Description of the attraction
The Cathedral of the Holy Nativity of the Virgin is an Orthodox church located in the old part of Veliko Tarnovo.
The cathedral was erected on the foundations of the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which stood here before. The previous church was built by the prominent Bulgarian architect Kolu Ficheto between 1842 and 1844. It was a three-aisled building of hewn stone and brick. Large oval windows and wide cornices made it unique. Unfortunately, as a result of a strong earthquake on April 1, 1913, the temple was completely destroyed.
In 1933-1934 a new cathedral was erected on this site. According to its architectural design, the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin is a cross-domed temple, in which the premises form a cross in the shape of a cross. There is a large dome on the roof of the central nave. The bell tower rises above the spacious covered vestibule in front of the building. The new church became the center of a small square in the old part of Veliko Tarnovo.
In 1954, the painters D. Gujenov, N. Kozhukharov, P. Seferov and the icon painter A. Velev from the city of Tarnovo decorated the vaults of the church with paintings. The carved iconostasis and the episcopal throne are the work of the talented master D. Kushlev.
