The Popa Nan Church ( ro, Biserica Popa Nan) is a

Romanian Orthodox The Romanian Orthodox Church (ROC; ro, Biserica Ortodoxă Română, ), or Patriarchate of Romania, is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church in full communion with other Eastern Orthodox Christian churches, and one of the nine patriarchates ...

church located at 47A Popa Nan Street in

Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ro, București ) is the capital and largest city of Romania, as well as its cultural, industrial, and financial centre. It is located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, less than north of ...

Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, and ...

. It is dedicated to Saints

Constantine Constantine most often refers to: * Constantine the Great, Roman emperor from 306 to 337, also known as Constantine I *Constantine, Algeria, a city in Algeria Constantine may also refer to: People * Constantine (name), a masculine given name ...

and Helena. The first small, single-domed church on the site was built in 1719. A second one, of masonry, probably dated to 1764–1765, as attested by an older '' pisanie''. It underwent repairs in 1802, 1845, 1860 and 1886. In ruins by 1909, it collapsed one night in July 1910. The current church was built from the foundations between 1910 and 1918, with

Cristofi Cerchez Cristofi Cerchez (4 July 1872 – 15 January 1955) was a Romanian engineer and architect. He built approximately 50 buildings in various cities of Romania over his nearly 50-year career. His architecture covers a wide range of styles from traditi ...

as architect. The interior frescoes date to 1918–1920. The 1977 earthquake caused serious damage, including the collapse of the nave dome. Repairs lasted until 1986. The interior was repainted from that point until 1988, and the newer artwork features the national tricolor as a motif. In October 1989,

Patriarch The highest-ranking bishops in Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, the Catholic Church (above major archbishop and primate), the Hussite Church, Church of the East, and some Independent Catholic Churches are termed patriarchs (and in certai ...

Teoctist, joined by a large group of priests, rededicated the church.Stoica and Ionescu-Ghinea, p. 327 Fairly large at long by wide, the cross-shaped church has apses that are polygonal on the exterior. The substantial

narthex The narthex is an architectural element typical of early Christian and Byzantine basilicas and churches consisting of the entrance or lobby area, located at the west end of the nave, opposite the church's main altar. Traditionally the narthex ...

has a vaulted ceiling. Two domes sit on square bases: the larger, with twelve sides, above the nave; and the octagonal bell tower on the narthex. The small open porch has three arches, the central one being much larger than those on the sides. The facades are painted in white, with a slightly profiled pediment. There is a series of long, narrow windows on the lower half of the building. The church is listed as a

historic monument A monument is a type of structure that was explicitly created to commemorate a person or event, or which has become relevant to a social group as a part of their remembrance of historic times or cultural heritage, due to its artistic, his ...

by Romania's Ministry of Culture and Religious Affairs.Lista Monumentelor Istorice 2010: Municipiul București

Notes

References

*Lucia Stoica and Neculai Ionescu-Ghinea, ''Enciclopedia lăcașurilor de cult din București'', vol. I. Bucharest: Editura Universalia, 2005, {{coord, 44.464833, 26.155667, format=dms, type:landmark_region:RO, display=title Historic monuments in Bucharest Romanian Orthodox churches in Bucharest Churches completed in 1918