Boyana Church, on the outskirts of Sofia, has three parts. The small eastern church dates to the late 10th or early 11th century. Sebastocrator Kaloyan and his wife Desislava commissioned the middle section in the mid-13th century, as a two-floor tomb-church with ceramic ornaments on the exterior. The western section was added in the mid-19th century with community donations.
The frescoes of 1259 were painted over earlier work of the 11th and 12th centuries. They have 89 scenes with 240 human figures and are among the most complete medieval art monuments in the Balkans. An unknown team, the Boyana Master, linked to the Turnovo School, painted them. Donor portraits include Kaloyan, Desislava and Tsar Constantine Tikh.
UNESCO listed it in 1979. The church closed in 1954 for conservation and fully reopened on October 2, 2008. Groups of up to 8 may stay 10 minutes.
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