Church of Saint Sophia

"THE CHURCH ST. SOFIA, known as The Old Bishopric, is situated on the place supposed to be the old Centrum of the settlement. It is a three-nave basilica with a semicircular apse, a three-part nartex and an atrium (an inner yard). It is of 25,50 meter length. The central nave is separated from the two side aisles with orthogonal stone columns and brick arches. Above there is a second arcade. There are three arch windows over the apse at the East Side and a two slopes roof structure, not preserved. The apse possesses a synthronon, which can be seen today. Inside the church is plastered up and covered with frescoes. "

Amazing Ruins from the 5th century, the basilica has 3 walls still standing with steps. You can go right up inside. On a sunny day, it looks great.

Gets busy, so if you want photos without the crowd in them. Early morning may be a better time to go or out of season. Mind the steps 😉 you can look into a lot of the history of the rebuild if you'd like to know.

What a beautiful place to go and enjoy the culture plus it's historical place in time. This small place was also very busy with traffic, shame really as you have to dodge the cars and vans it should be predestination only. Anyway I would definitely recommend stopping here for the day.

Have to done.Nice ,cosy church of XI-XVIII centuries. All walls are decorated by murals.

Loved it! The architecture is incredible and the remainings well preserved.
However, I believe you should visit these places when the summer and holidays are over, as it was really crowded when we went there.

The Church of Saint Sophia in Old Nessebar is really something special. Even though it's in ruins, it's still so beautiful and you can tell it's full of history. I'm no expert, but I'd give it a full 5 stars. It's a must-see if you're visiting the area!

Impressive Eastern Orthodox church built at the end of 5th century. The site is well preserved and all parts are accessible.

Really interesting historical site, lots of nice streets and viewpoints in the surrounding areas as well. Well worth visiting !

The Basilica "Sveta Sofia" (Old Metropolis) is part of the Architectural-Historical Reserve in the city of Nessebar. The original construction of the temple dates back to the 5th century. It was later reconstructed - approx. VI-VIIv - when the marble block with the inscription: "And let my cry reach You" was embedded. (quote from the Bible - Psalms - 102) - the element was part of another building or of the earlier construction of the same one. It acquired its current form at the beginning of the 9th century. In the Middle Ages, the church served as the cathedral of the metropolitan diocese centered in Nessebar. During the war in 1257, a Venetian fleet led by Giacomo Doro attacked Nessebar and the Venetians looted the temple. They took away the holy relics stored in it - the body of St. Theodore, the hand and jaws of St. Ap. Andrew, the skull of St. Sist and the hand of St. Bartholomew. The relics were transferred first to Constantinople, and then to Venice in the church "St. Salvador", where they are still today. At the end of the 14th-beginning of the 15th century, Mataisa Kantakuzina-Paleologus was buried in "St. Sophia", and the inscription from her tombstone has been preserved to this day. "Saint Sophia" continued to function as a church until the end of the 18th century.

Welcome to the Church of Saint Sophia in Nessebar, built in the 5th century. Adorned with stunning frescoes, it showcases over 2000 square meters of intricate artwork. This UNESCO World Heritage site is a blend of architectural styles, reflecting the diverse civilizations that once thrived in Nessebar. Immerse yourself in its spiritual serenity and experience the rich history and cultural significance of this magnificent church.

Set in the middle of Old town Nessebar. Free to walk around and take in. I saw many tour groups but we didn't use a tour ourselves. Makes a lovely day to walk about and take in the many sites and shops. Beautiful place I felt very at home and safe.

A lovely historical landmark to visit, a very nice change from the madness of sunny beach.

Beautiful remains of a church in the center of Nessebar. It's definitely worth waiting for when people leave. It's magical here.

The Saint Sofia Church (Bulgarian: църква „Света София“, tsyrkva „Sveta Sofia“) is the oldest church in the Bulgarian capital Sofia, dating to the 4th century. In the predecessor building took place the Council of Serdica held most probably in 343 and attended by 316 bishops. In the 14th century, the church gave its name to the city, previously known as Serdika (Сердика).
The church was built on the site of several earlier churches from 4th c. and places of worship dating back to the days when it was the necropolis of the Roman town of Serdica. In the 2nd century, it was the location of a Roman theatre. Over the next few centuries, several other churches were constructed, only to be destroyed by invading forces such as the Goths and the Huns. 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 I in the middle of the 6th century (527-565). It is thus a contemporary of the better-known Hagia Sophia church in Constantinople.[1]

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.

The Saint Sofia Church is now one of the most valuable pieces of Early Christian architecture in Southeastern Europe. The present building is a cross basilica with three altars. The floor of the church is covered with complex Early Christian ornamental or flora and fauna-themed mosaics. The Saint Sofia Church stands in the middle of an ancient necropolis and many tombs have been unearthed both under and near the church. Some of the tombs even feature frescoes.

Because Saint Sophia represents Holy Wisdom, icons within the church depict Sophia as Christ Emmanuel, a young figure of Christ seated on a rainbow. The church also displays icons of historical saints, including St. George and St. Vladimir.

Nessebar is a town in Burgas Province, on Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast. The cobbled streets of the old town, which sits on a promontory, are lined with ruins such as Byzantine-era fortifications and baths. The ruins of the 5th-century Church of St. Sofia include stone columns and large arched windows. The 11th-century Church of St. Stephen houses hundreds of mural paintings and a huge, richly decorated altarpiece.

Interesting archeological spot where you can feel spirituality of all ages.
Interesting, highly recommended to visit!!!

This is a lovely place to visit lots to see and the restaurant are lovely looking over the see very romantic worth going

The old town is very beautiful. We had a great time.

Visit to the old church in the old city of Nessebar on our recent holiday to Bulgaria

It was amazing. I want to share to you an amazing shop that i found selling souvenirs. It has an art gallery down the stairs. If you ever happen to find that shop i recommend you go in the gallery because it is amazing and beautiful. The girls there were really sweet and taught us everything about the artist that created that beautiful art.