Church of Sveti Sedmochislenitsi

"The church was inaugurated on July 27, 1903, but its history extends much further back, serving various functions over the centuries. Originally, the building was constructed in 1528 by order of Suleiman the Magnificent as the "Black Mosque," named after the dark granite minaret. This mosque was intended to surpass the city's Christian churches in grandeur. It was built on the site of a former nunnery associated with the Rila Monastery, which itself stood on the ruins of a 4th-century early Christian temple. In 1901, during excavations, these ancient Christian ruins were discovered, along with a pagan shrine dedicated to the Roman god Asclepius from the time of the Roman city of Serdica. The Black Mosque fell into disuse after an earthquake in the early 19th century, which caused the minaret to collapse. Following Bulgaria's liberation from Ottoman rule, the mosque was repurposed as a military warehouse and prison. The transformation from mosque to church was proposed by Russian architect Alexander Pomerantsev, with Bulgarian architects Yordan Milanov and Petko Momchilov overseeing the design. While much of the structure was altered, including the addition of a dome, narthex, and bell tower in traditional Bulgarian style influenced by Romanticism, the main hall and part of the dome were preserved from the original mosque. Though construction of the church was completed in 1903, its interior decorations were not finished until 1996. The icons inside the church were painted by young artists, and Tsar Ferdinand was one of the first donors. Notably, the large candlesticks in front of the altar were cast from Eastern Rumelian police badges, commemorating Bulgaria’s Unification in 1885."

"Another Bulgarian Orthodox church with a small park in front of it. The church brings its name from Cyril and Methodius and their five disciples, known in the Orthodox Church collectively as “the Sedmochislenitsi”. Next to it there is a small market with a couple of stands selling local fruits, vegetables, spices and nuts. "