The oldest monuments go back to ancient times. In present-day Aboba there are ruins of a monumental basilica from the 8th century with a total length of almost 100 m. In the following centuries, the Byzantine style influence became more pronounced, among other things. in the dome-covered cross churches in Mesemvrija and in Patleina.

During the 13th century a change was made as the shapes became lighter, the walls were articulated with niches and arcades, and the heavier effect grew for more high-rise buildings. This development reflects the Western European style transition from Romanesque to Gothic. In particular, it developed a polychrome ornament of great decorative effect with red brick, white stone and gray mortar. The Turkish occupation caused a break in development, and construction activity stagnated; the Byzantine tradition could live in isolated areas until the 19th century, icy Turkish special features.

Byzantine-style Rila Monastery from the 13th Century. Characteristic are the domes and the decorative multicolored brick walls. 

After 1879, developments have more or less followed European directions with a relatively rich unfolding of a local art nouveau style around 1900, followed by historicism with a relatively late breakthrough for functionalism and the newer ideas. After World War II, Soviet architecture was exemplified.