Bulgarian St. Stephen Church

The Ottoman Empire with its capital represented nothing more than a melting pot of nations. Like any melting pot, the empire was big enough to hold a lot of ingredients. Seljuk Turks and Ottoman Turks, Greeks and Arabs, Persians and Syrians, Slavs and Moors... One of the nations, whose history is closely connected with the history of the Turks, were the Bulgarians. The church of St. Stephen in Istanbul is a real decoration of the city to this day.

Personality

Bulgarian people attach great importance to two saints: George the Victorious and St. Stephen. He is famous because he was one of the first martyrs of Christianity. Historians say Stephen died in 34 A.D., that is just a year after the death of Jesus Christ.

Particularity

If you ask in Istanbul how to get to the Church of St. Stephen, many may not know the route. But if you ask about the iron church, anyone will tell you the way. After all, this temple is famous under its second title: Iron Church. It is really completely made of iron. The fact is that during the Ottoman Empire there were lots of church missions from various states. Sometimes they were at odds. Opponents of the Bulgarian Church had repeatedly set fire to the temple of St. Stephen in the days when the building was made of wood. To avoid this, the Bulgarians decided to make the church... of iron.

Events

The most important event in the history of this temple is the day when they have declared independence of the Bulgarian national church. Of course, the Patriarchate - also located in Istanbul - did not accept it. But the wave of national identity grew stronger, Bulgaria became independent from the Ottoman Empire, so the new country needed its own church..

How it was made

The total weight of this unique church is nearly 500 tons. All the materials for the construction were taken by sea. First it was transported by barge along the Danube, then loaded onto transport ships and taken to Istanbul. And here, on the shores of the Bosphorus, it was finally framed. The church of St. Stephen has enriched not only the collection of Orthodox churches of the world, but also Istanbul..