The church of St. Demetrius, which is one of the most important medieval cultural monuments, lies in the village of Patalenitsa, located at the foot of the Rhodope Mountains. The temple remained buried in the ground for five centuries and avoided desecration by the Ottoman invaders. This is why some frescoes typical of the Renaissance period are well preserved. The legend has it that the church was discovered accidentally in the 19th century by a local shepherd who saw the top of a metal cross protruding from the hill after a heavy storm. Thus, the local legend, according to which a Christian temple was buried under the small mound, was confirmed. In 1870, the church was named after Saint Demetrius of Thessaloniki.
On the third day of Christmas, December 27, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church commemorates the memory of Saint Stephen, the first Christian martyr. His name means "crown" or "wreath" and comes from the Greek "στέφανος" (stéphanos). It symbolizes victory..
At sunset on December 25, the Jewish community begins to celebrate Hanukkah. The holiday begins on the 25th day of the Jewish month of Kislev in the Hebrew calendar and, depending on the year, can fall in November or December. By lighting 9..
The Bulgarian Orthodox Church celebrates Christmas with solemn services. The festive services began on Christmas Eve, when the church held a solemn vigil. Hundreds of laypeople gathered at the St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Sofia, where..
In its latest digital section “Buildings Tell a Story”, the Regional History Museum – Sofia presents the stories of iconic buildings in the center..
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