St.Sofie Church

According to most experts, this is the most important cultural and historical monument on the territory of Northern Macedonia. There are several hypotheses about its founder, and that was most likely Samuel himself, who decided to choose Ohrid as the capital of his country. This medieval cathedral dates from the end of the 10th century, while the wall frescoes are the choice of Archbishop Leo from the beginning of the 11th century, about which there are precise records. It is dedicated to God's wisdom (gr: sofia - wisdom) and for more than three centuries, until the arrival of the Turks at the end of the 14th century, it was used as the cathedral church of the powerful Ohrid archbishopric. The Ottomans turned it into a mosque in the 15th century and it was in the service of the Islamic cult until 1912, but only after the Second World War did conservation work on the frescoes begin, which is a masterpiece of Byzantine art from the Komneni dynasty. Today, due to its outstanding acoustics, it is used to perform classical music concerts as part of the renowned Ohrid Summer Festival, which is traditionally held every summer from July 12 to August 20.