Photo: Travel: Bulgaria: Sofia: Churches: St Sophia

Basilica Hagia Sophia, Sofia, Bulgaria

This Roman basilica was built during the 4th and 6th centuries AD. It has central nave with two side aisles and the typical apse, a narthex, and shallow transepts. The building sits on a 2nd century cemetery with about 100 tombs (which have not been escavated fully yet). The church served as the city cathedral during the middle ages, and has undergone repeated restorations, the most recent of which was completed in 2000.

The interior is typically Roman: thick brick walls and massive columns supporting a tunnel vault. Four pillars hold the center dome. The interior is sparse and austere with very little decoration. The whitewashed walls of the apse are jarring and do not fit well with the bricks elsewhere.

It seems that this church is quite popular (since it is so close to Alexander Nevsky Cathedral), and it seems there was something going on almost every time I went. Photography is not permitted inside but I managed to snap some pictures during a rare period of calm. The lion outside is for the memorial to the Unknown Soldier. There is an eternal flame burning there, and people often leave flowers to this day.