Cathedral Saint Alexandar Nevski

Welcome to Alexander Nevsky Cathedral!
This building is possibly the main landmark of Sofia and there is no doubt about the reason behind it; its splendid beauty and imposing structure! This Neo-Byzantine style church serving as the church of the Patriarch of Bulgaria is one of the largest Eastern Orthodox cathedrals in the world and can hold 10000 people. It was originally built to honor the Russian soldiers who lost their lives in the Russo-Turkish war that liberated the Bulgarians from the Ottoman rule. The foundation stone for this marvelous building was laid in the end of the 19th century and in 1912 the cathedral was finished. The main architect was Russian and so is the Saint - Alexander Nevsky – who gave the name to the cathedral. Alexander was a Russian prince of the 13th century who became a legend because of his victories and the defense of his people during the many invasions of his land at the time.

This extravagant piece of architecture is elegant in every way, also when it comes to material; the many gold-plated cupolas, the facades made of Bulgarian stone and the shapes of it make it unforgettable to any visitor. The interior is no exception; look at the marble, the details made of onyx and finest alabaster here and there. Stroll along the main hall and behold the mosaics in here made by Bulgarian and Russian artists. If you steer your gaze up to the central dome you will see that it has the Lord’s Prayer inscribed in gold letters around it, most spectacular indeed! Before we leave this temple of divine artistic expression we should go down to the crypt. Check out the over 200 icons down here! It is said to be one of the biggest collections of Orthodox art, so take some time to look at it before we move on to the next stop of our tour.

Photo Alexander Nevsky Cathedral 11 by Antoine Taveneaux is licensed under  CC BY-SA 3.0