Greek Church "Transfiguration"

Greek Church "Transfiguration", the oldest place of worship of the ancient city of Tomis

Crosses, crescents and stars rise to the sky of Old Constance. Perhaps the most representative testimony of multiculturalism and ethnic mosaic in the history of the seaside city, the denominational octagon of the Peninsula today tells the story of the tolerance of places where, in ancient times, the Greeks founded one of the oldest cities on the Black Sea. They were the ones who gave life to the city and the Romans, through Ovid and his poetic work, brought it immortality. In fact, if you have time to walk carefully, you will immediately notice that the old Greek quarter is almost close to the central square of the city, where the Latin poet looks out to sea.

The Greeks are the ones who left a legacy the oldest place of worship in Constanta: the Church "Change of Face" ("Metamorphosis").

At the intersection of Mircea cel Bătrân and Aristide Karatzali streets, on the high eastern cliff at the northern end of the Peninsula, the old Greek Church rests today in the vicinity of the Elpis Theater and the former Greek consulate in Constanța. From where it is, it watches in a way the whole labyrinth of streets that descend steeply to the sea, giving the impression of a beginning or end of the roads in the ancient quarter of the Greeks.

The former Greek slum in Constanța Veche watched, between 1865-1867, the construction of the first Orthodox church in the city, raised from the money of Greek settlers. While in Ottoman Constanța you could find only the Mahmudie Mosque, where the majority Muslims went to the high minaret, the Greek Church was built with the approval of Sultan Abdul Aziz, who, replaced by the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, through an imperial firm, so that the Orthodox of Constanța have their own place of worship. The times had changed for several years, since the city had a railway station and was connected by rail to the Danube: more and more people found it appropriate to settle here, coming from many corners of Europe, and the good sultan had no what not to show goodwill for the revival of the old and dormant port of old.

For five years (between 1862 and 1867), the Orthodox in Constanța prayed in a small church, consisting of two small rooms, one of which was used as a classroom.

However, by the middle of the 19th century, the Greek community of Constanța already numbered 1,500 souls, representing almost a third of the population of Romania's oldest city.

Thus, the construction of an Orthodox place of worship was imperative.

The Greek Church "Transfiguration" was built in a pure Greek style, classical, according to the plans of the Greek architect Ioannis Teoharidi. Admiring it from the front, the eyes can see, behind this place of worship built of stone (the only one in the whole Peninsula), the waters of the Black Sea. The image is not familiar to Constanța, dominated by oriental styles and Balkan inaccuracies. The landscape is similar to the one you can find on the shores bathed by the warm waves of the Mediterranean, an image of the hot South, where stone buildings line the coast and hide the cool rooms from the scorching sun.

In a rectangular, basilica shape, with a semi-round central nave and two straight side naves, the Greek Church stands out, from the entrance, through the marble stairs and floor, brought from Greece.

Surprisingly, perhaps for a place of prayer, the Greek Church on the Peninsula has no towers, but in Ottoman Constanța you could only build non-Muslim churches under certain conditions. For example, in the case of the Greek church, the directions of the royal firm were as accurate as possible: the size of the church should not exceed 44 arches deep, 22 arches wide and 16 arches high.

With these measurements, the church was not to exceed in height the minaret of the Hunkiar Mosque, which was to be completed a year after the Greeks consecrated their new church in Constanța.

In the Greek community of Constanţa, the original of the royal firm is still preserved today, through which Sultan Abdul Aziz gave the Greek Orthodox the right to have their own church.

Over time, the services of the Greek church brought together not only Greek believers, but all the Orthodox in the city who, until the end of the nineteenth century, when other Orthodox places of worship were built, had no church. . "The Change in the Face" represented, until 1895, when the Cathedral "St. Apostles Peter and Paul ”, the center of Constanta orthodoxy.

At the end of the 19th century, the Greek community in Constanța numbered 2,500 souls, and in 1913, before the First World War, it had increased to 3,100 people, ie about 10% of the city's population. The Greek community was influential, rich, and the Greek slum, in the center of which is today Aristide Karatzali Street, demonstrated these things by the beauty of the houses built. And the interior of the church can say this: the well-made painting, the icons, the altar, everything that has been preserved to this day denotes many donations from those who gave life to the trade by the sea.

The story of Romanian Dobrogea, after its entry into the country's borders, after the War of Independence of 1877-1878, was marked and celebrated on November 23, 1878, in the Greek Church "Change of Face", where the first Te- Deum of thanks for the victories of the Romanian soldiers in the struggles to conquer national independence. It would not be surprising if, on his first visit to Constanţa, Carol I crossed the threshold of the only Orthodox church in the city, in order to know and listen to his new Christian subjects.

Under Romanian administration, the Greek Church remained a landmark of the city, being bypassed neither by the major holidays, nor in the moments of balance for all those who gave life to the city.

Escaped from destruction after the last World War, to it was added, in 1947, a bell tower, not at all high, located on the right side of the place of worship. Inside, the choir choir and the two side balconies were built, which architecturally dominates, along with the imposing columns, the interior of the church.

The painting was also remade by the painter Nicolae Radu and consecrated in the first year after the Revolution.

Declared in 1954 a historical monument of architecture, the Greek Church has three patron saints: "The Transfiguration", celebrated on August 6, "St. Martyr Fanurie ", celebrated on August 27," Saint and in all the praised Apostle Andrew-protector of Romania ", celebrated on November 30.

Today, the Greek community of Constanța still has only 231 souls, according to the last census in 2011.

The Greek Church "Transfiguration", the oldest place of worship on the Peninsula, still remains a place where Orthodox, regardless of ethnicity, listen to the services preached in both Greek and Romanian.

The place of worship still dominates the northern landscape of the Peninsula and remains an indispensable piece for the confessional octagon in Constanța Veche, the one that tells so clearly the beautiful story of the oldest city in Romania.