Sveti Stefan Church is located on the shores of the Golden Horn between Balat and Fener districts and is also known as the Iron Church among the public because 500 tons of iron were used in its construction. Sveti Stefan Church was built for the Bulgarian minority who left the Fener Greek Patriarchate. It was first built in 1859, in the name of Istefanaki Bey, and was reopened in 2018 after a seven-year restoration.
Let's take a look at the architecture of the church. The church, which has rich decorations, is a cross-shaped structure with three domes. Its mihrab overlooks the Golden Horn, and a 40-meter-high bell tower with six bells rises above the narthex. At the time of its construction, it gained importance as a special place of worship for Bulgarian Orthodox Christians. The iron castings used in the construction of the church were made in Vienna and the bell tower was a gift from Russia. Plans of the Ottoman architect Hovsep Aznavur were used in its construction. Sveti Stefan Church is one of the rare examples of prefabricated iron churches. At the time it was built, using iron in this way was a very innovative approach.
Finally, in 2011, the church underwent a major renovation with Turkish and Bulgarian cooperation and was reopened in 2018.