Great Basilica, Pliska, Medieval religious complex in Pliska, Bulgaria
The Great Basilica is a medieval religious complex made up of a cathedral, archbishop's residence, and monastic buildings arranged around a central space. The surviving stone foundations reveal how the different sections connected, showing the scale and organization of this important religious center.
This religious structure was built around 875, following Bulgaria's official adoption of Christianity, and became a symbol of the kingdom's new faith under the ruler Boris I. It maintained its importance for centuries before eventually falling into decline.
The name reflects its role as the religious heart of early medieval Bulgaria, serving the spiritual needs of the kingdom's elite and clergy. Walking through the ruins today, you can sense how this place shaped religious life for an entire region.
The site sits close to the ruins of the ancient capital and is accessible from there on foot without difficulty. An on-site museum displays carved stones, architectural fragments, and religious objects recovered from excavations over the years.
Beneath the altar lies a cross-shaped burial chamber that suggests the basilica was built atop an earlier Christian shrine. This layering shows how sacred sites were reused and built over across generations.
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