Church of Saint George, Sofia
| Church of Saint George | |
|---|---|
Ротонда „Свети Георги“ | |
The St. George Rotunda and some remains of Serdica can be seen in the foreground | |
Church of Saint George Location of the church in Sofia | |
Church of Saint George | |
| 42°41′49″N 23°19′22″E / 42.69694°N 23.32278°E | |
| Location | Sofia |
| Country | Bulgaria |
| Denomination | Eastern Orthodox |
| Previous denomination | Islam |
| Tradition | Bulgarian Orthodox |
| History | |
| Status |
|
| Dedication | Saint George (Sveti Georgi) |
| Architecture | |
| Architectural type | Roman baths |
| Completed | 4th century CE |
| Specifications | |
| Number of domes | 1 |
| Dome height (inner) | 13.7 m (45 ft) |
| Materials | Red bricks |
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 CE as Roman baths, it became a church inside the walls of Serdica, capital of ancient Dacia Mediterranea during the Roman and Byzantine eras. 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 from the 10th century. Frescoes of 22 prophets over two metres (six point six feet) tall crown the dome. Painted over during the Ottoman era, when the building was used as a mosque, these frescoes were only uncovered and restored in the 20th century.