Stock Photo - A drone view of The Great Basilica of Pliska, described as the mother of all Bulgarian churches, which is set to be reconstructed and restored. The Great Basilica is the only one and unique copy of San Pietro in Vincoli Cathedral in Rome. The Bulgarian government has given 255,000 euros for the project. The excavations are supposed to set the ground for the restoration of the Great Basilica in order to promote both patriotic sentiments, and cultural tourism in Bulgaria. Pliska is capital of the First Bulgarian Empire between 680 and 893 AD. The Great Basilica in Pliska was the largest Christian cathedral in Europe in the Middle Ages. It was 102.5 meters long and 30 meters wide, which means it was 20 meters longer than the Hagia Sophia Cathedral, the titular temple of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople during the period of the Byzantine Empire, and about 30 meters longer than the San Pietro in Vincoli Cathedral in Rome. Thus, the Great Basilica in Bulgaria's Pliska was technically the largest Christian temple in Europe until the 17th century. Where: Pliska, Bulgaria When: 17 Jul 2015 Credit: Impact Press Group/WENN.com