P170 - Bulgaria - St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral

St. Alexander Nevski Memorial Church built 1882 -1912, Sofia, Bulgaria

Sofia is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Bulgaria, with 1.4 million people living in the Capital Municipality. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha, and is the administrative, cultural, economic, and educational centre of the country.

One of the oldest cities in Europe, the history of Serdica-Sredets-Sofia can be traced back some 7000 years; prehistoric settlements were excavated in the centre of the present city, near the royal palace, as well as in outer districts such as Slatina and Obelia. The well preserved town walls (especially their substructures) from antiquity date back before the 7th century BC, when Thracians established their city next to the most important and highly respected mineral spring, still functioning today. Sofia has had several names in the different periods of its existence, and remnants of the city's millenary history can still be seen today alongside modern landmarks.

The St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is a Bulgarian Orthodox cathedral in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. Built in Neo-Byzantine style, it serves as the cathedral church of the Patriarch of Bulgaria and is one of the largest Eastern Orthodox cathedrals in the world, as well as one of Sofia's symbols and primary tourist attractions. The St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Sofia occupies an area of 3170 m² and can take 5,000 people inside.

索菲亞是南歐國家保加利亞的首都和最大城市，位於索非亞盆地南部，四周山地環繞，2006年人口1,246,791。俄土戰爭結束，保加利亞成為獨立民族國家後，索非亚才成為该國的首都。

亚历山大·涅夫斯基大教堂,巴尔干半岛最大的东正教教堂，位于索非亚市中心同名广场上。它是为1877~1878年俄土战争俄军“解放”保加利亚而建。据说从1909年起，历时10年才告落成。教堂以俄国沙皇亚历山大二世为名。堂内圣像和壁画多为俄国画师的作品，教堂以意大利大理石为材料，有翠绿、黑、蓝、紫、玛瑙等色，晶莹光洁。这座教堂是带有拜占庭和保加利亚建筑风格的建筑，其镀金大圆顶从索非亚市各处均可望到.

References sources : wikipedia, 百度百科