The Rotunda Church of St George

The St George (Sveti Georgi) Rotunda Church is the oldest architectural landmark in and unquestionably one of the most fascinating. According to certain research, it is a living depiction of the history of the Bulgarian capital since it has withstood centuries of natural and human interference and is still standing sound and sturdy in the city center.  The edifice is said to have been built by the Romans in the fourth century and functioned as a martyrion site (temple of a saint martyr).

Serdika (now Sofia) was one of the biggest and busiest Roman cities on the Balkan Peninsula at the time. It is stated that the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great, who reigned at the time, declared, ‘Serdica – there is my Rome.’ Later, when more people converted to Christianity, the martyrion was converted into a baptistery, which is when the first artwork was created. The baptistery was converted into a church in the early sixth century and given the name St Great Martyr Georgi. When the Turks took over ten centuries later, it was converted into a mosque, the wall murals were covered with white plaster with floral themes, and a minaret was added.

The temple was just recently (less than a century ago) rebuilt, the minaret was dismantled, the paintings (5 levels of them) were revealed, and religious worship was restored. St George Rotunda Church is a well-preserved example of old architecture and beautiful Christian art. It is made up of a rotunda (the center section) and smaller vestibules and niches that form a cross. The rotunda is a circular domed structure supported by tall pillars that offer a unique ventilation system. The structure is punctured by vaulted entrances and cylindrical windows. It exudes toughness and simplicity. In St George Rotunda Church, 5 layers of wall paintings have been unearthed. Three of them are from the Middle Ages (10th-16th centuries) and are the best preserved (in terms of size and quality) and adequate for research. They demonstrate the splendor of East Christian graphic painting of the period. The first two strata feature Greek inscriptions, while the third layer is in Old Bulgarian.

Hundreds of visitors and Christians visit St George Rotunda Church every day. The temple is in a prime central position, adjacent to practically all tourist sites, hotels, restaurants, and government organizations, and is approximately a half-hour walk from the Central Railway and Coach Stations. It is thus a must-see if you are in Sofia.

History and architecture

The church is positioned in the courtyard between the Sheraton Hotel and the Presidency, a few meters below the capital’s contemporary streets. It is said to be the city’s oldest remaining structure, having been constructed during the reigns of Emperors Galerius and Constantine the Great.

The church is a component of a wider archaeological site. There are historic remains beyond the apse, including a part of a Roman street with surviving drainage, the foundations of a massive basilica, most likely a public edifice, and other smaller structures. One of the buildings had a hypocaust, and the tiles that lifted the floor can still be seen today. Experts consider it to be one of the most magnificent structures in Serdika-Sredets’ so-called “Constantine district,” which housed the palaces of Emperor Constantine the Great and, subsequently, Sebastokrator Kaloyan. It is thought that some of the most significant deliberations of the Council of Serdica took place in the church since it has weathered the test of time and has preserved its look nearly unaltered.

The Rotunda is part of a huge complex of historic structures dating back to the late third and early fourth centuries. It is made of red bricks and has a complicated symmetry. A domed rotunda chamber with a circular layout on a square foundation and semicircular niches in the corners is located in the center. It has been used for christening (baptising) rituals since the fourth century. The dome reaches 13.70 meters above the ground. It had been utilized as a public, religious, and even a representational edifice throughout the years.

The walls have five layers of partially preserved frescoes: the oldest is a Roman-Byzantine with floral motifs from the 4th century; the second is in Bulgarian medieval style with angels from the 10th century; the third is from the 11th and 12th centuries – a frieze with prophets and frescoes depicting the Ascension, Assumption, and so on; the fourth is from the 14th century with a donor’s portrait of a

Among the murals, the one from the 10th century, most likely made during the reigns of Simeon I the Great, Peter I, and Samuil, stands out. The soulful human face of an angel, painted under the dome, is one of the most significant examples of the outstanding proficiency of Bulgarian artistic school of the First Bulgarian Empire’s golden period.

The sacred remains of Bulgaria’s patron saint, John of Rila, were preserved in the church and, according to tradition, were used to treat the Byzantine Emperor Manuel Comnenus. When combined Serbs and Magyar armies stormed, burned, and plundered the city in 1183, during the reign of Béla III, the relics were captured by the Hungarians.

After a brief stay in Esztergom, when the Catholic bishop lost his ability to speak due to an improper behavior with the relics, they were returned to the newly reconstituted Bulgarian Empire in 1187. When the saint’s remains were reverently transferred from the then-capital Tarnovo to the Rila Monastery in 1469, they lay here once again. Originally, the Serbian monarch Stefan Milutin, himself beatified, was buried here, and his relics were eventually relocated to the Church of St. King (today, the Sveta Nedelya Church).

During Ottoman administration in the 16th century, the church was converted into a mosque. The Rotunda, together with the Saint Sofia Church and the Sofia Mosque (now the National Archaeological Museum), was abandoned by Muslims in the mid-nineteenth century. Soon after, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church resumed its former usage as a Christian church.

Despite its diminutive size, the church is identical to Thessaloniki’s Rotunda of Galerius. St. George has a significant cultural effect, embodying the spirit of the early Christian period and Bulgarian medieval culture. It is the topic of intense investigation and justified interest not only among Orthodox and Catholic religious groups, as well as notable scientific and cultural personalities, but it also draws a large number of pilgrims and regular visitors.

On rare occasions, the cathedral is utilized for serious military ceremonies and performances including Orthodox and classical music.