Church of Sveta Nedelya

Sveta Nedelya Church is located at the most famous ancient intersection of Sofia. This church is the direct successor of all other smaller churches from the Middle Ages. Early theories tell us that the church was originally built in the 10th century entirely of wood with large stone pillars and later the whole church was made of stone.

Around 1460, the remains of the Serbian king Stefan Milutin (one of the most powerful rulers of medieval Serbia) were moved to Bulgaria and kept in various places before being moved to the church of Sveta Nedelya in late 19th century, early 20th century.

On April 25, 1856, the old stone building was demolished to make way for a larger and more majestic church with an area of nearly 700 square meters. However, an earthquake in 1858 caused much damage to the church during construction and it was not completed until 1863. More than 20,000 people gathered at the Sveta Nedelya church on May 11, 1867 to celebrate its inauguration. A new bell tower was erected to house the eight bells donated to the church by Russian Prince Alexander Mikhailovich in 1879. In 1898, the church received its first renovation with the appearance of new domes. And also at this time, the remains of Bishop Joseph I of Bulgaria were also buried just outside the church.

However, the shocking attack was made on April 16, 1925, when a group of the Bulgarian Communist Party blew up the roof of St Nedelya's Church, killing 150 people and leveling the church. This happened during the funeral of General Konstantin Georgiev, who was killed in an earlier Communist attack on April 14. The dead were mainly from the political and military circles of the country and about 500 civilians were injured. On the evening after the attack, martial law was declared. The attack triggered a wave of violent repression organized by the Military Coalition with the government's silent approval. Over the next two weeks, about 450 people were killed without conviction, including figures like the poet Geo Milev. Later, it was found that a mass grave of those killed in 1925 was found.

After the attack, the church was reborn again with an area of more than 450 square meters and a dome up to 31 meters high. Church items left over from the bombing were also reused. The current architecture and design dates back to 1950 when the Communist Party decided to restore the church again in 1950 and renamed it Sveta Nedelya instead of its previous name Holly King (Sveti kral) because of the remains. of the Serbian king Stephan Urosh II is kept in this church.

In addition to the ancient architecture, the Sveta Nedelya church also owns exquisitely carved wooden icons dating from 1865 and murals directed by artist Nikolay Rostovtsev from 1973. The highlight attracts many tourists to visit and admire.

Operating hours : 08:00 - 18:00

Phone : +359 2 987 5748