Located on Battenberg Square in Sofia, the National Art Gallery occupies the historic Ottoman Chelebi mosque and konak, converted into the former royal palace of Bulgaria. The palace, built in two stages during the late 19th century, served as the residence for Bulgarian royalty. After World War II, the monarchy was abolished, and the palace was largely given to the National Art Gallery.
Established in 1934, the gallery moved to the palace in 1946. It houses a diverse collection, including Renaissance and contemporary art, medieval paintings, and over four thousand icons. The National Gallery for Foreign Art, an independent section, was established in 1985. Since 2015, the 19th and 20th century collections are exhibited together, creating the National Gallery Square 500.
References:Visby Cathedral (also known as St. Mary’s Church) is the only survived medieval church in Visby. It was originally built for German merchants and inaugurated in 1225. Around the year 1350 the church was enlarged and converted into a basilica. The two-storey magazine was also added then above the nave as a warehouse for merchants.
Following the Reformation, the church was transformed into a parish church for the town of Visby. All other churches were abandoned. Shortly after the Reformation, in 1572, Gotland was made into its own Diocese, and the church designated its cathedral.
There is not much left of the original interior. The font is made of local red marble in the 13th century. The pulpit was made in Lübeck in 1684. There are 400 graves under the church floor.