Saint Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Sofia

The St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is a Bulgarian Orthodox cathedral in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. Built in the Neo-Byzantine style, it serves as the cathedral church of the Patriarch of Bulgaria and it is one of the largest Christian church buildings by volume in the world. It is one of Sofia's symbols and primary tourist attractions. St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Sofia occupies an area of 3,170 square metres (34,100 sq ft) and can hold 5,000 worshipers. It is among the ten largest Eastern Orthodox church buildings. It is the largest cathedral in the Balkans. It is believed that up until the year 2000 it was the largest finished Orthodox cathedral.

History, architecture and construction

behind. The construction of the St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral started in 1882 (having been planned since 19 February 1879), when the foundation stone was laid, but most of it was built between 1904 and 1912. The temple has 12 bells with total weight of 23 tons, the heaviest weighing 12 tons and the lightest . Sandanski, Dolna Mitropoliya, Kyustendil, Kaspichan, Breznik, Dorkovo village. File:Valchedram-Church-Iankov-IFB.JPG|Church of St. Paraskeva in Valchedram File:Church of St Demetrius Dolna Mitropoliya Bulgaria.png|Church of St. Demetrius in Dolna Mitropoliya File:Sv.VMCh.Mina.Kyustendil.1.JPG|The Church of Saint Menas in Kyustendil File:Saint George Church in Breznik.JPG|Saint George Church in Breznik ==Name changes==

Name changes

The name of the cathedral was briefly changed to the Sts. Cyril and Methodius Cathedral between 1916 and 1920 (since Bulgaria and Russia belonged to opposing alliances in World War I), but then the initial name was restored. The St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral was consecrated on 12 September 1924 and in 1955 was declared a cultural monument. ==Relics==

Relics

To the left of the altar is a case displaying relics of Alexander Nevsky, given by the Russian Orthodox Church. Although the accompanying Bulgarian language plaque refers simply to "relics" (мощи), the item on display appears to be a piece of a rib. ==Museum and market==

Museum and market

behind. There is a museum of Bulgarian icons inside the cathedral's crypt, part of the National Art Gallery. The cathedral claims that the museum contains the largest collection of Orthodox icons in Europe. ==Nearby locations==

Nearby locations

The cathedral is adjacent to St. Sofia Church, the church for which the city of Sofia is named. Other notable landmarks in the immediate vicinity of the cathedral are the Monument to the Unknown Soldier, the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, the National Gallery of Foreign Art, the National Art Academy, the Bulgarian Parliament, a park honoring Ivan Vazov with his monument and gravestone, the Sofia Opera and Ballet Theater, and a park where one can buy handmade textiles, icons, and antiques in a small flea market. ==Gallery==

Gallery

File:Cathedral, Alexander Nevsky.jpg|Alexander Nevsky Cathedral File:Bulgaria-Alexander Nevsky-02.JPG|Front facade File:AlexanderNevskyCathedral.jpg|Main facade File:AlexanderNevskyCathedral1.jpg|Side facade File:NevskiCathedral.jpg|The cathedral at dawn Image:Bulgaria-Alexander Nevsky-08.JPG|The cathedral at night File:AlexanderNevskyCathedral2.jpg|Inside the cathedral: the Royal thrones File:Alexander Nevsky Cathedral E1.jpg|The outside of the cathedral is decorated with mosaics of various saints File:Nevsky Cathedral Drone.jpg File:Cathedral Saint Alexander Nevsky (23997180108).jpg ==See also==

Source: Wikipedia ↗

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