Ancient orthodox rotunda church "Saint George" — Attraction in Sofia City

The Church of Saint George (Bulgarian: Ротонда „Свети Георги“, romanized: Rotonda "Sveti Georgi") is a Late Antique red brick rotunda in Sofia, Bulgaria. Built in the early 4th century as Roman baths, it became a church inside the walls of Serdica, capital of ancient Dacia Mediterranea during the Roman Empire and Byzantine Empire.[1] The Early Christian church is considered the oldest building in modern Sofia and belongs to the Bulgarian Orthodox Church.

The building, a cylindrical domed structure built on a square base, is famous for the 12th-, 13th-, and 14th-century frescoes inside the central dome. Three layers of frescoes have been discovered, the earliest dating back to the 10th century. Magnificent frescoes of 22 prophets over 2 metres tall crown the dome. Painted over during the Ottoman period, when the building was used as a mosque, these frescoes were only uncovered and restored in the...

Not far from Presidency(Residency of President of Bulgaria) is this oldest architectural monument of St George’s Rotunda church. It’s the oldest building in Sofia, few meters below the street level. Built using red bricks all around, it was built during 4th century by Romans when Sofia (then was called Serdica) was the residence to the emperor Constantine the great. It has transformed over the centuries to what it is now an Orthodox Church.

The inner central dome was discovered to have three layers of frescoes, only rediscovered during 20th century. The church was coupled by Ottomans and converted to a mosque but was abandoned by Muslims and was reclaimed by the Christians in the late 18/19th centuries. One of the beautiful frescoe you see today were the 22 prophets painted round the central dome.

You are not allowed to take pictures inside the church but luckily I was given permission for...

The Church of Saint George (Bulgarian: Ротонда „Свети Георги“, romanized: Rotonda "Sveti Georgi") is a Late Antique red brick rotunda in Sofia, Bulgaria. Built in the early 4th century as Roman baths, it became a church inside the walls of Serdica, capital of ancient Dacia Mediterranea during the Roman Empire and Byzantine Empire.[1] The Early Christian church is considered the oldest building in modern Sofia and belongs to the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. The building, a cylindrical domed structure built on a square base, is famous for the 12th-, 13th-, and 14th-century frescoes inside the central dome. Three layers of frescoes have been discovered, the earliest dating back to the 10th century. Frescoes of 22 prophets over 2 metres tall crown the dome. Painted over during the Ottoman period, when the building was used as a mosque, these frescoes were only uncovered and restored in the...