St. Sophia Church, Sofia

St. Sophia Church, Sofia (Bulgaria)

The Church of St. Sofia is situated in the center of Bulgarias capital.it was originally dedicated to the wisdom of God. It is one of the oldest churches in Sofia and its history is closely related to the history of the city. In fact Sofia is named after this church.The basic cross design of the present basilica with its two east towers and one tower-cupola is believed to be the fifth structure to be constructed on the site and was built during the reign of Byzantine Emperor Justinian in the middle of the 6th century (527-565). It is thus a contemporary of the better-known Hagia Sophia church in Constantinople. Fragments of the mosaics from an older structure which found underneath the current church were discovered during archeological excavations. During the Second Bulgarian Empire (spanning the 12th to 14th centuries) the structure acquired the status of a metropolitan church. In the 14th century the church gave its name to the city. In the 16th century during Ottoman rule the church was converted into a mosque the original 12th-century frescoes were destroyed and minarets were added. In the 19th century two earthquakes destroyed one of the minarets and the mosque was abandoned. Restoration work was begun after 1900.