Rotunda of Saint George
The Rotunda of St. George ( Bulgarian Ротонда Свети Георги Rotonda Sweti Georgi ) is an early Christian red brick church in the historic center of Sofia , called Serdica, in Bulgaria . It is considered the oldest building in Sofia and is located just behind the Sofia Hotel Balkan (formerly Sheraton) amid other historical remains of the ancient city of Serdica.
The building was erected by the Romans in the 4th century as a cylindrical domed structure on a square base. It is believed that the church building was built on the site of a former pagan temple. It is famous for the 12th, 13th and 14th century frescoes inside , of which three layers have been discovered so far. The oldest layer is dated to the 10th century. In the dome there is a two meter high fresco depicting 22 prophets. It was painted over during the Ottoman rule in Bulgaria when the church was used as a mosque . In the 20th century, the frescoes were exposed and restored.
History and architecture
The church is located in the courtyard between the Sofia Hotel Balkan and the seat of the President of Bulgaria. The ground level of the church and the ruins that surround it is a few meters lower than today's street level in Sofia. Probably the oldest building in Sofia, it was built during the rule of Emperors Galerius and Constantine the Great .
The building is part of a larger archaeological complex. Behind the apse there are other ancient ruins, such as a section of a Roman road with preserved drainage systems, a well of a larger basilica - a public building, and the remains of other smaller buildings. One of the buildings was equipped with a hypocaust . Experts call it the most beautiful building in the so-called Constantinian District of Serdika, where the palace of Emperor Constantine the Great and later Kaloyan stood. It was built from red bricks and had a symmetrical design. In the center there is a domed building with a round floor plan on a square base. Semicircular niches are built into the corners of the base. The rotunda has been used for Christian baptisms since the 4th century . The dome rises at a height of 13.70 meters above the ground. Over the centuries it has been used as a public, religious building and for representation purposes.
The interior of the church was repeatedly painted and overpainted with frescoes , of which five layers can be proven. The oldest frescoes date from the Roman-Byzantine period of the 4th century and depict floral motifs. The second layer is medieval, dates from the 10th century and shows angels. The third layer of the frescoes dates from the 11th and 12th centuries and shows prophets and scenes from Christ and the Assumption of Mary in a frieze . The fourth layer from the 14th century shows the portrait of a bishop above the north entrance. The fifth layer with ornamental motifs is of Islamic origin.
The relics of the patron saint of Bulgaria, St. Ivan Rilski , were temporarily kept in the church. Legend has it that the Byzantine ruler Manuel Comnenus was healed with the help of the relics . The relics were acquired by the Hungarians in 1183 during the reign of Béla III. stolen when they conquered, destroyed and plundered the city with the allied troops of the Serbs and Magyars . After a short stay in the capital Esztergom , the relics were returned to Bulgaria in 1187 and solemnly transferred to the Rila monastery in 1469 . The bones of the beatified Serbian King Stefan Milutin first rested in the monastery and were transferred to the Sweta Nedelja Cathedral .
During the Ottoman rule in the 16th century, the church was converted into a mosque. In the middle of the 19th century, after the end of Muslim rule, the Rotunda, St. Sophia Church and Sofia Mosque (today's National Archaeological Museum ) were abandoned by Muslims. A little later Bulgaria restored the church to its original purpose as a Christian place of worship. From 1895 until he was moved to his own mausoleum in 1897, it was the resting place of Count Alexander Hartenau , who as Alexander I von Battenberg was the first prince of modern Bulgaria. Apart from the fact that the rotunda of St. George is smaller, it is very similar to the rotunda of Thessaloniki .
literature
- Bogdan D. Filov: Софийската църква „Св. Георги “ ( Sofijskata curkva Sv. Georgi , The St. George's Church in Sofia. ) Sofia 1933 (преиздадена 2005), OCLC 749027124
Web links
- (Bulgarian) Sofia, Rotunda of St. George (pictures of the ruin)
- (Bulgarian) Sofia, Rotunda “St. George "- frescoes (frescoes)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Church leader ancient church - Holy Great Martyr Georg - The winner. P. 1.
- ↑ Church leader ancient church - Holy Great Martyr Georg - The winner. P. 7.
Coordinates: 42 ° 41 ′ 48.9 " N , 23 ° 19 ′ 23.1" E