The "Metamorfosis" Greek Church in Constanta, the oldest Orthodox church in the city, was built between 1862-1868 through the contributions and donations of ethnic Greeks from Constanta and other parts of the country, as well as Greeks from Europe.
In 1868, the church was consecrated under the patron saint "Metamorfosis" or "Change of face". During its history, it received two other patronages, details about which will be presented in another section.
The building is rectangular in shape with a flat roof and is built at a fairly low height, without bell towers, according to the precise instructions given by Sultan Abdel Azis in his Imperial Firman for the authorities of Constanta, part of the Ottoman Empire at the time.
This decision was the result of the efforts of the Patriarch of Constantinople and a delegation of Greeks from Constanta, who obtained the Firman to allow the construction of the church and to protect the land and construction from taxes and delays from the Turkish authorities.
In the following years, a small wooden belfry was replaced by a larger one, built of masonry in 1945, thanks to a generous donation made by Ilia Arapi Spano, as attested by a marble plaque embedded in the belfry.
On the right side of the entrance to the church, initially there was access to the 1st floor of the Elpis Theater, which also belonged to the Hellenic Community of Constanta, next to their church.
In the churchyard there was a small building used as a parish house and for the meetings of the epitropy of the church. Today, the expansion of the parish house and the construction of annexes behind the church have restricted access around the building.
Until the 70s, the churchyard housed two stone crosses in memory of the great benefactor of the Hellenic Community, one of them, that of Maria St. Rizou, remaining alone in the present.
Since 1954, the "Metamorfosis" Greek Church has been classified as a historical monument, and since 2004 it has been part of the heritage of the Romanian Academy, occupying the 59th position in the list.
Starting with the mid-70s, the church was taken over by the Romanian Orthodox Church and is under the authority of the Archbishopric of Tomis.
Sursa: new.bisericagreaca.ro
