Early Christian Architecture

Monuments, illustrating the most significant changes following the Milan edict in the spiritual life of the population of the nowadays Bulgarian lands are: the church St.Sofia in Serdika, “The great basilisk” in Mesembria, “The red church” next to Perushtica. Basilisk St.Sofia in Sofia has its look, close to the existing one, during the 6th century. It is three-shipped basilikal building with impressive size for its time 46,5/23/16,10 at a height of the dome 19,70. In the basement of the building are saved the substructures of two basilical churches from 4th and 5th century, the time when Serdika was a center of the Christianity and the rising art of the eastern-orthodox world. The existing of a cross ship – transept is considered for innovation in the building of churches for this time in this part of the world. At the crossing between the central ship and the transept a dome is rising. The pillars which devide the three ships are massive. The apse is one. The narthex embraces the whole width of the building, as from south to north ends with oval rooms, over which were rising towers. The temple was active until 15th of century. It was turned into mosque in 16th of century, but after serious devastations it was abandoned. During the 30th years architect Al.Rashenov makes the first restoration. He also made the project for the now existing iconostasis. In 1989 year architect Vasil Kitov starts restoration and preserving works which give the building the looks, which can be seen nowadays with all of its impressive monumentality.