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Key Attractions
Hram-pametnik Aleksander Nevski (St Alexander Nevski Memorial Church)
Said to be Sofia’s most photographed monument, Alexander Nevski is a magnificent neo-Byzantine cathedral-sized church, topped by copper and golden domes. Considered the heart of the city, it was built between 1882 and 1912, in honour of the Russian soldiers, who fell when the Russian army helped liberate Bulgaria from Ottoman rule in 1878. The church takes its name from Alexander Nevski, credited with saving Russia from Swedish troops in 1240 and the patron saint of the family of the tsar at that time, Alexander II – also known as Tsar Osvoboditel, the ‘Tsar Liberator’ – who led the army that drove out the Turks.
Inside, the central altar is dedicated to St Alexander Nevski, the southern altar to St Boris (who brought Christianity to Bulgaria) and the northern altar to Saints Cyril and Methodius (who created the Cyrillic alphabet). A total of 32 Russian and 13 Bulgarian artists worked on the delicate murals. The Icon Museum is located in the crypt, to the left of the main entrance. Here, over 300 icons and mural frescoes from the country’s many monasteries, tracing the development of Bulgarian icon-painting from the late ninth century up to the end of the 19th century. There are English labels, as well as a guidebook available in Bulgarian and English. The square in front of the church, Ploshtad Aleksander Nevski, hosts stalls selling souvenirs, dubious antiques and bric-a-brac throughout the year.
Ploshtad Aleksander Nevski
Transport: Bus to Ploshtad Aleksander Nevski.
St Alexander Nevski Memorial Church
Opening hours: Daily 0700-1800; services 0800 and 1700, Sat 1800, Sun 1700.
Admission: Free.
Icon Museum
Tel: (02) 877 697.
Opening hours: Wed-Sun 1000-1700.
Admission: Lv10.
Tsurkva Sveta Sofia (Church of St Sofia)
Standing next to St Aleksander Nevski, this early Byzantine brick church dates to the fifth century, although there were several churches here before it, as well as the pre-Christian Serdica city necropolis. The present church still follows the classic Byzantine plan of a regular cross with a central dome. The city took its name from the church in the 14th century, which was converted to a mosque under Ottoman rule, when the original 12th-century frescoes were destroyed and minarets added. During the 19th century, the building was abandoned, following damage caused by an earthquake. After the Liberation in 1878, it was restored and reinstated as a church and now is a popular spot for weddings, funerals and baptisms.
Outside, to the left of the main entrance, stands the Monument to the Unknown Soldier, lit by a perpetual flame in honour of those who died for Bulgaria. In the back of the church are stalls selling handmade lace and other traditional textiles.
Ploshtad Aleksander Nevski
Transport: Bus to Ploshtad Aleksander Nevski.
Opening hours: Daily 0900-1800.
Admission: Free.
Tsurkva Sveta Nedelya (Church of St Nedelya)
Sveta Nedelya, with its huge dome, is a typical example of neo-Byzantine architecture. There has been a church here since medieval times, although the present building dates from the mid-19th century. In 1925, the church was largely destroyed when Communist rebels exploded a bomb during a funeral service, attended by Tsar Boris III and his cabinet ministers, killing 123 people.
The square, Ploshtad Sveta Nedelya, used to be named after Lenin and a statue of the Communist leader once stood here. It has since been replaced by a 24m (79ft) bronze statue of the goddess protector of the city, Sofia, holding the symbols of wisdom and fame.
Ploshtad Sveta Nedelya
Transport: Bus to Ploshtad Sveta Nedelya.
Opening hours: Daily 0700-1800.
Admission: Free.
Natzionalen Archeologicheski Musei (National Archaeological Museum)
Housed in the ivy-clad 15th-century Buyuk Mosque (Big Mosque), the National Archaeological Museum is worth visiting just for the building itself. Recently reopened after extensive renovation work, the interior is airy and well lit and all exhibits are labelled in Bulgarian and English. Most of the pieces are of Thracian, Greek and Roman origin and there is a mosaic rescued from the floor of the St Sofia church. The star attraction is the Vulchitrun Treasure – a 12.5kg (27lb) collection of 13 decorated and strangely shaped vessels of solid gold, probably used by a King-Priest during Thracian religious rituals – which is upstairs in a guarded room of its own. It is best for English tourists to visit with a Bulgarian speaker, as the guard knows a great deal about what is to be found here. This is helpful, as the captions in the museum are vague. There are a few antiques and reproductions for sale in the museum foyer. After visiting the museum, the fashionable new Art Club Museum café behind the main building, is a good place for tourists to stop for a drink or snack. Some of the larger carved Roman marbles are displayed in the courtyard.
2 Saborna Ulica
Tel: (02) 882 405.
Transport: Bus to Ploshtad Sveta Nedelya.
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 1000-1700.
Admission: Lv5.
Rotonda Sveti Georgi (Rotunda of St George)
Standing in the courtyard of the Sheraton Balkan Hotel, the tiny sunken redbrick Rotunda of St George is the oldest preserved building in the city, built in the fourth century, as a Roman temple. Partly destroyed by the Huns, it was rebuilt as a church by Justinian, in the sixth century. The Turks converted the rotunda into a mosque, until it was finally reinstated as a church. Careful restoration work has revealed three layers of exquisite medieval frescoes – some dating from as early as the tenth century – which had been hidden by plaster during the 500 years of Ottoman rule. The impressive cupola bears a 14th-century portrait of Christ the Pantocrator, surrounded by four angels and symbols of the Evangelists. Beneath, 12th-century fresco work depicts 22 prophets holding scrolls, with texts alternately in Bulgarian and Greek. To the east lie excavated foundations of an octagonal-shaped Roman public building and paved street.
5 Ploshtad Sveta Nedelya
Tel: (02) 981 6541.
Transport: Bus to Ploshtad Sveta Nedelya.
Opening hours: Daily 0800-1700 (winter); daily 0800-1800 (summer); liturgy 0900 every day.
Admission: Free; donations appreciated.
Banya Bashi Dzhamiya (Banya Bashi Mosque)
Once there were 70 mosques in Sofia but today the Banya Bashi Dzhamiya is the only one still functioning. It was designed in 1576, by the greatest of all Ottoman architects, Mimar Sinan, who also built the Sultan Selim Mosque in Edirne and the Blue Mosque in Istanbul. The mosque’s finest feature is the domed ceiling, which was restored to its original design, after the fall of Communism. Subdued loudspeakers on the elegant minaret call the city’s Muslim minority to prayer five times a day – on Friday there can be as many as 400 worshippers in attendance. The mosque is not officially open as a tourist attraction but visitors are welcome outside prayer times, including women, if modestly dressed. The inside is decorated with fine calligraphy, citing texts from the Koran, as the portrayal of human figures is banned in Islamic art.
The mosque takes its name from the neighbouring Tsentralnata Banya (Central Baths) – Banya Bashi means ‘a lot of baths’. The first thermal baths were built here by the Romans, although the present building – currently closed for restoration – dates from 1911. On the square in front of the baths, it is possible to taste the steaming mineral water (46°C/115°F) from public taps.
Maria Louiza Boulevard at Triyaditsa Ulica
Transport: Bus to Ploshtad Sveta Nedelya.
Opening hours: Daily 0500-2000 or 2100.
Admission: Free.
Tsentralni Hali (Central Food Halls)
Reopened in May 2000, after three years of restoration work, the Tsentralni Hali offers a clean, well organised and modern version of the bazaar shopping experience but retains its early 20th-century ironwork. Archaeological excavations reveal that the area was a marketplace from Roman times and some of the finds are on display in the basement. Stalls on ground level sell fruit and vegetables, local cheeses, olives, meats, wine and spirits, plus an array of breads and pastries. There are also a few coffee and drinks bars, as well as a modern crèche facility. The upper level is given over to fast-food kiosks with a large seating area.
25 Maria Louiza Boulevard
Transport: Bus to Ploshtad Sveta Nedelya.
Opening hours: Daily 0700-2400.
Admission: Free.
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General
