Sveti Stefan Church

Located on the shores of the Golden Horn in Balat, Istanbul, the Sveti Stefan Church, unique in the world for being the only surviving iron church, was constructed in 1898 using 500 tons of cast iron pieces cast in Vienna at the end of the 19th century, transported by ships, and assembled. Belonging to the Bulgarian Orthodox community, the building was constructed entirely of iron in a prefabricated style due to the unsuitability of the ground for reinforced concrete construction following the fire of its wooden predecessor.

Location: Balat, Fatih, Istanbul.

Architecture:An international competition was held for the production of prefabricated cast iron elements for the church, won by the Austrian company R. Ph. Waagner. The 500-ton prefabricated elements were produced in Vienna between 1893 and 1896 and transported to Istanbul by ships via the Danube and the Black Sea.

Significance:Sveti Stefan Church is the first Bulgarian church and the last remaining iron church in the world.