Description of the attraction
The ruins of the medieval church of St. Barbara are located in the northeastern part of Melnik, just below the Kordopulov house, another famous landmark of the city.
It is not known for certain when the church was built. Tradition says that it belonged to the Kordopulov family. Most likely, the temple was erected in the XIII-XIV century, during the heyday of the city. During archaeological excavations in 2008, fragments of colored frescoes were found at a depth of 60 cm. This confirms the hypothesis that an even more ancient church once stood on this site.
The ruins of the temple give only a vague idea of its former grandeur and beauty. The stone building has not survived completely. The best preserved to this day is the altar room with the apse. There are still walls here, in some places reaching almost 4 meters in height, and the floor is paved with stone slabs. The apse with a niche and a window opening is almost completely preserved. The second room of the temple was less fortunate: only part of the wall and the foundations of the stone columns survived here.
Saint Barbara, in whose honor the church got its name, is the patroness of those who died by sudden death and therefore did not have time to confess and receive communion. Barbara lived in the 3rd century. Her father was a pagan. When he learned that his daughter had secretly converted to Christianity, he severely tortured her and then beheaded her. As a martyr who suffered for her faith in Christ, Barbara was elevated to the rank of saint.
Local residents erected an icon of St. Barbara on the site of the former altar. Candles, coins and food are also carried here.
