Here are a few holiday snaps from Sofia, just so you can see some of the sights of Bulgaria’s capital.
The most famous tourist site in the city is the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. It’s fairly new, having been completed in 1912. It’s rarely used for services, I’m told, but can hold 10,000 people and, before the Soviet era, was once was an important religious gathering spot. Its inside lacks any seating, but the walls are covered with icons and paintings. One of the sights I’ve gotten used to here is people actually kissing the icons on the wall and then crossing themselves, a custom of the Orthodox—and a good way to spread germs!
The Saint Sofia church is the second oldest church in the city, with Christian worship beginning in the 6th century after the supposed Jesus-man but with Roman ruins underneath some 400 years older. When you visit the church, you walk downstairs through the successive ruins, winding up with the Roman foundations.
The city of Sofia is actually named after this church, which in turn is named after a Christian martyr (see below):
The photo below is not mine, but taken from Wikipedia. This structure itself dates back to the sixth century but has been extensively restored. It was also converted to a mosque during the Ottoman occupation.
Mosaics at one of the lower levels of the church. I don’t know if they’re Roman; perhaps an astute reader can tell me.
Old wall painting in the church, inaccessible but visible through a window. I don’t know the date of this painting either, as the plaques were in Bulgarian.
A sign outside the church, promising God’s blessing if you guy the religious geegaws on offer inside:
Next to the church is apparently some headquarters of the Orthodox Church in Sofia. At the top of the building is a nice mural of three bearded Orthodox patriarchs (or priests):
The Bulgarian Tomb of the Unknown Soldier:
A flea market next to the Nevsky church sells all sorts of odds and ends, including some cool-looking Soviet-era cameras. Here’s a guy in his camera stall; perhaps photography buffs can recognize some of the arcane models:
Old signs from Sofia. Those who can read Cyrillic can translate them, but I’m told one of them (the rectangular blue one below the triangular yellow sign with a wheel grinding something) reads “exemplary house.” Vassi told me that if you had a really nice house with a garden, you could put up one of these signs. They also had them for “exemplary apartment.” I have no idea what most of the other signs are supposed to convey:
A street scene in Sofia, with trolleycar. It is a lovely town, at least the parts in the center I saw, and is well worth visiting. I don’t think many Americans come here.
Saint Sophia the Martyr, the patron saint of the city, atop a huge pedestal. As a goddess of wisdom, she’s holding an owl on her arm.
Saint Sophia the Martyr (died 137 AD) is venerated in the Eastern Orthodox Church on September 17. Born in Italy, Sophia had three daughters: Faith (age 12), Hope (age 10) and Love (age 9), who were named after virtues mentioned by Saint Paul in 1 Corinthians 13.
They are said to have been martyred during the reign of Hadrian (117–138). The guards took Sophia’s daughters one by one, from the eldest to the youngest and beat and tortured them to death. Sophia buried her daughters’ bodies and remained by their graves for three days until she died herself.
Lubo told me that when the made the statue, they discovered they’d given Sophia too much. . . er. . . pulchritude, and so she had a breast reduction before she was erected.
One of the government ministries in the center of town is guarded by two soldiers wearing helmets festooned with eagle feathers. The guard is changed every hour on the hour.
In the middle of the complex of buildings is the oldest church—indeed, the oldest building—in Sofia, built by the Romans in the fourth century after the supposed Jesus-man died. It is the Church of St. George. It was closed, so we couldn’t go inside to see the famous frescoes.
I love the old fascistic Soviet-era buildings. This one was once the Parliament. A big red Soviet star once crowned the steeple, but was removed by helicopter after the Russians left. The big steeple now bears a small (too small) Bulgarian flat:
Sofia has many lovely parks with big old trees. The locals, particularly older ones, were hanging out on the benches on this lovely day.
An old news kiosk (reminiscent of the ones in Paris), dating from 1874. Sadly, like too much of Sofia, it’s been defaced by graffiti.
The Russians built a National Cultural Palace: a huge building now used for various events and exhibitions. We were allowed to go into the lobby only, but it is cool, with a vaguely Art Nouveau look:
Finally, Vassi told me that these statues are of the two inventors of the Cyrillic alphabet. Some judicious Googling suggests that they are Sts. Cyril and Methodius (written in Cyrillic on the base), two brothers and missionaries who devised the alphabet in the 9th century A.D.
~