On the first few weeks of Andy beginning his new job, he was sent to Bulgaria to work for a few days. Happily, we took advantage of the opportunity and I too packed my bag for the trip! We were lucky to have a weekend to spend in Sofia and managed to book a really luxurious, yet surprisingly affordable hotel apartment for the duration of our stay.
During our weekend stay in Bulgaria we walked around the city, visited some of their beautiful orthodox churches, monuments and enjoyed their healthy cuisine of yoghurt and salads.
The owner of the apartment, Nicolay Kolev was a gracious host who wore many hats in a great effort to make our stay as pleasant as possible. He was the chauffeur who picked us up from the airport in the middle of the night, gracious host who checked us into his grand apartment and most other times, Nicolay was our tour guide and photographer.
Our fully-contained apartment came with beautiful furniture, 2 LCD tvs...
And a shower that is equipped with disco-lights, 7 shower nozzles from all angles, overhead waterfall and radio... now this is how showers should be done!
Aside from our apartment fit for the Royals, we were completely charmed by this beautiful city. Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria. It has a long history of rulers, beginning from the Romans in Antiquity, then the invasion of the Huns during the Middle Ages, followed by the Ottoman rule in the 14th century. The Russian forces then saw an end to the Ottomans in the 18th century. Shortly after World War II when the Bulgarian government was overthrown by the US and British allies, the country was transformed into a People's Republic. This rich history makes up the very essence of Sofia as each occupant left its influences on buildings, names and architecture. Many of their monuments are still very well preserved, even Roman brickworks dating from Antiquity can still be found in certain parts of Sofia.
The St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is the pride of the capital. It is an orthodox church that took 30 years to build in honour of the Russians who saw Bulgaria liberated from Turkish rule and lost their lives. Inside the cathedral is unlike any others found in other parts of Europe. The darkness and vastness of the cathedral give both an ominous sense and one of awe.
St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral.
Reverent worshippers lighting candles for their loved ones.
Central part of the church.
The smoke covered paintings have been left in original state, blackened by smoke from candles. However, it doesn't diminish the amazing artistry of the works as each painting depicted stories that span the height of the cathedral. We were not allowed to take any photographs as priests were seen yelling and rushing at tourists who did, but I somehow managed to capture a couple of shots!
Other monuments we visited were:
The Russian Orthodox Church: St Nicholas the Miracle-Maker.
Andy and I.
Nicolay also took us to visit the Church of St.Petka Samardjiiska. An ancient Christian monument from the 11th century built in dedication to St. Petka, a Bulgarian saint. Unfortunately, we didn't get a chance to enter the church but it was still amazing to be in such an ancient site. Overlooking this church was the statue of St. Sofia the patron saint of the city.
St.Petka Samardjiiska and St. Sofia statue.
It's a city that practices peaceful religious co-existence as no where else in the world will you find a Mosque, Orthodox Church and a Synogogue located within metres of each other in the heart of the city. The St Nedelya Church, Banya Bashi Mosque and Sofia Synagogue are well known as the Triangle of Religious Tolerance.
Eastern Orthodox church: St Nedelya Church.
Banya Bashi Mosque.
We also visited the Sunday antique market in the park. It was a perfect day for a stroll in the park.
Sunday market.
The central park in the city.
Nicolay and Andy.
One of the major highlights of our trip was visiting the Boyana Church, a medieval Bulgarian Orthodox Church located in the outskirts of the city. Its construction began in the late 10th - 11th century was enlarged over the centuries up to the mid-19th century. The church is famous for its frescoes from 1259 and is one of the most complete and well-preserved monuments of Eastern European medieval art. According to many leading experts, these frescoes are considered predecessors to European Renaissance. This monument was only recently opened to tourists in 2008 and so is still a site relatively unknown to many. The site didn't appear busy at all which was welcomed. As part of its preservation, only a limited number of people were allowed inside at any one time and only for 15 minutes. We stooped to enter the small entrance and we were completely awed by the frescoes in the oldest section of the church. The space was small but the paintings of Tsars, Saints and stories covered every wall of the church. It was absolutely breathtaking and we felt honoured to be amongst such history and artistry. Unfortunately, photos were strictly forbidden.
Boyana Church.
Bulgaria is still a relatively undiscovered holiday destination for most people but we have discovered that Sofia has a lot to offer and makes an affordable travel location. They have a colourful history, are deeply rooted in religion, have a delicious and healthy cuisine (I am in love with their aromatic Bulgarian black olives) and is a city that treasures its cultural heritage. Travelling in Bulgaria is not a costly affair, which is fantastic for jet setters like us!
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