The capital of Bulgaria, Sofia, is full of ancient monuments. But not all of them have retained their original significance and even fewer continue to function like many centuries ago as if time has no power over them. One of these magnificent monuments of ancient sacred architecture is the Church of Saint George. Although the oldest church in the city was built in the 4th century during the early Christian era, it still hosts religious services.

Initially, the church, built on the territory of the official residence of the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great, served as the imperial baptistery. Members of the emperor's family and subjects close to him were baptized there. More than 13 meters high, the simple structure of the church with tall narrow windows was made of bricks. The main building of the baptistery was surrounded by six small annexes of the same shape. All of them have been perfectly preserved to this day, have remained one of the main shrines of Sofia, and have become a popular tourist attraction. Every year, the Church of Saint George is visited by more than 300 thousand tourists from all over the world.

Later, during the reign of Emperor Justinian I, the baptistery became a church named after St. George. There was only one sad period in the church history when the Bulgarian lands were under the rule of the Ottoman Empire: the Christian shrine was a Muslim mosque, and all the delightful frescoes were barbarously painted over with white. Fortunately, most of the fragments have already been restored, so they still adorn the church walls today. The original Christian frescoes dating back to the 10th century have transformed the iconic building into a real museum of sacred art.

The church interior is striking in its modesty. It comprises only one regular-squared altar, surrounded by several niches. The most valuable relics are the ancient frescoes depicting the faces of the twenty-two prophets.