List of cathedrals in Bulgaria

This is the list of cathedrals in Bulgaria sorted by denomination.

Eparchies of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church in Bulgaria

The Bulgarian Orthodox Church has 13 dioceses on the territory of Bulgaria. Each diocese has a diocesan center (city or town) in which the cathedral (the church building that houses the seat of the metropolitan) of the respective diocese is located. In addition, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church has a Patriarchal Cathedral - the church building that houses the seat of the Patriarch (the head of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church). The Patriarchal Cathedral plays the role of a national cathedral. Thus, the total number of cathedrals of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church on the territory of Bulgaria is 14 (13 metropolitan cathedrals - one for each diocese, plus the patriarchal cathedral).

Eastern Orthodox

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The following cathedrals of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church are located in Bulgaria:[1]

Name Image Built Location Affiliation Notes
1 Saint Alexander Nevsky Cathedral   1882 - 1912 Sofia National Cathedral The largest Eastern Orthodox cathedral in the Balkans and one of the largest in the world.
2 Cathedral of St. Demetrius   ca 1640 (the old building of the cathedral - demolished in 1889) / 1889-1900 (the current church building of the cathedral)[2][3] Vidin Eparchy of Vidin The second largest Eastern Orthodox cathedral in the Balkans.[2]The largest Orthodox church building in the Balkans from 1900 to 1912.
3 Cathedral of the Holy Assumption   1880-1943[4] Varna Eparchy of Varna and Veliki Preslav The third largest church building and cathedral in Bulgaria and one of the largest in the Balkans.
4 Saint Nedelya Cathedral   10th century / 1867 / 1927-1933 Sofia Eparchy of Sofia The previous church building on the site was destroyed after the communist terrorist act of 1925 - the biggest terrorist act in Europe at the time and the biggest in the history of Bulgaria.
5 Holy Apostles Cathedral   1898 Vratsa Eparchy of Vratsa
6 Cathedral of Sts. Cyril and Methodius   2005-2017 Lovech Eparchy of Lovech The newest cathedral building in Bulgaria.
7 Cathedral of the Most Holy Nativity of the Theotokos   1844 Veliko Tarnovo Eparchy of Veliko Tarnovo
8 Metropolitan Cathedral of Sts. Peter and Paul   1860 Silistra Eparchy of Dorostol
9 Cathedral of St. Demetrius   1831 Sliven Eparchy of Sliven
10 Cathedral of St. Demetrius   1859-1861 Stara Zagora Eparchy of Stara Zagora
11 Cathedral of the Dormition of the Holy Mother of God   9th century / 1844 -1852 Plovdiv Eparchy of Plovdiv
12 Cathedral of Sts. Cyril and Methodius and St Elijah   1904 -1914 Gotse Delchev Eparchy of Nevrokop
13 Cathedral of the Holy Trinity   1632 Ruse Eparchy of Ruse
14 Cathedral of the Holy Trinity   1893 - 1912 Pleven Eparchy of Pleven Cathedral of the newest diocese of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church.

Former cathedrals

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Name Image Built City
Great Basilica   9th century Pliska
Round Church   10th century Preslav
Church of St George   10th–11th century Kyustendil
Patriarchal Cathedral of the Holy Ascension of God   11th–12th century Veliko Tarnovo
Cathedral of St. Marina   1851 Plovdiv
Cathedral of the Holy Trinity 1868 Lovech

Church buildings in administrative centers that are not diocesan centers

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Name Image Built City
Church of Sts. Cyril and Methodius   1897 – 1907 Burgas
Church of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary   1844 Blagoevgrad

Catholic

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Latin Rite

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The following are Latin Rite cathedrals and co-cathedrals of the Catholic Church in Bulgaria:[5]

Name Image Built City
Cathedral of St. Paul of the Cross   1892 Ruse
Cathedral of St. Louis of France   1858 – 1861 Plovdiv
Cathedral of Christ the Saviour   2007-2020 Vidin
Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph   2006 Sofia

Eastern Rites

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This cathedral belongs to the Bulgarian Greek Catholic Church:

Name Image Built City
Cathedral of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary   1922 - 1924 Sofia

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Bulgarian Orthodox Church official site: Епархии (Eparchies)
  2. ^ a b vidin-online.com. "Катедрала "Св.В.М.Димитър" - Видин онлайн". www.vidin-online.com (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 2024-03-10.
  3. ^ adminrilaws (2021-12-18). "Катедрален храм Свети Димитър Солунски във Видин, България". RILA.WS (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 2024-03-10.
  4. ^ "Официален сайт на Варненска и Великопреславска Света Митрополия - Катедрален храм-паметник "Успение Пресвятия Богородици"". 2015-07-22. Archived from the original on 2015-07-22. Retrieved 2024-03-10.
  5. ^ GCatholic.org: Cathedrals in Bulgaria (in Bulgarian)