Church building and architecture in the Bulgarian lands during the 15^th—18^th centuries
Църковно строителство и архитектура в българските земи през XV—XVIII век
Language: Bulgarian with summary in English
Category: Christian art (15th–18th c.)

   In the history of Christianity, the church is the place where rituals are performed in forms that are established by experience and the basic laws of church worship. Over time, the temple became one of the symbols of Christianity. In the centuries of Ottoman rule, the church continued to be that sacred space where Christians prayed and attended mass. Along with that, the temple began to occupy a more special place in the social life of the population. The importance of the Church in the life of the Bulgarian society is growing, regardless of the fact that its positions are shaken, its material possibilities are greatly reduced, its functioning is associated with many risks, and the status of its employees is significantly degraded. At that time, the church could not count on support from the Bulgarian rulers, it was deprived of the privileged position of an official state religion, and its officials were often subject to religious discrimination. In the new conditions, a process that is defined as "democratization of the church" begins. An expression of this process are the new principles for the management of church institutions, the forms of church culture, the economic relations between the congregation and the Church. This process also leaves an imprint on the role and place of the Christian temple. The temple is the center where the activities of all the institutions that form the microstructure of the Bulgarian nation (family, settlement community, economic organizations) and the Church intersect.

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