The Red Church stands near Perushtitsa in Plovdiv Province, about nine miles (15 kilometers) southwest of Plovdiv. It was built in the late fifth or early sixth century, probably under Emperor Anastasius I. It is a late Roman, early Byzantine basilica. It is a rare example of solid brick construction from Late Antiquity in Bulgaria, and its red bricks gave it its name. It was originally about 107 by 85 feet (32.7 by 25.9 meters). The best-preserved north wall stands about 46 feet (14 meters) high.
It has four semi-domes, a narthex and an outer narthex. A baptistery with a pink marble piscina lies on the narthex's north side. The floor was covered in mosaics, and the interior held frescoes. It was probably a martyrium.
Excavations began in 1915, and a renovation partly funded by the European Council ended in 2013 with a new visitor center.
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