Saint Petka Church, Orthodox church in Rupite, Bulgaria

Saint Petka Church is an Orthodox church building in Rupite, Bulgaria, with white walls and copper domes set against the backdrop of the extinct Kozhuh volcano. The building follows the traditional Bulgarian Orthodox style and sits on flat ground in a largely open setting.

The church was built in 1994, shortly after the end of communist rule in Bulgaria, at a time when religious life was beginning to recover across the country. Its location in Rupite is closely linked to the veneration of the local mystic Vanga, who is buried on the grounds.

The church is also called Svetа Petka Bаlgarska, after the Bulgarian saint Paraskeva. Vanga, a clairvoyant who lived her last twenty years in Rupite, funded its construction and is buried in the churchyard, though she had asked to be buried in the yard of her own house. The Vanga Foundation decided otherwise.

The church is reached by a short walk from the parking area near the springs, and the grounds are largely flat and easy to walk around. Those wishing to enter should bring clothing that covers shoulders and knees, as it is an active place of worship.

Vanga wished to be buried in the yard of the house where she lived in Rupite, but the Vanga Foundation decided instead to bury her within the fence of the church. The cross above the building was made by sculptor Krum Damyanov, and engineer Kocho Angov was its builder.