During your stay in the beautiful capital of Bulgaria, do not miss to visit one of its most valuable historical sites - the Boyana Church.
Located at the foot of Vitosha Mountain, this church, included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, is a true masterpiece of medieval art and architecture. Known for its exceptionally well-preserved frescoes from the 13th century, the Boyana Church offers a unique insight into the rich cultural and spiritual heritage of Bulgaria.
We recommend that you check the opening hours in advance and consider a guided visit to fully immerse yourself in the history and significance of this place. If you want to enjoy an unforgettable stay in a luxurious environment, do not miss to settle in fully furnished apartments. Whether you are looking for a cozy studio or a spacious two-bedroom apartment, our options are ideal for your accommodation in Sofia, combining comfort and style.
We are waiting for you in Sofia and wish you an unforgettable experience at the Boyana Church!
The Church of St. Nicholas and Panteleimon is a medieval Bulgarian church - one of the cultural symbols of Bulgaria.
It is located in the Boyana district at the foot of Vitosha Mountain.
It is a 2-story temple , with the lower floor being a crypt (tomb) and the upper floor being a chapel.
The Boyana Church is composed of 3 buildings connected into one whole .
They were built at different times:
- The east wing was built at the end of the 10th century and the beginning of the 11th century .
It is a small elliptical cross-domed building with built-in buttresses that form a cross. The facade is distinguished by multi-stepped vaulted niches and arches, as well as the so-called "wolf teeth" (ceramic masonry bodies placed non-orthogonally at the vaults), characteristic of older Bulgarian temples in Tarnovo, Kostur and Ohrid.
In the second half of the 12th century it was renovated and completed in its current form, after the execution of the first layer of frescoes.
- The central wing was built in the mid-13th century ( during the Second Bulgarian Kingdom ).
The church was expanded , adding to its western facade A narthex was added , and above it a small cross-domed family chapel .
The funds for the expansion were donated by the then governor of Sredets - Sebastokrator Kaloyan and his wife Desislava , which is why it was called Kaloyan's Church .
Of the churches built on his orders in Sofia, two more have been preserved - St. Petka and the chapel of St. Nicholas.
A foundation inscription in Bulgarian in the narthex indicates the year of its complete inscription (1259) and the names of the donors.
The lower floor, which was designated as their tomb, is covered with a semi-cylindrical vault with 2 niches of arcosolia - on the north and south walls, while the upper floor (the chapel) repeats the architectural style of the original church.
The facade decoration uses the so-called " painterly style" - mixed masonry of white stone and red bricks combined with ceramic-plastic decoration of built-in colored "cups", typical of the Bulgarian temples in Tarnovo, Nessebar and Ohrid.
After enlargement and the 2 buildings were repainted , with the new frescoes covering those from the 12th century.
- The western part was finally completed in the mid-19th century , when the 2-storey vestibule "St. Nicholas and St. Panteleimon" was completed with donations from the local population.
v The frescoes in the Boyana Church are also from different periods :
- First painted layer - dates from the 11th-12th centuries . It completely covers the eastern wing .
- Second painted layer - dates from 1258/1259 and occupies the largest area .
The frescoes from this period have exceptional artistic value , distinguished by their perfect execution technique, complexity, depth and realism.
They are the work of a group of artists known collectively as the Boyana Master .
Among them are the well-known names of Dimitriy Zograf and Vasily Zograf (in 2016, an inscription on the oak door of the church "I, Vasily, wrote" was deciphered, making it the oldest door in Bulgaria, more than 760 years old ).
They were representatives of the Tarnovo School of Painting and the frescoes from 1258/1259 were painted in the traditional style for it.
On the walls of the church are depicted 89 scenes with 240 images .
They are placed on the first layer of paintings and cover the 2nd floor of the expanded church. Among them are the portraits of the founding couple at that time - Sebastokrator Kaloyan and his wife Desislava , as well as the Bulgarian ruling family - Tsar Constantine Asen the Silent (1257-1277) and Tsarina Irina on the northern wall of the church.
In the vestibule, one can also see the first known image of St. Ivan of Rila and that of St. Paraskeva (Petka).
- Late frescoes - in separate parts of the Boyana Church, later images have been preserved - from the 14th century, 16th-17th centuries and 1882 (the images of the 2 patrons of the church - St. Nicholas and St. Panteleimon).
Doctor Bogdan Filov, director of the National Museum, commissioned in 1912 the Austrian artist Joseph Bala to restore the frescoes in the Boyana Church.
Over the years it has been renovated many times .
The last restoration was completed in 2006 , thanks to a donation campaign organized by the National History Museum. After reopening, the Boyana Church became one of the most visited landmarks in Sofia .
Queen Eleanor, the second wife of Tsar Ferdinand, was buried next to the southern wall of the Boyana Church in 1917. She saved the church from destruction in the early 20th century, when the locals wanted to tear it down and build a larger church in its place, by providing them with another plot of land for the new church.
At that time, on the initiative of Tsar Ferdinand, a small park was built around the Boyana Church , planting giant North American sequoias and other rare species.
The church remained an active parish church until 1954 .
It is part of the UNESCO list. for the world cultural heritage since 1979.
Since 2003 it has been a branch of the National History Museum.
The church is among the 100 national tourist sites of the Bulgarian Tourist Union (BTU).
Address - 3 Boyansko Ezero St. ( by car or by public transport buses number 64 and 107 - stops Boyansko Hanche or Boyanska Church).
Working hours:
- summer - every day from 09:30 to 18:00 (cash desk until 17:30)
- winter - every day from 09:00 to 17:30 (cash desk until 17:00)
Ticket prices :
- individual visitors - 12 leva / person
- children over 7 years old and students - 3 leva
- groups of 10 or more visitors - 8 leva
- groups of 10 or more students - 2 leva
Guided talks:
- in Bulgarian - 10 leva
- in a foreign language - 12 leva
- in Bulgarian with translation - 8 leva
Admission is free for:
- people with special needs and their companions
- children under 7 years old
- every last Monday of the month after 3:00 p.m.
- on the dates May 18 (International Museum Day), September 17 (Sofia Day),
November 1 (National Awakening Day)
A maximum of 9 people are allowed in the church at a time.
The stay is limited to 10 minutes .
It is recommended to make a prior request and reservation .
More information can be found at www.boyanachurch.info , www.boyanachurch.org and www. historymuseum.org/boyana-church.
If you are looking for a convenient and comfortable place to stay during your visit to the capital, our apartments are an excellent choice. Situated in an easily accessible location, they offer quick access to both the Boyana Church and other key landmarks such as the National History Museum, Kopitoto, Dragalevski Monastery and Vitosha Nature Park.
We await you with coziness, amenities and a personal approach to make your stay as pleasant as possible.
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