Church of Saint Sophia
Located at the center of the old town in Ohrid, St. Sophia Church is one of the most impressive buildings in Ohrid and a unique work of architecture of the Byzantine era. It is one of the most important churches in Macedonia. The church is dedicated to the Holy Wisdom, built in the 9th century, on the foundations of an early Christian.
Originally the synod church of the Archbishopric of Ohrid, it was later converted into a mosque during the rule of the Ottoman Empire. In 1912, after the Balkan wars, “St. Sophia” was transformed back into an Orthodox church. After the Second World War, a big conservation project was conducted, the frescoes were cleaned and conserved, and from then on, the world may again admire the biggest gallery of frescoes in the whole Byzantine world from the 11th century.
The frescoes in the St. Sophia church are characterized by the postures of the figures and the archaic forms, united in an artistic and iconographic whole, unique to church painting of the time. This church is also important because of its beautiful acoustics. Today, Ohrid Summer Festival is hosting one of the most famous world artists and events. Every year the festival offers a rich programme to the visitors from the middle of July until the middle of August, and the most popular stage for performing is “Saint Sophia”.
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