Description of the attraction
The Church of Sveti Mina (Saint Mina) is a Bulgarian Orthodox church located in the capital of the country, the city of Sofia. The temple was built during the Ottoman rule in 1872 and was originally dedicated to the Holy Trinity, as according to legend, the monastery “Sveta Trinity” used to be on this site, which was destroyed by the Turks presumably at the end of the 17th century. During World War II, the temple was dedicated to Saint Therapont. Since 1957, the church has been dedicated to the holy great martyr Mina of Kotuan (Phrygian), who for his faith was tortured and beheaded in 304. This saint is traditionally considered one of the most revered by the Balkan and Greek Orthodox believers.
The church building is single-nave, with a cylindrical apse without a narthex. The original frescoes are well preserved only in the apse niche - 8 figures of the Church Fathers and the image of the Virgin Mary. In other niches, you can also see scenes called "The Sacrifice of Christ" and "The Presentation of Christ", which are in a much more deplorable state. The altarpieces were painted by an unknown but undoubtedly experienced artist of the late Renaissance.
In 1955 the church was declared a cultural monument, and in 1989 an architectural and artistic monument.
To the north of the temple there is a rural cemetery where English pilots who died in 1943-1944 were buried. over Sofia during air battles with German troops.
