Nativity Church, Timisoara

The Nativity Church was built through the donation of the entire fortune of Iacob Marian. He gave it to the Diocesan Consistory of Arad. The Orthodox parish in this neighborhood was established following a parish assembly in 1921, convened by lawyer Emanuil Ungurianu and approved by the Arad Diocese. The land for the construction of the church was donated by the Timișoara City Hall in 1925, and the Government ensured the payment of a parish priest. The first priest elected was Ioan Imbroane, and fundraising for construction began in 1927.

Construction of the church, designed by Victor Vlad, began in 1931 and was completed in 1936. Initially, the church served as an Orthodox cathedral between 1939 and 1946. After restoration work in 1958 and 1985, the church was blessed by bishops. It is built in the Neo-Byzantine style, inspired by the model of the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. Its interior is decorated with mural paintings and wooden sculptures, and the bell tower has six harmonized bells. In 2011, it was included in a municipal project for special nighttime illumination of architectural heritage. In the churchyard, arranged as a small park, are the busts of the five founders of the church, unveiled at various times between 2007 and 2008.