Varna is a city with many great places of worship that bring the history of faith in Bulgaria into a sharp focus. In a mostly Orthodox Christian country, the majority of Varna's churches are part of this confession. However there are also some mosques that reflect the once powerful influence of the Ottoman Empire. Take our tour to see the key places of worship in Varna.
1) St. Paraskeva Petka Orthodox Church
The Sveta Paraskeva Petka Church - also known simply as Sveta Petka - was founded in the first years of the 20th Century. Unlike some other churches in the city, it remains intact in its original state. Interestingly, it was not painted until 1973 when a number of icons were added to the walls. These fascinating images of saints complete the experience of what is already a very beautiful church.
Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Корисник
2) Aziziye Mosque
Located on Angel Georgiev Street, the Aziziye Mosque is so old that nobody knows for sure when it opened. Some say it was founded back in 1795. This beautiful mosque features a classic square-based minaret to the right of the entrance. The mosque took its name from Sultan Abdul Aziz of the Ottoman Empire, who reigned in 1861.
Image Courtesy of Flickr and saital
3) Dormition of the Theotokos Cathedral
While Knyaz Dondukov-Korsakov visited Varna, he decided to build a cathedral for the growing population of Eastern Orthodox Christians. The project was designed by Mass, an architect from Odessa, Ukraine, and took six years to complete. Inaugurated in 1886, the cathedral is the largest and most famous Bulgarian Orthodox cathedral.
Image Courtesy of Flickr and timofair
4) St. Nicholas Orthodox Church
Built in 1865, the St Nicholas church was funded by Paraskeva Nikolau, who bequeathed 50,000 roubles for its construction. Initially, when opened, it was thought of as a Greek church due to its Greek Orthodox style, unusual to Bulgarians.
Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Pavlov
5) St. Sarkis Armenian Orthodox Church
This church was completely destroyed by fire in 1843; its reconstruction started only a year later. Seen from above, the rebuilt temple resembles a cross in the form of an unusually shaped bell-tower dome that is typical of Armenian and Georgian temples. The walls are painted in a byzantine manner and feature artistic icons.
Image Courtesy of Flickr and timofair
6) Virgin Mary Panagia Orthodox Church
Founded in 1602, this church is situated next to the Roman Baths. It was burnt down and then restored in 1640. Until 1914 the church was under the tutelage of the Greek Archdiocese. Closed for ten years, it was reopened in 1924. The most important treasure of this church is its icons. The church itself is rather small due to the strict regulations imposed on Christian churches by the Ottoman rulers.
Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Eldelabarca
7) St. Atanassiy Orthodox Church
This church was built in 1838 on the same site as a previous structure of the same name, which was destroyed by fire in 1836. Many beautiful icons are stored here, and the church itself is very ornately decorated. There are beautiful images of flowers, animals, tree leaves and crosses adorning the church walls.
Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Svilen Enev