Why is it called the Black Church?

A 1689 fire blackened its walls

Black Church Brașov Quiz: Transylvania's Gothic Landmark

This Black Church Brașov quiz steps into Transylvania's great Gothic church in Romania. Play 10 interactive questions on its construction from the late 1300s to 1477, the 1689 fire that blackened it, its size among Gothic churches, the Transylvanian Saxons, its Lutheran congregation, its huge collection of Anatolian carpets, a 4,000-pipe organ and Romania's largest church bell.

Start Black Church Brașov Quiz

🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 150 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 150s

City
Which city has the Black Church?
Country
Which country is Brașov in?
Built
When was the church mainly built?
Style
What architectural style is it?
Fire
Why is it called the Black Church?
Size
What is notable about its size?
People
Which community built and used the church?
Faith
Which church does it belong to today?
Carpets
What famous collection hangs inside?
Organ
About how many pipes does its organ have?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: Which city has the Black Church?
Answer: Brașov
It is in Transylvania.
Q2: Which country is Brașov in?
Answer: Romania
The Carpathians surround it.
Q3: When was the church mainly built?
Answer: From the late 1300s to 1477
It took about a century.
Q4: What architectural style is it?
Answer: Gothic
Pointed windows line its walls.
Q5: Why is it called the Black Church?
Answer: A 1689 fire blackened its walls
Soot stained the stone.
Q6: What is notable about its size?
Answer: One of the largest Gothic churches between Vienna and Istanbul
It dominates the old town.
Q7: Which community built and used the church?
Answer: Transylvanian Saxons
German settlers lived in the region.
Q8: Which church does it belong to today?
Answer: Lutheran
Services are held in German.
Q9: What famous collection hangs inside?
Answer: Anatolian carpets
Merchants donated them.
Q10: About how many pipes does its organ have?
Answer: About 4,000
Concerts are held in summer.

Soot-Stained Gothic Walls and Anatolian Carpets

The Black Church in Brașov, Transylvania, is one of the largest Gothic churches between Vienna and Istanbul. It was built mainly from the late 1300s to 1477 by the Transylvanian Saxons, German settlers who had lived in the region since the Middle Ages.

Its name comes from the great fire of 1689, which swept through Brașov and blackened the church's walls with soot. The church was restored, but the name stayed. Today it belongs to the Lutheran congregation, and services are held in German.

Inside hangs a remarkable collection of Anatolian carpets, donated by merchants who traded with the Ottoman world, among the largest such collections in Europe. The organ, with about 4,000 pipes, hosts summer concerts, and the tower holds the largest church bell in Romania.

What This Quiz Teaches

History fans will enjoy these questions.

Who built the church
Why it is called black
What style it shows
Which treasures it holds
Who worships there today

Did You Know?

Brașov's council square lies beside the church.
A Hollywood-style sign stands on Mount Tâmpa above town.
Bran Castle, linked to Dracula legends, is nearby.
Rope Street is one of Europe's narrowest streets.
Carpets in the church date back centuries.