The Iron Church of Balat: St. Stephen of the Bulgarians on the Golden Horn, Istanbul

In Balat, a Fatih neighbourhood facing the Golden Horn, there is a church that at first sight seems made of grey stone but is in fact entirely of metal. It is the Bulgarian church of St. Stephen, known in Istanbul as "Demir Kilise", the Iron Church: one of the very few places of worship in the world built with prefabricated cast-iron elements, cast in Europe and assembled like an enormous mechanism on the shore.

A church that would not burn

The story begins with a wooden church, inaugurated in 1849 on a plot linked to the name of the statesman Stefan Bogoridi. When a fire destroyed it, the Bulgarian community of Istanbul decided to rebuild it in a way that would never burn again. An international competition for the cast-iron parts was won by the Austrian firm R. Ph. Waagner: some 500 tonnes of elements were produced in Vienna between 1893 and 1896, transported by ship along the Danube and the Black Sea to the Golden Horn, and assembled here. The church was completed and consecrated on 8 September 1898 by Exarch Joseph. The design is by the Ottoman architect of Armenian origin Hovsep Aznavur, who mixed Neo-Byzantine and Neo-Baroque forms in a metal-frame structure.

The Bulgarian national awakening

The value of this building is not only technical. St. Stephen is bound up with the Bulgarian national awakening: it was here that the decree of 28 February 1870 was read for the first time, by which Sultan Abdülaziz recognised the Bulgarian Exarchate, that is, a national church autonomous from the Patriarchate of Constantinople. For the Bulgarian community it was a political as well as a religious step, and the church has remained its concrete symbol on the shores of the Bosphorus.

What you can see

What you can really see today. From outside you notice at once how the cast iron imitates the detail of stone: cornices, arches, spires and a slender bell tower mirrored in the water. The six bells were cast in Yaroslavl, in Russia. Inside the effect is that of a miniature cathedral, with columns, galleries and decorations that reveal, up close, the metallic nature of the surfaces. The building was long neglected and corroded by the salt air, until a restoration begun in 2011 brought it back as it was: the official reopening was on 7 January 2018, on the occasion of the 120th anniversary of the consecration. It is still a place with few crowds compared with the throng of Sultanahmet, and entry is free.

Why it stays off the beaten track

Why it stays off the beaten track. Balat and neighbouring Fener are historic minority quarters, today known for their colourful houses and a growing café scene, but they remain outside the fast Hagia Sophia–Blue Mosque–Topkapı circuit. Most visitors stop in the historic peninsula and do not go up the Golden Horn; those who do find a quiet residential area, where the church is a stop and not a mass attraction.

How to get there

How to get there. The church lies along the shore, between the squares of Balat and Fener. The most evocative way is the vapur (urban ferry) that goes up the Golden Horn: from the Eminönü or Karaköy stops you get off at Fener or Balat and continue on foot along the water. Alternatively, the buses that skirt the Golden Horn stop nearby. From the historic centre it is also a manageable walk, skirting the walls and the waterfront. Check the opening hours on site or before your visit, as they can vary with the season and with religious services.

How to get there

St. Stephen of the Bulgarians faces directly onto the Golden Horn in the Balat neighbourhood, district of Fatih. The nearest stop is that of the Golden Horn tram line (T5), a few minutes' walk away, while the Fener ferry pier is a short distance off; from Eminönü or Sultanahmet you can also reach it with a pleasant walk along the shore. The reference airport is Istanbul Airport (IST), on the European side of the city.