Photo: Travel: Bulgaria: Sofia: Churches: Boyana Church

St Nikola and St Panteleimon, Sofia, Bulgaria

(aka Boyana Church / Kaloyan's Church)

This tiny church is located in Vitosha Mountain, just minutes from downtown Sofia. It is famous for its painted interior, with the murals dating back to 1259. Among the reasons this church is listed on UNESCO's World Heritage Site list is that the style of painting (with emphasis on human subjects and realistic depiction of people) predated the Italian Renaissance. The murals are relatively well preserved, and a sight to behold. The portraits of the donors Sebastocrator Kaloyan and his wife Desislava are probably going to be familiar to every Bulgarian because of numerous reproductions in textbooks (even if most Bulgarians probably don't know where the murals came from). Definitely a must-see.

The church was recently restored and visits are now strictly regulated. There is a modest entry fee. Only groups of up to 10-15 people are permitted inside at any time, and only for up to 15-20 minutes. Even if you visit off-peak, the warden will not let you stay much longer. The church is just too tiny to accommodate more people at a time. Photography is strictly forbidden and it does not matter how much you plead to take one picture even without a flash. (Bribes don't work either!) There is a nicely illustrated guide-book available for purchase at the ticket kiosk. I managed to snap a few photos (without a flash, of course) only because an American woman slipped at the entrance and the warden rushed to help her, so was momentarily distracted.

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