Church of St George, Sofia
Encyclopedia
Rotunda (architecture)
A rotunda is any building with a circular ground plan, sometimes covered by a dome. It can also refer to a round room within a building . The Pantheon in Rome is a famous rotunda. A Band Rotunda is a circular bandstand, usually with a dome...
that is considered the oldest building in Sofia
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
, the capital of Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
. It is situated behind the Sheraton Hotel, amid remains of the ancient town of Serdica.
Built by the Romans
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
in the 4th century, it is mainly famous for the 12th-14th century frescoes inside the central dome. Three layers of frescoes have been discovered, the earliest dating back to the 10th century. Magnificent frescoes of 22 prophets over 2 metres tall crown the dome. Painted over during the Ottoman period, when the building was used as a mosque, these frescoes were only uncovered in the 20th century.
See also
- Saint George: Devotions, traditions and prayersSaint George: Devotions, traditions and prayersSaint George is one of Christianity's most popular saints, and is highly honored by both the Western and Eastern Churches. A wide range of devotions, traditions, and prayers to honor the saint have emerged throughout the centuries. He has for long been distinguished by the title of "The Great...
Other oldest churches:
- Church of St. Apostles Peter and Paul, the oldest church in Serbia
- Church of the Holy Cross, the oldest church in Croatia
- Panagia EkatontapilianiPanagia EkatontapilianiPanagia Ekatontapyliani is a historic Byzantine church complex in Parikia town, on the island of Paros in Greece. The church complex contains a main chapel surrounded by two more chapels and a baptistery with a cruciform font.The origin of the church's name is obscure, as it does not have one...
, the oldest church in Greece - Densuş ChurchDensus ChurchThe Densuş Church in the village of Densuş, Hunedoara County, Romania is one of the oldest Romanian churches still standing....
, the oldest church in Romania - Tkhaba-Yerdy ChurchTkhaba-Yerdy ChurchTkhaba-Yerdy is the ruins of the largest medieval Christian church in Ingushetia, Russian Federation. It is located deep in the Assin Gorge between the auls of Khairakh and Puy, Dzheyrakhsky District, near the border with Georgia...
, the oldest church in Russia - Etchmiadzin Cathedral, the oldest church in Armenia, and the world (UNESCO)