Saint Sava Temple

Saint Sava Temple is located on a Saint Sava square on Vracar and it is the biggest Orthodox temple, not just in Serbia, but it is also the biggest Orthodox church in Balkans and the world. All together, the temple is spreading on the area of 3.500 square meters, with additionally 1.500 squares on three galleries on level one. In one way it spreads 91m, and in other 81m, and the domes are decorated with 18 gilded crosses and bell towers that include a total of 49 bells, which is prepared by the Austrian bell foundry Grassmayr.

It is believed that on a place where the temple is built in 1595. Sinan Pasa burned relics of Saint Sava, founder of the Orthodox Church in Serbia. The whole construction is enabled by charity donations and paying extra stamps and that is why construction was progressing pretty slow, till 2004. Even today construction is not done yet – interior fresco is yet to come and it will be done in a mosaic that will represent Christ Pantokrator. Beside that, this temple represents one of the most significant and the most striking symbols of Belgrade.

Construction of the temple which lasted until 2004. was initiated in 1895. when organization for building a Temple of Saint Sava in Vracar in Belgrade developed, with an idea that this biggest and most beautiful temple raise exactly on the place where the relics of Saint Sava was burned. Public tender for the construction project was announced in 1905, but none of the five entries did not meet the criteria and all were rejected. Wars that followed have stopped all the efforts to build a temple, but in 1919, the association gathers again around the same idea and announce another contest on a larger scale in 1926. From 22 projects, that have participated this time, the work of Bogdan Nestorovic which won the second prize, was selected for realization. In 1930. construction was officially trusted to three people: Nestorovic, his colleague, architect Aleksandar Derok and the engineer Vojislav Zađina to cooperate with them. The official beginning of construction was on September 15th, 1935, but the construction was stopped because of another war, the German attack on Yugoslavia in 1941. Until then foundation and walls with 7 and 11 meters of height had been raised. During the occupation built space was used as a parking, then as a warehouse, and it looked like the construction will never go on.

When in 1958. new patriarch German came at the head of Serbian Orthodox church and the idea about the construction of a temple was again renewed, after 88 rejected requests. The new architect who was in charge of construction was a professor Branko Pesic, who adjusted the first project in use of the new materials and construction techniques. Patriarch German avenge the temple again on April 30th, 1985, and at that time placed the charter on continuing construction works. The same year patriarch and 20 more bishops hold the Holy Liturgy which attended 12.000 believers with 80.000 more people at the port and the construction continued two months later. The biggest venture was lifting a central dome which weighed a staggering 4000 tons. First, it had been built on the ground and then lifted and placed on the walls together with a layer of copper sheet and gilded cross with 12 m in height and 4 more tons in weight. This venture lasted for 40 days. Exterior construction was completed in 2004, while the inside decoration is still working. For nice and cozy stay we recommend you one of our the most beautiful nearby apartment City.