Saints Constantine and Helena Church Plovdiv Klearchos 1

The Church of St Constantine and Helena ( bg, Св. Св. Константин и Елена) is a church in

Plovdiv Plovdiv ( bg, Пловдив, ), is the second-largest city in Bulgaria, standing on the banks of the Maritsa river in the historical region of Thrace. It has a population of 346,893 and 675,000 in the greater metropolitan area. Plovdiv is the c ...

Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedon ...

. It is considered to be among the oldest churches in the city. It was built in 337 at the sight of an ancient pagan temple in the acropolis on one of the fortified hills. The church was named after Emperor

Constantine the Great Constantine I ( , ; la, Flavius Valerius Constantinus, ; ; 27 February 22 May 337), also known as Constantine the Great, was Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337, the first one to Constantine the Great and Christianity, convert to Christiani ...

and his mother Elena. During the years, the building was destroyed and rebuilt several times. Its current edifice was constructed in 1832 with the help of local patriots. Its magnificent frescoes and icons were painted by masters of one of the most famous Bulgarian Icongraphic Schools: the Debar School. Some of the icons and painting of the church were made by the famous

Bulgarian National Revival The Bulgarian National Revival ( bg, Българско национално възраждане, ''Balgarsko natsionalno vazrazhdane'' or simply: Възраждане, ''Vazrazhdane'', and tr, Bulgar ulus canlanması) sometimes called the Bu ...

painter Zahari Zograf who lived and worked in Plovdiv between 1836 and 1840.

Gallery

File:Св.Св.Константин и Елена Пловдив*.JPG, icons File:Св.Св.Константин и Елена- Пловдив.JPG, interior File:Св.Св.Константин и Елена в Пловдив.JPG, iconostas File:Saints Constantine and Helena Church Plovdiv Klearchos 2.jpg, The bell tower File:TheChurchofStStConstantine-and-Helena-Plovdiv-2.jpg, Wall fresco in the portico. File:Plovdiv-ethnographic-museum-view-church.jpg, View from Plovdiv ethnographic museum

External links

Bulgarian Orthodox churches in Bulgaria Churches in Plovdiv {{bulgaria-EO-church-stub