Virgin Mary Panagia Church in Varna

A little Bulgarian boy, who apparently was the only one who could get the oxen to move with the image in the cart behind them, chose the location for the Virgin Mary Panagia Church in 1602. The onlookers saw this as a miracle, so they built a church there rather than question God’s plan.

There were several obstacles to completing the Christian church within the Turkish governing organizations, such as a devastating fire in 1640 and restrictions on how high the building could be. After another two centuries, construction was finally finished in 1896; the cathedral closed again in 1914 but reopened in 1924, with its priceless collection of icons serving as its crown jewel. The Ottomans placed severe restrictions on Christian places of worship, which led to the church’s modest size.

Icons are considered as priceless relics, thus the church protects its property carefully, leaving nothing to chance except the will of God.