Description of the attraction
Hagia Sophia is located in the center of the capital of Bulgaria, not far from the Church of St. Alexander Nevsky. This is one of the oldest temples in Sofia and its history is directly related to the history of the city.
Hagia Sophia was built in the VI century, during the reign of Emperor Justinian, on the site of the necropolis of Serdika (this is the ancient name of Sofia), old temples of the IV century and stone tombs. In the period from the XI to the XIV century, the church was metropolitan. The significance of this temple in those days was so great that people began to call the city itself by its name - "Sophia" (which is translated into Russian as "wisdom"), and from the XIV century this name became official. During the Ottoman period, the building was used as a mosque, and the wall paintings were destroyed. Major earthquakes in the 18th and 58th years of the 19th century damaged the building, which Muslims took as a bad omen, and the temple was abandoned. After Bulgaria gained national independence, the mosque church was turned into a warehouse.
The building has been restored several times and now its appearance is as close as possible to its appearance from the period of late antiquity - the early Middle Ages. Since the beginning of the 20th century, archaeological surveys have also been carried out here, during which, in particular, fragments of a mosaic of one of the ancient temples that were previously located at this place were discovered.
Behind the church is the grave of Ivan Vazov (a famous Bulgarian writer). Also next to the building you can see the Monument to the Unknown Soldier, which is a symbol of memory of the soldiers who died in the struggle for their homeland.
