Description of the attraction
The Church of the Holy Trinity is one of the oldest functioning Orthodox churches in the city of Velingrad. During the years of Ottoman slavery, the Turkish authorities did not allow Bulgarian Christians to build churches, so the first church on this site was built in such a way that it was almost completely hidden underground and had no windows. However, later, when the Turks became more tolerant of the Bulgarians' religion, the growing population of the city decided to expand the underground church. A small extension with a roof and windows was made over the building.
At the beginning of the 19th century, Velingrad residents felt the need to build a new, large basilica. It was built on the foundations of an old stone church in 1816 (at the southern entrance there is a memorial plaque indicating the time of construction). In accordance with Turkish laws, there was no bell tower at the temple; it appeared only after the Liberation, in 1878. Later, a porch was added to the building.
Two rows of four marble columns each divide the interior of the basilica into three naves. The walls and vaults of the temple are decorated with paintings depicting Jesus Christ, Orthodox saints and scenes from Holy Scripture. In the middle of the 20th century, the old iconostasis was replaced with a new one - wooden, carved.
In the past, the temple was an important spiritual and educational center, so now it is not only an architectural, but also a significant cultural monument of the city of Velingrad.
