Boyana

Boyana is a district of Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, situated on the western edge of the city at the foot of Vitosha Mountain. The neighborhood is known for its leafy hillside housing, villas, and panoramic views of Sofia and the mountains. It lies along the main routes from the city center to the Vitosha national park and is a popular residential area with green spaces and access to outdoor recreation, including hiking in Vitosha.

The area is best known for Boyana Church, a medieval Bulgarian Orthodox church located just north of the district's core. The church consists of two buildings: a smaller 10th–11th-century core and a 13th-century chapel added to the complex. It houses a famous cycle of frescoes from 1259, among the most significant examples of medieval Bulgarian art and a landmark in the development of Byzantine-influenced Bulgarian painting. The frescoes are celebrated for their naturalism, psychological realism, and expressive portraits, and they helped to document Bulgarian artistic traditions ahead of the Italian Renaissance.

UNESCO designated Boyana Church as a World Heritage Site in 1979 as part of the preservation of invaluable medieval Bulgarian church heritage. In addition to the church, the district preserves the cultural landscape around it and serves as a gateway for visitors to Vitosha Mountain.