Boyana Church description and photos - Bulgaria: Sofia (Topic)

Boyana Church description and photos - Bulgaria: Sofia. Detailed information about the attraction. Description, photographs and a map showing the nearest significant objects. The title in English is Boyana Church.

Photo and description

The Church of St. Panteleimon, or, as it is also called, Boyana Church is a small, but nevertheless very curious church located in Boyana, a suburb of the capital of Bulgaria, not far from the foot of Vitosha Mountain. This building was built in several stages: the eastern part (the oldest) appeared no later than the X-XI centuries. and was a small chapel. In the 13th century, at the direction of Tsar Kaloyan, a two-story temple was added to it, and a few centuries later, in the 20th century, a two-story western vestibule was added to the architectural complex.

The Church of St. Panteleimon is a UNESCO World Heritage Site , there are frescoes that are unique in their artistic qualities, which, according to many researchers, some of the finest examples of medieval art. Wall paintings of two periods have survived here: XI-XII centuries. and 1259. The early frescoes were executed in the dryish manner (however, traditional for that time) of the Byzantine style and were accompanied by inscriptions in Greek. But the frescoes of the second period seem to be more interesting: in 1259 they were applied to the walls right on top of the old ones, and are a generally recognized masterpiece of world painting.

In total, almost ninety scenes from the Holy Scriptures are depicted on the walls of the Church of St. Panteleimon. The figure of Jesus Christ is very common (more than 20 times). Here we see him at different ages and different life situations, which symbolizes his difficult path and the obstacles that he overcame in order to bring people love and forgiveness. Also on the walls of the church you can see images of St. Panteleimon, St. Nicholas (the temple was dedicated to him for some time), the Virgin Mary, the patron saint of the church, Tsar Kaloyan and his wife, Desislava.

The uniqueness of the frescoes of this church lies in the fact that they were painted in the style of a highly characteristic painting. All characters are highly individualized and among hundreds of faces you will not find a single repetitive one: each image expresses its own character and emotions. These frescoes also gravitate towards realism in depicting reality: people of different social strata are painted here in clothes and surrounded by objects traditional for their status and time in which they lived.

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Topic: Boyana Church description and photos - Bulgaria: Sofia.