Church of St. Paraskeva, Sofia

The Church of Saint Paraskeva is an important Bulgarian Orthodox church situated in the heart of Sofia, on Georgi Rakovski Street. It stands as the third-largest church in the city.

The origins of this church project can be traced back to 1910 when the Bulgarian architect Anton Tornyov, who had received his education in Stuttgart, won a design competition for the church. Unfortunately, due to the disruptions caused by the Balkan Wars and World War I, construction was postponed. However, in 1922, the church's board of trustees organized another design competition, which was once again won by Anton Tornyov. Construction of the Church of Saint Paraskeva finally began and was completed by 1930, although some final touches to the porticos continued until 1940.

One notable aspect of Saint Paraskeva's design is its unique approach compared to typical Eastern Orthodox churches. For instance, the central chamber, known as the cella, takes on a round shape with a diameter exceeding 20 meters (66 feet), gradually merging into the surrounding apses.