ALEXANDER-NEVSKY CATHEDRAL-MEMORIAL

It's one of Sofia's most famous monuments and the largest cathedral in the Balkans. This imposing church was built between 1904 and 1912 by Russian architect Pomerantsev, with the participation of Bulgarian, Russian, Austrian, German, Italian and Czech master builders. The decision to build such a monument had been taken in 1879, one year after national liberation, to pay tribute to the Russians who died in the war of liberation and to Tsar Alexander II. The building is named after Alexander Nevsky, the ^13th-century Russian warrior and patron saint of Tsar Alexander, the liberator of Bulgaria.

From the outside, the cathedral's gigantic dome, surrounded by smaller domes, is very imposing. At 52 m high, the building measures 70 m by 55 m, with white stone on the entire façade. The main dome is distinguished from the others by its golden carapace. The interior walls were decorated by the greatest Russian and Bulgarian artists of the time. The interior is divided into five naves. The architectural style is inspired by the medieval Bulgarian, Byzantine and Russian architecture of the period. The central altar is dedicated to Saint Alexander Nevsky, another to Saint Boris, the prince who introduced Christianity to Bulgaria, and the last to Saints Cyril and Methodius. The interior walls are covered with Italian marble, Egyptian alabaster and Brazilian onyx. The twelve bells were made in Moscow and can be heard 30 km away.