Church of St Nicholas, Eastern Orthodox church building in Melnik, Bulgaria
The Church of St Nicholas is an Eastern Orthodox building in Melnik built with alternating rows of stone and brick. The three-naved basilica measures approximately 16 by 15 meters and has three apses positioned at the western end.
This structure was built around 1200 on the site of an ancient Thracian sanctuary. During the 13th century, it was renovated and gained the status of a bishopric seat.
The interior walls display frescoes from the 12th and 13th centuries that show religious scenes and sacred figures. These paintings reveal how people of that time expressed their faith through art.
The building sits on Sveti Nikola Hill to the south of Melnik with parts of the structure still standing. The original entrances and the western apses remain in place, allowing visitors to see how the building was originally configured.
Archaeological excavations in the 2000s uncovered one of Europe's oldest church bells, bearing an inscription in Medieval Greek. The bell was dedicated to Saint Nicholas and demonstrates the importance of this location in earlier times.
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