Iron Church – Bulgarian St. Stephen Church, Istanbul

The Bulgarian Saint Stephen Church is also known as The Iron Church, since its structure is made of Cast Iron. This is a Bulgarian Orthodox church located in the Fatih district of Istanbul. The church belongs to Bulgarian minority who live in the city of Istanbul. During the 19th century, the Bulgarians were permitted by the Ottomans to construct a separate church for themselves, due to nationalistic movements.

The church is richly ornamented, and is constructed like a cross shaped Basilica. The original church was a wooden structure, constructed near the Golden Horn, and the current church’s alter faces the Golden Horn. The cast iron building was constructed in the site of the wooden church after it was destroyed in a fire.

The Bulgarian Saint Stephen’s Church was completed in 1898, and was inaugurated by Exarch Joseph. The church is a combination of Neo-Baroque and Neo-Gothic influences in design. Saint Stephens Church is one of the few surviving cast iron, prefabricated churches left in the world. Its patron saint is Saint Stephen, and on December 27th, a celebratory mass is held at the church. The dome has recently been gold plated by the Bulgarians of Plovdiv.