Sveti Sedmochislenitsi Church (The Seven saints Church) - Sofia

Overview

Sveti Sedmochislenitsi Church is a very well-preserved orthodox church located in Sofia. The name “Sveti Sedmochislenitsi”, meaning “The Seven Saints”, refers to the Saints Cyril and Methodius, two brothers, the founders of the Slavonic Script, and their disciples.

The brothers created a new script based on the language spoken by the Bulgarians in Thessaloniki. They translated liturgical books which allowed the Bulgarian population to adopt Christianity. Thus, Bulgaria joined the family of the Christianized European nations. The efforts of Cyril and Methodius to introduce the new script and culture were enormous. Their disciples achieved that goal in Bulgaria under the protection of the Bulgarian rulers. Today, the Cyrillic script is the third official alphabet in the European Union.

The building was erected in 1528 during the reign of Sultan Suleiman and served as a mosque. It was designed by the Ottoman Empire's most famous architecture Sinan.

The church began life as a mosque under Ottoman rule, and after The Liberation in 1878 it saw use as a prison. Only in 1903 was it re-purposed as a church, receiving its name in honour of seven saints credited with bringing Christianity and literacy in the ninth century.

Over the entrance is a fabulous mosaic showing the seven saints, overseen by the figure of Christ.  The shape and style of this church are really outstanding. It is beautifully designed and attracts lots of attention. The interior is covered in beautiful paintings.  This church reflects the history of Christianity in Bulgaria with reminders of the Ottoman era.