The first legend is related to the Council of Serdica in 342.
This council was organized to bridge the divide between the Western and Eastern churches. It was held in Serdica. No consensus was reached, but it is believed that the rotunda was used as a place for debates. Although the rotunda was built at that time, its functions were not Christian. Therefore, the debates were held elsewhere. The reason for this legend is that the Rotunda of St. George is the oldest preserved building in Sofia, dating back to Roman times.

The second legend is related to the fact that the church was once a Roman bath. Debunking this legend let to very rare and interesting discovery that we will see in the next chapter.

The St. George Rotunda project is constantly evolving, dear traveler.
Please register for our newsletter and receive insights about the Rotunda and many more ancient secrets buried in different sites across Bulgaria.

There is more than meets the eye ... Why is this new vestibule so different than the other rooms?

There is one room marked with a question mark on the map above, dear traveler. The excavation team, led by Ivan Venedikov, stumbled upon this enigmatic room while trying to figure out all premises of the rotunda.

But what was its purpose?

Before we show you one of the secrets of the rotunda dear traveler, let us tell you what is a hypocaust.

There are few ways to reach the central room of the rotunda. The paths are probably used in some rituals performed by the Romans. The nature of this rituals remains a mystery. As you will see dear traveler, Serdica is home to numerous buried mysteries.

There is a remaining of the old arch on this picture. Can you spot it?

The Romans made few drain holes in the walls of the rotunda, so the water used to clean the floor can exit the building. One of this holes is located under the window on south-eastern part of the church. But where are the others?