Talk:Saint Sophia Church, Sofia

File:StSophiaChurch-Sofia-10.jpg to appear as POTD soon

Hello! This is a note to let the editors of this article know that File:StSophiaChurch-Sofia-10.jpg will be appearing as picture of the day on September 4, 2012. You can view and edit the POTD blurb at Template:POTD/2012-09-04. If this article needs any attention or maintenance, it would be preferable if that could be done before its appearance on the Main Page so Wikipedia doesn't look bad. :) Thanks! —howcheng {chat} 17:45, 3 September 2012 (UTC)

Picture of the day

The nave of the Hagia Sophia Church, the second oldest church in the Bulgarian capital Sofia. The present basilica dates to the 6th century and is believed to be the fifth structure to be constructed on the site. The city took its name from the church in the 14th century. It is now one of the most valuable pieces of Early Christian architecture in southeastern Europe.Photo: Plamen Agov

Toponymy

I think the name Hagia Sophia Church is inadequate for a church first in the Bulgarian capital and second in the English language. Why exactly the Greek name Hagia, not Saint, Sancta, Holy or any other? BecausetThe Bulgarian name "Sveta Sofia" translates in English as "Saint Sofia". If somebody have any arguments to object "Saint Sofia" I recomend to use the Latin "Sancta Sofia" as a better option instead the Greek "Hagia Sofia", because the church was built in the 6th cnetury during the Roman empire. The church is not Greek, rather Roman and this name has nothing to do in the toponymy.--Svetoslavv (talk) 17:09, 24 June 2013 (UTC)

Hello everybody. Could anyone say something on the subject? I am unaware why exactly this name is used for the church. --Svetoslavv (talk) 10:37, 25 June 2013 (UTC)

The article states that the church was built under the Byzantine Emperor Justinian. The Roman Empire had been divided into east and west, with the East, the Byzantine Empire, being governed from Constantinople (modern Istanbul). The language and culture of this whole region was broadly Greek rather than Roman. The educated language of church and state (of this region) was Greek. This church would have been known as Hagia Sofia, not Sancta Sofia, at the time of its construction.

Amandajm (talk) 05:53, 26 June 2013 (UTC)

'Sancta Sophia' is not correct, considering that the original name was definitely the Byzantine Greek 'Hagia Sophia', meaning the Holy Wosdom of God. Also, the translation 'Saint Sophia' implies the same falsehood that the church is named after the minor saint Sophia the Martyr and not the actual Holy Wisdom of God. I would propose to have, as a compromise, the name 'Sveta Sofia Church', which is what people actually call it. --Bollweevil (talk) 23:53, 17 November 2013 (UTC)