city of Serdica, which were destroyed by raids of the Goths and Huns.

The first early Christian church was built according to the edicts of 311 and 313, probably in the early 4th century near the Roman amphitheater and the pagan and the Christian necropolis of the city. From another predecessor of the present church, a small church hall, the floor mosaics are still preserved. It was built in the middle of the 4th century and was the seat of the famous Council of Serdica. By the 6th century, many major changes and extensions have been made. In the middle of the century, the church was damaged by the invasions of the Huns and Goths that Emperor Justinian I ordered the construction of a new basilica.