Churches, Bucharest

The Holy Forty Martyrs church was built and decorated with murals by the will of the Bulgarian tzar Ivan Asen II, to commemorate his victory over the king of the Epirus kingdom Theodor Comnenus in 1230. In the middle of the XIII century, around the church was erected the royal monastery of the Great Laurel. The church became a centre of a series of important events and its nave comprises the most significant tokens of the Bulgarian history – the columns of khan Omurtag (815 – 831), of khan Krum (803-814) and of Ivan Asen II with inscriptions on them. During archeological researches were unearthed the tombs of significant medieval persons. The biggest interest drew the grave the Bulgarian king Kaloyan, who was assassinated during the siege of Thessaloniki in 1207. After his death his body was solemnly carried to capital, where he was buried with honours. In the church were also the graves of one of the greatest Bulgaria’s rulers – Ivan Asen II and his wife Anna – Maria. The church was the place where the relics of St. Sava of Serbia and St. Ilarion of Muglen were kept. Consequently the body of St. Sava was transferred to Serbia but his grave is still an attractive point for pilgrims. One of the most important events held in the church was the pronouncing of the Bulgarian independence on the 22nd of September, 1908. http://www.velikoturnovo.info/en/churches/i13/Holy-Forty-Martyr%E2%80%99s-church-and-the-Great-Laurel-Monastic-Complex.html

The Cosuna – Bucovatu Vechi Monastery is an orthodox monastery situated in Craiova, Dolj county. It is the oldest religious edifice from the city of Craiova, being built in 1483. The Monastery`s church was built between 1506 – 1512 and the actual church in 1572, by the Boyar Stephan and his son. http://www.informatii-romania.ro/en/listing/manastirea-cosuna/

The cathedral in Varna is one of the symbols of the city. It is situated on “St. Cyril and St. Methodius” square in the center of Varna. The view from the belfry towards the city is splendid, but you have to overcome the 133 stairs of the narrow caracol. The first stone upon the construction of the temple was placed by Prince Alexander I of Battenberg (1857 - 1893) in 1880. After the consecration, the prince reprieved all the prisoners from the Varna prison, for which three months of their sentences were remaining. The name that was chosen, The Assumption of Holy Mother, was to the memory of the Russian Empress Maria Alexanrovna, benefactor of Bulgaria and aunt of the Prince. The foundations were laid by the project of the Odessus architect Maas, and the building itself is constructed according to the project of the municipal architect P. Kupka. The financing of the construction was relied on mainly by the donors. Additionally, a lottery with 150 000 tickets of BGN 2 each was conducted, as the tickets were sold in the country and abroad. http://visit.varna.bg/en/tempels/preview/18.html

The Armenian Church of Constanta is dedicated to "Saint Mary" and is situated on the seashore, near the Greek Church,on Callatis street. Less known by tourists, perhaps because the building stands out through a spectacular architecture, theArmenian Church embodies Armenian people living on Doborogea area is a important poin on the multiculturalism map of Constanta. https://www.litoralulromanesc.ro/en/biserica_armeneasca.htm

Borzesti is the village (currently, is a neighbourhood of the city Onesti) from Bacau, where Stephen the Great was born and raised. He founded together with his eldest son Alexandru (1464-1496), the church "Assumption". It was built between July 9, 1493, of October 12, 1494. Legend says that the church was dedicated to a child killed during the invasions of the Tatars. The church is designed in a Moldavian style, just like the Razboieni Church and the Piatra Neamt Church (1497–1498). http://www.uvisitromania.com/tourist-attractions/bacau/borzesti-church-id575

The Evangelic Church is one of the most impressive buildings in Sibiu. It was raised in the 14th century on the location of an old Roman church dating from the 12th century. The building is dominated by the seven level tower with the four towers on the corners, a mark showing that the city had the right of condemnation. With a height of 73.34 meters, the tower is the tallest in Transylvania. http://www.turism.sibiu.ro/index.php/en/biserica/152

In the centre of the Tulcea, at the intersection of Frumoasa Street, Babadag Street and Progresului Street you can find Saint Nicolas Church, the Cathedral of Tulcea. Made of stone and brick, the building is 30 metres tall, in Byzantine style with three towers: two in front and the third (the largest one) is situated in the middle. http://www.tulcea.com/

Precista church is one of the most famous churches of Bacau. Having patron Assumption, the church is part of the architectural complex of the Princely Court of Bacau. http://www.uvisitromania.com/tourist-attractions/bacau/precista-church-id574

The oldest and best preserved monument of architecture since Roman times in Sofia is the rotunda church St. George. It was built in the beginning of the 4th century AD and, was considered, during the reign of the roman emperor Constantine the Great (reigned 306 – 337) and the flourishing of the ancient town Serdika (the old name of Sofia). It is believed that the rotunda is the oldest building in Sofia. The temple is situated in the courtyard of the Government Office, just a couple of meters of the remains of the ancient fortress Serdika. It is a cylindrical domed structure, built on a square base. Its width is about 9.5 meters in diameter and its height is about 14 meters. The altar room has a square form and four symmetrically placed niches. The main entrance is at the western wall. Originally the building was used for public purposes. After the recognition of Christianity as a religion in the Roman Empire, the rotunda became a baptistery (a building for conversion to Christianity), due to the many conversions, following the authorization of this religion. http://bulgariatravel.org/en/object/234/sofia

On the western part of the old city walls, guarded by three bastions and gates, this square was initially a marketplace, which was going to be moved to the central square. Eventually, the marketplace was moved closer to the railroad, in the current location of Mihai Viteazul square. Thus, at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century the walls and gates of the city were demolished, and a small park was arranged in this square. Later, new buildings were erected here, such as the National Theater, the Orthodox Cathedral, the building of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, in the Art Nouveau style (today, the office of the Cluj Prefecture); the building of the old “Unió” Masonic Lodge (no. 7 Avram Iancu Sq.); the building of the old military garrison (today, the building of the County School Inspectorate, also known in the oral tradition of the city as the “red building”, a name earned by the red brick walls of the building); the Palace of Justice, where the Court of Appeal and the Tribunal are housed; the EMKE Palace (Hungarian Cultural Association of Transylvania), later purchased by MÁV (Magyar Államvasútak, Hungarian State Railroads), currently the headquarters of the CFR Regional Office; the building of the Archbishopric of Vad, Feleac and Cluj, which houses the Faculty of Orthodox Theology and the building of the Protestant Theology, on the old site of the Reformed Church’s Prayer House. http://www.visitclujnapoca.ro/en/atractii-turistice/monumente-si-complexe-arhitectonice/avram-iancu-square.html

The Orthodox Metropolitan Cathedral (Avram Iancu Square) – Romanian Orthodox Mitropoly of Cluj, Alba, Crisana, Maramures. Archiepiscopate of Vad, Feleac and Cluj (18 Avram Iancu Square). It was built between 1923-1933, according to the plans of the architects Constantin Pompoiu and George Cristinel, representing the Romanian stylistic current. It is one of the most important religious buildings from Cluj Napoca municipality. The church is dedicated to the Assumption – the date in which the Romanian Army entered Transylvania (15th of August 1916). In 1973, when the Diocesan See of Cluj was made Archiepiscopate, the church became an archepiscopal cathedral. Since 1996, the cathedral had been in a great process of outside restoration, a process which came to an end in 1999. Inside, a new Byzantine painting was made, in the famous mosaic of Murano. Since 2006, the building has served as the cathedral of the Archiepiscopate of Vad, Feleac and Cluj, which is also metropolitan of Cluj, Alba, Crisana and Maramures. http://www.visitclujnapoca.ro/en/atractii-turistice/best-of-cluj-napoca/the-orthodox-metropolitan-cathedral.html

The Roman Catholic "Saint Michael" Church (Unirii Square), a great historical and religious architecture monument are one of the most imposing gothic edifices from our country. It was built approximately between 1350 and 1480, being the first hall church from Transylvania. The main portal, carved in 1444 in gothic style, ends with a high accolade, showing in the central part the carved image of archangel Michael. The tower from the north facade was built between 1834 and 1863 in neo-gothic style and it is 80 meter high, including the cross. The inside and outside decorations and the baroque carved pulpit are also remarkable. An extraordinary execution is the portal of the sacristy, from the Renaissance (1528) with Italian motifs and a strong south-German influence. The body of the pulpit, in baroque style, was carved by Johannes Nachtigall and Anton Schuhbauer. The mural picture, fragmentary kept, shows stylistic influences from northern Italy and reveals the first signs of the Renaissance in the painting from Cluj-Napoca. http://www.visitclujnapoca.ro/en/atractii-turistice/best-of-cluj-napoca/page/2/the-roman-catholic-saint-michael-church.html

The Holy Trinity Church and especially its tall belfry have become a symbol of Bansko as one of the most attractive mountain resorts, successfully combining the charm of its rich historical past and its picturesque location at the foot of the mighty Pirin Mountain with the most modern facilities for recreation – a wide choice of reputable hotels for all tastes and budgets, one of the best ski zone in South-East Europe. The Church dedicated to the Holy Trinity was built in the period of the Bulgarian National Revival. Its inauguration was made in 1835. The architectural plan of the church is a three-nave basilica or more exactly a pseudo-basilica with 44 m length, 22 m width and 12 m height. The walls are 1.1 m thick and entirely constructed of local ashlar, welded together by mortar. Large wooden beams of centuries old white fir (typical for the region) are used in the foundation and for leveling the walls. Part of the church is sunken under the ground level in order to look smaller from the outside and Turks can not get an idea about its real size. The altar piece is set within a skillfully constructed and decorated apse in the form of the half of a 18-angle prism with a remarkable stone cornice on the exterior. The roof is hold in the interior of the church by 12 massive wooden columns of white fir, symbolizing the 12 apostles. http://bansko-guide.com/attraction/holy-trinity-church/

In 1642 Pater Andrija Stipancic, an observant franciscan monk from the “Bosna Argentina” province and priest at Radna, succeeds, after a long pilgrimage on foot made to Istambul and back, to obtain an Embre from the sultan for the renovation of his chapel. http://www.uvisitromania.com/tourist-attractions/arad/basilica-maria-radna-id532

The Holy Trinity - the roman-catholic cathedral was built in 1766 by Jesuits on the place of former St. Martin church. The cathedral holds an organ with three registers, built between 1940-1944. The cathedral, which is the perspective head of the Unirii Boulevard in Baia Mare, is an impressive building, representative for the construction of churches in Transylvania, built in the tradition of Orthodox churches, with dimensions of 85 m long, 50 m wide and 85 m high. The cathedral capacity is about 3000 people. From the first level, being plated with brick from Oradea, paved on the floor with porcelain stoneware from Spain and iconostasis made of brick with icons in Murano mosaic. Spacious altar, sf. brick table with a marble plate 2 / 1,50m, gr. 5cm., Oak furniture, wrought iron chandeliers. Twelve columns supporting the central dome and main nave. In the back of the church there is a large Byzantine Hall, where there are exhibitions of icons, two offices and four warehouses. Considering the large influx of believers who frequent this cathedral, the access and exit is made on two doors and two monumental stairs, and at the exit there are two places to light candles. http://www.catedralabaiamare.ro/

The Assumption Cathedral in Baia Mare is a place of worship built by the Greek Catholic faithful in Baia Mare between 1905-1911. The building is declared a historical monument (code LMI MM-II-mB-04471), next to the episcopal palace of the Greek Catholic Episcopate of Maramureș and the former confessional school (currently Șc. Gen. no. 2), all located on Vasile Lucaciu Street from the municipality of Baia Mare. https://www.baiamare.ro/ro/Descopera-Baia-Mare/Obiective-turistice-si-atractii/Atractii-turistice/Catedrala-Adormirea-Maicii-Domnului/

The reformed church (Luther) – built in 1912, the church holds an altar painted by Iványi Grünwald Béla, one of the most important representatives of the Baia Mare Painting School. Address: Str. Lucaciu Vasile, nr. 18. http://discover-maramures.com/en/tourist-attractions/baia-mare/

The monument has two names – both used: “St. Mary monument” and “St. Nepomuk monument". Both are (and were) correct, but could cause confusion: there was another “Mary”, quite famous, and it is in the namesake square from Iosefin, and there is also another Nepomuk near the Millennium Church in Fabric. http://www.timisoara-info.ro/en/sightseeing/historical-quarters/cetate/tours/230-monumentul-sfintei-maria.html

The Red Church is a historical and architectural monument of the Arad city. The building serves as a place of worship of the Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Romania. The name comes from the external finish of polished brick. The church is built in 1906 in Gothic style, with the main tower of 46 meters and a Gothic-style stained glass. At the inauguration, the church had three bells in weight 1590 kg. During World War I, from the disposal of the authorities have been melted two bells, from their bronze were made projectiles. The bells were cast in the foundry workshop Hönig from Arad, famous for bronze casting work. http://www.uvisitromania.com/tourist-attractions/arad/the-red-church-id537

The Cathedral "Birth of St. John the Baptist" is a monument of baroque architecture in the Arad city. The building was built between 1862-1865. The main funders of construction were family Mocioni and banker Gheorghe Sina. The two towers of the facade were raised in 1904. The two towers are provided with a clock on each side. The church served as the cathedral of the Diocese Arad until 2009, when Holy Trinity Cathedral in Arad, built since 1991, has acquired this feature. http://www.uvisitromania.com/tourist-attractions/arad/cathedral-birth-of-st-john-the-baptist-id540

This is one of many places of worship that were declared historical monuments and it can be visited on 5 Parcul Traian Street. Its troubled history had an influence on whom to choose as a patron saint and how its interior developed, since it was used consecutively by priests and believers of three denominations – Roman-Catholic, Ruthenian (Greek-Catholic) and, at present, Orthodox Christians. http://oradea.travel/en/?p=1957

The Bezdin Monastery is a monastery dedicated to the Assumption, located in Lunca Muresului Natural Park, near the village Munar, Arad County, on the right bank of the river Mures. The monastery was founded in 1539, the name comes from the Bezdin lake located in the eastern part of the monastery. During the Ottoman occupation, the monastery was burned by the ottomans, and in 1690 a brick church was built in Byzantine style as a form of clover with three abisade. Inside the church is a miraculous icon of Our Lady, brought from Mount Athos. http://www.uvisitromania.com/tourist-attractions/arad/bezdin-monastery-id549

Süleymaniye Mosque built on top of the third hill of historical Istanbul is one of the biggest mosques of the city. The truly staggering size of the Süleymaniye Camii (Suleymaniye Mosque) is one of its most distinctive features – built by the legendary architect, Mimar Sinan, it is known as one of his masterpieces, and his largest design. It is not just the awe-inspiring size that is impressive (the central dome stands 47m high), but also the elegantly decorated interior. The sense of space and light is emphasized the supporting semi-domes to the northwest and southeast and the monumental arched spaces to the southwest and northeast. https://istanbultourstudio.com/things-to-do/suleymaniye-mosque

Built in Baroque and Louis Seize style, the church was elevated to cathedral rank by Pope John Paul II in 1993. A certified replica of the Turin Shroud has been on display in the building since 2011. 2015 has been designated as Catholic Memorial Year, to mark the tercentenary of the movement started to reorganize practices and activities of the Catholic faithful in Debrecen. https://www.debrecen.hu/en/tourist/places/st-annes-cathedral

The Reformed Great Church of Debrecen is one of the most significant Classicist historic buildings of Hungary. It was designed by Mihály Péchy, and built between 1805 and 1822. Its north-south nave (with the organs at its two ends and with the pulpit at its north end) is 38 m long and 14 m wide; its east-west aisle is 55 m long and 15 m wide. http://www.debrecencity.com/en/debrecen/culture/churches/the_reformed_great_church

The Panaghia (Virgin) Chalkeon (1028), Hosios David (12th century), St Panteleemon (late 13th or the early 14th century), is of four-columned cross-in-square type, Ayioi Apostoloi (1310-1314),Taxiarches (14th century), Panagouda a three-aisled basilica with significant icons, Agios Ioannis Prodromos (Nymphaion),Vlatadon monastery a 14th century foundation of which only the katholikon and two cisterns within the precinct survive, Ayios Demetrios a splendid basilica dedicated to the patron saint and protector of the city, etc. http://www.visitgreece.gr/en/main_cities/thessaloniki

The majestic Greek Catholic Cathedral of the Holy Resurrection, whose slender silhouette adorns town's main square (Rynok), reckons among the most beautiful and famous architectural monuments of Ivano-Frankivsk. Strolling through town, it's impossible to oversee its luxurious light building that absorbed the brightest baroque and classicism traits! The temple owes its origin to Jesuit monks. They came to Ivano-Frankivsk in the early 18th century and founded a catholic church on the place of the older church, burnt during Turks' siege of the town. From the very beginning, it was clear that the cathedral's destiny would be unusual: when constructors were digging the trench for future temple's foundation, they found a real treasure - 14 thousand zlotys. Their greater part was spent on the church's building. https://discover-ukraine.info/places/western-ukraine/ivano-frankivsk/785

Having absorbed baroque and renaissance traits, the building of the parish Church of Virgin Mary is among the most beautiful and most valuable architectural monuments in Ivano-Frankivsk. https://discover-ukraine.info/places/western-ukraine/ivano-frankivsk/786

The church of Agios Nikolaos with its attractive belfry and carved birdhouses, the traditional meeting point for the town’s inhabitants. http://www.discovergreece.com/en/mainland/macedonia/kozani

The wooden church of St. Nicholas with a bell tower, standing on the impressive stone foundation, is one of the best examples of Podolia wooden folk architecture school. In Soviet times, the building housed a museum. In 1970, the church was restored. Mayakovsky Street, 6. http://ukrainetrek.com/vinnitsa-city

The church was built in an unusual style of the Tuscan Baroque. It was closed by Soviet authorities, first time in 1931, and then, after a revival during the Second World War, it was closed again in 1961. http://ukrainetrek.com/vinnitsa-city

Let 'us go towards the main square again. About 100 meters away on your right in Arany János Street you can find the Lutheran Church built in the 19th century. Until the end of the 1980s Miklós Ybl’s masterpiece, decorated with Romanesque motives, was hidden by cheap stores; today it can be seen in its original beauty. https://www.budapest.com/hungary/kecskemet/sights/lutheran_church.en.html

Let's start our walk in the main square of the "Famous Town" that used to be the market-place for centuries. Here you can find the Big Catholic Church which is the largest cathedral in the Great Hungarian Plain built in the style of the age of Louis XVI of France. Looking down from the 73 meter tall tower you can see the panorama of the town. https://www.budapest.com/hungary/kecskemet/sights/big_catholic_church.en.html