The fact that the heart of the beautiful Balkan country of Bulgaria is the beautiful capital of Sofia is well-known to everyone, but few people know that the heart of Sofia itself is one of the oldest functioning Orthodox churches, the Saint Sofia Church. This magnificent monument of Early Christian architecture gave its name to the Bulgarian city, which later became the capital of the Bulgarian Empire, as well as one of the most desirable places for a stunning and varied vacation.

A small wooden church was built on this site at the beginning of the 4th century. Later, during the reign of the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great, it was replaced by a white-stone cathedral. In 343, the cathedral hosted the Council of Serdica, dedicated to issues of church government. During the council, 20 canons of the ecclesiastical law of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church were adopted.

As a result of two centuries of barbarian attacks, the church built by the emperor was almost destroyed. Fortunately for Orthodox believers, the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I restored the ancient shrine, renamed it in honor of Saint Sofia, made it the main church of medieval Bulgaria, and transferred the cathedra of local bishops here.

Luckily, this magnificent monument of sacred architecture has been preserved. It has hosted religious services for more than 1,700 years, except the Ottoman period when the church was used as a mosque. In the 13th century, the city began to be known as Sofia, and a century later, the name in honor of the main shrine became official.

The oldest preserved parts from the times of the church foundation are small fragments of the cathedral's mosaic floor, as well as several frescoes on the walls of underground premises. Unfortunately, the interior has been almost lost, although the restorers did their best to save it at the beginning of the 20th century. At the same time, the Monument to the Unknown Soldier was installed next to the church in honor of those who fought for the motherland and died a hero's death.