The Red Church

The Red Church in the village of Perushtitsa is one of the oldest Christian temples found in Bulgaria. It is called this way, because of the Roman bricks and the red mortar used for its construction. “Holy Theotokos” Red Church, as it was originally called, dates back to the V century. Like many Christian churches, “Holy Theotokos” was built near ancient pagan sanctuary. There was a heroon of an unknown warrior or king. It is believed that the temple was known for the healing relics of a Christian martyr who died to establish the faith in these lands back in the day. Experts say that from the floor of the main room to the top of the main dome, the building reached a height of 17 meters. It was richly decorated – the floor was covered with a mosaic, and to a certain height the walls were lined with marble slabs above which there were frescoes. The Red Church is really close to Plovdiv and is worth visiting.