Seven Saints Church, Eastern Orthodox church building in central Sofia, Bulgaria
Seven Saints Church is an Eastern Orthodox church building in central Sofia with a main hall topped by a large dome. The structure blends Ottoman architectural elements with Bulgarian Orthodox design features throughout.
The building began as the Black Mosque, completed around 1547 and attributed to Mimar Sinan, on the site of a former Rila Monastery nunnery and an early Christian temple. After the 1878 Liberation it served as a military warehouse and prison. Between 1901 and 1903 it was rebuilt as a church by architects Yordan Milanov and Petko Momchilov, and inaugurated on 27 July 1903.
The church honors seven holy figures who created the Slavic alphabet: Saints Cyril, Methodius, and their students Gorazd, Clement, Naum, Angelar, and Sava. You can see references to these revered people in the religious artwork and decorations throughout the interior.
The building opens regularly for services and welcomes visitors interested in its architecture and religious importance. Respectful clothing and behavior are expected when visiting the interior.
The large candlesticks before the altar were cast in 1903 from obsolete police badges of Eastern Rumelia and the Principality of Bulgaria, predating the 1885 Unification. An electric clock by watchmaker Georgi Hadzhinikolov was fitted to the western façade in the 1930s and still runs.
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