Church of Saints Peter and Paul – Lopyan village

About 15 km north-east of Etropole lies the small village of Lopyan. The village temple is called “St. St. Peter and Paul” and is a part of the “100 National Tourist sites of Bulgaria. The church was build in the years between 1858 and 1864. According to local memories, Ilarion Makariopolski, one of the leaders of the struggle for an autonomous Bulgarian church during the Renaissance, was personally present on the dedication ceremony. The church is located in the middle of the village, on a small hill, near the school and the city-hall. The architectural plan is of a single-nave basilica, partially buried in the ground, the way churches were built during the Ottoman domination. The names of the builders are carved on the right side above the front door. The catacomb can be found beneath the church. The area around the church is considered as one of the several necropolis in which throughout the ages deceased villagers used to be buried. The bones found at the temple’s trenches are pre-buried in this catacomb.