Last updated: 28 June 2023
One of the most iconic buildings in all of Bulgaria is the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral located in the heart of its capital city of Sofia. The world’s largest Eastern Orthodox church with its 45 metre high gold-covered dome and large ornate interior capable of welcoming 10,000 worshippers is a place which needs to be seen to be believed.
The History Section
The cathedral was built to honour the memory of the 200,000 Russian soldiers who gave their lives during the 1877-1878 Russo-Turkish War fighting for the liberation of Bulgaria from Ottoman rule.
At the cost of 4 million lev, it was an expensive construction with funds raised mostly by the people of Sofia. Construction began in 1882 and was completed in 1912 thus making the cathedral relatively new but you’d never be able to tell that from the interior which gives the impression that you’d just stepped back in time, just one of the many reasons why I loved it.
The central gold-plated dome is 45 metres high (148 ft)and the bell tower reaching 53 metres (174 ft). We were informed by our proud guide that at the cathedral’s completion, it was the tallest building in Europe.
Just How Loud Are Those Bells?
When Roma and I walked towards the cathedral for our visit, we were treated to the ringing of the bells which could be heard miles away. The cathedral has 12 bells in total with a combined weight of 23 tonnes! It’s said that the cathedral never rings all the bells at once because of the likelihood its resonance will shatter all the neighbourhood windows!
Are You Allowed to Take Photos?
From the moment we arrived in Sofia and passed the Cathedral on our way to the hotel, I knew that we would return but before we did, we did a little research online.
Based on everything we read, we expected that photos weren’t allowed but that wasn’t exactly correct. Photos were allowed but you need to pay for the privilege. It was 10 lev (£5) for photos and 30 lev (£14) for video. Whether or not you decide to pay is up to you but the moment I walked in I was dumbstruck by how beautiful the inside was. I wanted to be able to capture the inside of the church and remember how I felt when I first walked in so i was happy to pay the 10 lev for the photography “licence”. I walked to the small souvenir kiosk and said “photo?” and the lady behind the counter pulled out a little book and wrote the date on the form and told me the price of 10 lev. With my photography permit now in hand I headed inside.
It wasn’t long before one of the, I’ll assume priests, rush over and spoke to me in Bulgarian. I pulled out my photo permit and he looked at it, took it from me and motioned to wait, whilst he took my paper to a table and wrote the time on it before handing it back to me. I’m guessing this is to prevent people from selling the licence to someone else.
Over the course of our hour long visit I was asked for my photo permit another three times but each time I was apologised to and left to my own devices.
To Pay or Not to Pay?
I did notice quite a few people stealthily taking photos, hiding their cameras quickly whenever they felt a pair of eyes watching them. Whether you decide to pay for the photography permit is up to you, but here’s why I did;
I’m visitor to the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral and, as such, I should follow their rules for photography. It’s a beautiful cathedral and I wanted to capture as much of it as possible without needing to play a game of cat and mouse.
And finally, if the cathedral uses my money to continue to keep this landmark open for all future visitors then how is that a bad thing? Like I said, it’s completely up to you as to whether or not you decide to pay the photography permit fee but I think it’s worthwhile because I couldn’t have taken all the photos in my post without it.
It is also worth noting that the cathedral is free to enter unlike some churches and tourist attractions across Europe which is a nice change, so if you’re interested in simply exploring what the the cathedral has to offer then there’s no entrance fee.
How Awesome Does the Interior Look?
Upon entering the cathedral there is a small concession stand where visitors and worshippers can purchase candles, prayers cards, and the photography permit.
As I walked into the nave I was struck by how old everything looked; from the faded murals of saints and angels, to the huge low hanging chandeliers, to the large ornate wooden alters and benches.
We spent just under an hour inside the cathedral, taking photos, admiring the various murals & statues, and at times simply sitting on the bench and enjoying the atmosphere.
If you’re visiting Sofia then I’m certain that you’ll stop by the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral to take photos but if you have the time then stopping in and exploring the interior is well worth it.
What are others saying about the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral? Check out the TripAdvisor reviews here.
The Essentials
- Location: pl. “Sveti Aleksandar Nevski”, 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria
- Cost: Free to enter, £5 photography permit, £15 video permit
- Operating hours: 07:00-18:00
- Don’t miss: The stained glass windows on the left behind the arches.
Did you ever think of that Bulgaria would contain such incredible architecture? If you want to see more or just read about what to expect from a weekend escape to Sofia then check out our post here
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Great post! It’s such an interesting cathedral, isn’t it? I didn’t go inside but I admired it from the outside. I also loved the view of it from the Sense Hotel rooftop bar 🙂
Thanks for the comment, Martha! Oh, what a fab tip about the Sense Hotel rooftop bar! We will need to add this to list for our next visit!