Church of St John the Baptist, Medieval Orthodox church on a cliff in Asenovgrad, Bulgaria

Church of St John the Baptist is a place of worship built with alternating rows of stone and brickwork, featuring blind arches on its outer walls. Inside, a single triangular apse with small windows provides natural light to the interior space.

The structure was built between the 12th and 14th centuries as part of the northern defenses of medieval Asenovgrad, then called Stenimachos. Its location within the city's fortifications shows the strategic importance of this religious site during that era.

Locals call the church Sveti Yani or Sveti Yan, and its six north-wall arrowslits earned it the nickname "Boynitsata" (the loophole). The 18th-century frescoes of Christ, the Mother of God and John the Baptist were painted in 1804 after the church was repaired; two older images, John the Baptist in a niche right of the iconostasis and the Meeting of Mary and Elizabeth, date to the early 13th century.

The building is small and compact, making it easy to explore all its features in a short visit. Best to observe the wall and window details from the outside, and view the interior frescoes when daylight is sufficient to see them clearly.

The structure includes defensive arrowslits built into its walls, a rare feature for a religious building that allowed it to serve as both a place of prayer and defense. This dual purpose makes it a valuable witness to medieval military architecture in the region.