Seven Saints Church, Sofia facts for kids
The Sveti Sedmochislenitsi Church is a special church in Sofia, the capital city of Bulgaria. It used to be called the Black Mosque. This building was first built in 1547 as a mosque by the Ottoman Empire. Later, it was changed into a Bulgarian Orthodox church. The church officially opened on July 27, 1903.
The church gets its name from Cyril and Methodius and their five students. In the Orthodox Church, these seven people are known as the Sedmochislenitsi.
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A Look at the Church's Past
The building we now know as the Sveti Sedmochislenitsi Church was finished around 1547. Back then, it was a mosque called the Black Mosque. A powerful leader named Sofu Mehmed Pasha ordered it to be built. He hired a famous architect named Mimar Sinan to design it.
The mosque was built where an old Christian temple from the 4th or 5th century once stood. Even older ruins of a Roman temple were found underneath it. The mosque got its name, the Black Mosque, because its tall tower, called a minaret, was made from dark granite.
In the 1800s, an earthquake caused the minaret to fall down. After Bulgaria became free from Ottoman rule in 1878, the mosque was no longer used for prayers. It became a military storage building and even a prison.
How the Mosque Became a Church
A Russian architect named Alexander Pomerantsev suggested turning the old mosque into a Christian church. Bulgarian architects Yordan Milanov and Petko Momchilov helped with the design. They added the church's dome, the entrance area (called the narthex), and the bell tower. They designed these parts in a traditional Bulgarian style.
Only the main hall and the dome of the old mosque were kept. New sections were added to make it suitable for a church. The building work took about a year, from May 1901 to May 1902. However, the inside decorations were not fully finished until 1996.
Many people helped pay for the church. Tsar Ferdinand of Bulgaria was a big supporter. A famous Bulgarian leader named Petko Karavelov also gave a lot of money. He was buried near the church in January 1903.
Church Design and Features
The original mosque was about 25 meters long and had a square shape. It had a large dome covered with lead. The mosque was also known as the İmaret Mosque. This was because there was an imaret nearby, which was a kitchen that provided food for poor people.
There was also a madrasah, which was a Muslim religious school. Today, this area is a small garden next to the church. After Bulgaria's freedom, the madrasah building was also used as a prison. Other old Ottoman buildings nearby included a place for travelers to rest (a caravanserai) and a public bath (a hammam).
Inside the church, you can see large candlesticks in front of the altar. These were made in 1903 from old police badges. An electric clock was added to the outside of the church in the 1930s. It was made by a skilled watchmaker and still works today. The small garden and the square around the church were also built around that time.
In the church grounds, you can find the grave of Petko Stoichev Karavelov and his wife. He was an important Bulgarian politician who served as Prime Minister four times.
See also
- List of churches in Sofia
