Welcome to the page of the Boyan church! The church "St. Nicholas and St. Panteleimon" in the district Boyana, Sofia, or Boyana Church for short, is known for its remarkable medieval frescoes, among which the founder's images from 1258/59. of the Sebastocrator couple Kaloyan and Desislava and of the Bulgarian ruling family of that time: King Constantine Tych Asen (1257 – 1277) and Queen Irina. In the four spaces (naos, vestibule or narthex, vestibule on the first floor and chapel on the second) of the three-part building, frescoes created between the 11th and 17th centuries have been preserved. The largest area is occupied by the wall paintings from 1258/59. To the south of the church is buried Queen Eleonora of Bulgaria (1908-1917), second wife of King Ferdinand of Bulgaria (Prince: 1887-1908 and King: 1908-1918) and a kind of savior of the Boyana Church from destruction at the beginning in the 20th century On royal initiative at the beginning of the 20th century. the park around the church was created, notable for its giant sequoias. The Boyan church was declared a national antiquities, protected by the state in 1927. and remained an active parish church until 1954. In 1979 is included in the list of world cultural heritage under the protection of UNESCO under No. 42, and since 2003. the cultural property is an affiliate of the National History Museum. After a ten-year restoration, the Boyan Church reopened its doors to visitors in 2006. From then until now, it has become one of the most visited sights of the Bulgarian capital with over 200,000 visitors a year. At the moment, the lower floor (the nave, the vestibule and the vestibule) is open to visitors. The chapel on the second floor is closed for conservation and restoration.
