Description of the attraction
The Church of Hagia Sophia, also known as the Old Metropolis, is an Orthodox church located in the town of Nessebar. It is part of the historical architectural reserve, which is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
It is assumed that the place where the church now stands was formerly the center of the Old City. The construction of the cathedral dates back to the end of the 5th - beginning of the 6th century. Researchers have established two periods for the construction of the building. The temple acquired its present appearance during the First Bulgarian Kingdom - at the beginning of the 9th century. In the Middle Ages, the church served as the cathedral of the Metropolitan Diocese of Nessebar. In 1257, the temple was plundered by the Venetians, and many religious relics were subsequently taken to the Church of San Salvatore in Venice.
According to its architectural design, the building is a large three-aisled basilica with one semi-cylindrical apse, a narthex and an atrium (courtyard). The length of the structure is 25.5 meters. The side aisles are separated from the central aisle by rows of rectangular stone pillars connected by brick arches. On the east side, above the apse, there are three arched window openings. The basilica had a gable roof, which has not survived to this day. The floor of the temple was paved with a mosaic of colored stones, and the plastered walls were decorated with frescoes. A marble slab is mounted in the wall of the temple with a quote from the Bible: "And let my cry reach you."
