Over 73% of Bulgarians profess the Orthodox Church, which accounts for almost 5,5 million people. Apostle Andrew and saint Paul are traditionally considered to be the first Christian missionaries on the Bulgarian land. The beginning of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church dates back to the time when tsar Boris I Michael accepted Christianity in the second half of 9th century. When Turkey finished their conquest of Bulgaria in 1396 the Christian population was discriminated. The Ottoman invaders destroyed many Bulgarian Orthodox Churches and a large number of them began functioning as mosques. At the turn of 18th and 19th centuries the so called period of national revival began. Bulgaria regained its independence in 1878 and the Orthodox Church was declared the dominant religion in the constitution.
