Sveti Stefan Church
Changes After Construction:
- The wooden house donated by Prince Stefan Bogoridi was converted into a church in 1849 through voluntary contributions.
- It is recorded that the decree dated February 28, 1870 was read here for the first time.
- In 1898, the wooden structure burned down; in its place, the present-day “Iron Church” was built by assembling iron elements in Istanbul.
- The iron elements were cast in Vienna, brought by ship, and assembled on site; it is recorded that the total amount of cast iron was 500 tons.
- The building underwent a comprehensive restoration in the period 2011–2018 and was reopened for service on January 7, 2018.
Prominent Features:
- The church belongs to the Foundation of the Bulgarian Exarchate Orthodox Church.
- The building is also known as the “Iron Church.”
- The church was built in a composition with three domes and a cross-shaped layout.
- The bell tower is located above the entrance and reaches a height of approximately 40 m.
- It has been stated that the six bells in the bell tower were cast in Yaroslavl, Russia, and that two of them can still be used today.
- It has been emphasized that the wooden iconostasis was made in the Modern Renaissance style and that the donated icons and liturgical objects carry historical value.
