The Boyana church is located in the village of Boyana (currently a residential area of Sofia). The village is situated in the southern foothills of the Vitosha mountain. It is surrounded by thick woods, its territory is interwoven with clear mountain streams, the air is clean and crisp. It is for these characteristics that the village has turned into a residential area of Sofia since the mid 20th century. Gradually it saw the building up of the state residences and the resort villas of the high-ranking communist and state functionaries. Since the start of democracy in Bulgaria the old village houses have been bought out and replaced by the palaces of the new Bulgarian businessmen and politicians.