Great Basilica of Pliska
Encyclopedia
The Great Basilica of Pliska is an architectural complex in Pliska
, the first capital of the First Bulgarian Empire
(7th–9th century), which includes a cathedral
, an archbishop
's palace and a monastery. Completed around 875, the basilica
was the largest Christian cathedral in medieval Southeastern Europe outside Constantinople
, with an area of 2920 square metres (31,430.6 sq ft)
The basilica was built at the place of what is known as the Cross-shaped Mausoleum, an older religious building that is thought by some researchers to be an unknown kind of Bulgar
heathen temple. According to the Shumen
architectural museum's research, an early Christian martyrium
that included a cross-shaped church and a holy spring also existed at that place. The martyr buried there is thought to be Enravota
, the first Bulgarian saint
. The martyrium is thought to have been destroyed in 865 during the failed rebellion of the heathens in the wake of the Christianization of Bulgaria
. Other researchers, however, regard the cross-shaped remains as a mausoleum of early Bulgarian rulers.
The archbishop's residence lay to the north and south of the basilica: the northern yard hosted a residential building, with a bath with a hypocaust
lay to the west of it. The building to the south of the cathedral accommodated a school (didascalion, from Greek διδασκαλεῖον) and a scriptorium
. Two necropoleis are located in the vicinity of the complex: a monastical necropolis lies to the southwest of the church, while a secular one intended for nobles was unearthed in front of the basilica's apse
. The yard north of the basilica also accommodated monastical buildings with a kitchen and a dining room. The eastern part of the yard was allocated for a residential building with ten identical monastical cells. Another bath with a hypocaust, a cross-shaped one, and a well lay in the centre of that yard.
Pliska
Pliska is the name of both the first capital of Danubian Bulgaria and a small town which was renamed after the historical Pliska after its site was determined and excavations began....
, the first capital of the First Bulgarian Empire
First Bulgarian Empire
The First Bulgarian Empire was a medieval Bulgarian state founded in the north-eastern Balkans in c. 680 by the Bulgars, uniting with seven South Slavic tribes...
(7th–9th century), which includes a cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
, an archbishop
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
's palace and a monastery. Completed around 875, the basilica
Basilica
The Latin word basilica , was originally used to describe a Roman public building, usually located in the forum of a Roman town. Public basilicas began to appear in Hellenistic cities in the 2nd century BC.The term was also applied to buildings used for religious purposes...
was the largest Christian cathedral in medieval Southeastern Europe outside Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
, with an area of 2920 square metres (31,430.6 sq ft)
The basilica was built at the place of what is known as the Cross-shaped Mausoleum, an older religious building that is thought by some researchers to be an unknown kind of Bulgar
Bulgars
The Bulgars were a semi-nomadic who flourished in the Pontic Steppe and the Volga basin in the 7th century.The Bulgars emerge after the collapse of the Hunnic Empire in the 5th century....
heathen temple. According to the Shumen
Shumen
Shumen is the tenth-largest city in Bulgaria and capital of Shumen Province. In the period 1950–1965 it was called Kolarovgrad, after the name of the communist leader Vasil Kolarov...
architectural museum's research, an early Christian martyrium
Martyrium
Martyrium may refer to:* Martyrium , album by unblack metal band Antestor* Martyrium, destroyed village of Oradour-sur-Glane in France.* Martyrium , early christian mausoleum for a martyr....
that included a cross-shaped church and a holy spring also existed at that place. The martyr buried there is thought to be Enravota
Enravota
Saint Enravota or Voin or Boyan was the eldest son of Omurtag of Bulgaria and the first Bulgarian Christian martyr, as well as the earliest Bulgarian saint to be canonized....
, the first Bulgarian saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
. The martyrium is thought to have been destroyed in 865 during the failed rebellion of the heathens in the wake of the Christianization of Bulgaria
Christianization of Bulgaria
The Christianization of Bulgaria was the process by which 9th-century medieval Bulgaria converted to Christianity. It was influenced by the khan's shifting political alliances with the kingdom of the East Franks and the Byzantine Empire, as well as his reception by the Pope of the Roman Catholic...
. Other researchers, however, regard the cross-shaped remains as a mausoleum of early Bulgarian rulers.
The archbishop's residence lay to the north and south of the basilica: the northern yard hosted a residential building, with a bath with a hypocaust
Hypocaust
A hypocaust was an ancient Roman system of underfloor heating, used to heat houses with hot air. The word derives from the Ancient Greek hypo meaning "under" and caust-, meaning "burnt"...
lay to the west of it. The building to the south of the cathedral accommodated a school (didascalion, from Greek διδασκαλεῖον) and a scriptorium
Scriptorium
Scriptorium, literally "a place for writing", is commonly used to refer to a room in medieval European monasteries devoted to the copying of manuscripts by monastic scribes...
. Two necropoleis are located in the vicinity of the complex: a monastical necropolis lies to the southwest of the church, while a secular one intended for nobles was unearthed in front of the basilica's apse
Apse
In architecture, the apse is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome...
. The yard north of the basilica also accommodated monastical buildings with a kitchen and a dining room. The eastern part of the yard was allocated for a residential building with ten identical monastical cells. Another bath with a hypocaust, a cross-shaped one, and a well lay in the centre of that yard.