Kaser

The oldest cathedral in Sofia is the rotunda of St. George, erected in the 4th century on the site of ancient Serdika. For many years the church was a baptistery, and in the 16th century, when Bulgaria came into the possession of the Turks, the Muslims converted it into a mosque. After these lands were recaptured, the Christian temple was restored, and during a large-scale restoration, unique early Christian frescoes were found on the walls, later painted over by Muslims.

The first is a single-apse temple, built in the 10th century. The second is a two-storey church, built in the 13th century by Tsar Kaloyan, there was a family tomb and a chapel for the royal family. The third is a fairly new extension, which appeared here already in the 19th century with donations from parishioners. The main value of the temple today is the preserved wall paintings made in the medieval period in the best Byzantine traditions.

During the construction of the fortress walls, they were partly built of brick and stone, partly using the red sandstone rocks located here, so the main part of the fortress is predominantly of natural origin. Romans, Turks, Byzantines, Bulgarians worked on its construction at different times. There are two interesting caves in the rocks, and in the fortress there is an observatory with one of the best telescopes in Bulgaria.

Today, the monastery is maintained in excellent well-groomed condition and is open to the public. Outwardly, the Rozhen Monastery looks like a real fortress that can withstand a serious siege - the monastic cells and refectories themselves serve as fortifications. In the courtyard you can also see your interesting places - here is a large farm with a farm and vineyards. The main value of the monastery is the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary with the miraculous icon of the Virgin Mary.

For those who travel to the Balkans not only to see samples of cultural and historical heritage, but also to relax in nature, there are suitable sights in Bulgaria: Sunny Beach and the thousand-year-old cities of Nessebar and Sozopol, Golden Sands and Alben with the widest sandy strip of snow-white coast - and this just a beach holiday. But there are extraordinarily beautiful places in the mountains of Bulgaria - a vivid example of this is the Rose Valley, located between the ridge of the Balkan Mountains and the Sredna Gora mountain range.

then see in Bulgaria? Of course, on your journey you cannot ignore the main St. Sophia Cathedral named after Alexander Nevsky. Our contemporaries find the complex architecture of the building surprising. The impressive and in its own way majestic cathedral is capable of receiving 5,000 believers at the same time.

The foundation of the cathedral is associated with the 19th century. In 1882, the first stone was solemnly laid on the site of the future structure. The event was timed to coincide with the liberation of Bulgaria in the Russian-Turkish war. But construction work began only at the beginning of the 20th century. The consecration of the cathedral took place in 1912.

Those who appreciate aesthetics and harmony in architecture seek to visit the beautiful palace of Queen Mary. This is one of the most famous historical monuments of the Black Sea coast of Bulgaria. Now it has been restored and is protected by the state.

The palace is the summer residence of Queen Mary. This is an amazingly beautiful place, immersed in fabulous flowers and evergreen vines. The greenhouses surrounding the palace are laid out with scientific precision. There are many elegant compositions of living plants, as well as architectural ensembles.

Thinking what to visit in Bulgaria? Do not hesitate, the Tsarevets fortress is open to visitors all year round. In different reference books, the Tsarevets fortress is designated differently. Somewhere you can see references to the fact that this is an architectural and historical monument. Somewhere it is indicated as an upscale hotel with excellent service.

But to see this boutique hotel, which is located in Veliko Tarnovo, is worth it, if only to enjoy the magnificent audiovisual show "Light and Sound".

The city of Nessebar is called the architectural pearl of the country. It is located on a peninsula, the length of which is only 850 m. The closest neighbor of the city is Burgas.

The history of Nessebar has more than one millennium. Archaeological surveys that were carried out here at different times contain reports of finds of various civilizations and cultures. The city is a UNESCO heritage site, and since 1956 Nessebar has officially received the status of a museum city.

Near Sofia you can see the main shrine of Bulgaria - the Rila Monastery. It is male and is located in the mountains. Orthodox monks from the 10th century found comfort in prayers here. The founder of the monastery was John of Rylsky. Having settled in one of the crevices, he attracted many of his students here, who gradually began to settle down in these rocks.

At various times, earthquakes and fires destroyed the monastery almost to the ground. It also suffered greatly from the raids of the Turks. But the inhabitants of Bulgaria are sensitive to Orthodox shrines, so the monastery was restored to its original beauty every time.