my 2nd fav church in Istanbul
The Bulgarian St Stephen Church (Bulgarian: (желязната ) църква свети Стефан; Turkish: Sveti Stefan Kilisesi) in Istanbul, also known as the Bulgarian Iron Church, is a Bulgarian Orthodox church in Istanbul, famous for being made of cast iron. Built in 1896 at the place of first wooden Bulgarian Church.
The church belongs to the Bulgarian minority. The Bulgarians of the Ottoman Empire used to pray at the churches of the Phanar Orthodox Patriarchy, but due to nationalistic movements, Bulgarians were allowed a national church in the 19th century.