The photographic icon of Belgrade is St Sava Temple which is still a “work in progress.” Its position, on the grounds of Vracar where the relics of Serbia’s first Archbishop, St Sava, were burned by the Ottoman Turks in the 16th century, is very impressive and is visible from every corner of the city.
The church is built in the Byzantium style with the figure of the cross forming its base and a large central dome above and four semi-domes lower down, with galleries all around supported by an arcade underneath.
Does that sound familiar?
You might have seen this construction somewhere else in Europe?
If you have visited Istanbul and the magnificent Hagia Sofia then you’ll spot its resemblance to St Sava Temple. Istanbul (once known as Constantinople) was established by the Roman Emperor Constantin (born in Serbia) who decreed that Christianity be the main religion of the Roman Empire. Constantinople, or the New Rome, became the capital of the Byzantine Empire and today the Hagia Sophia is the best surviving example of Byzantine architecture.
St Sava Temple is the largest working Orthodox temple in the world. Is it going to surpass and overshadow the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul? Time will tell.
For more information about travelling to Belgrade please email Tara@ReadyClickAndGo.com
About the author: Tara
The travel professional with years of experience in the travel industry – in guiding, reservations, operations, contracting, customer service and product development – and have travelled extensively in Asia and Eastern Europe not just on holiday but also for work, inspecting hotels, visiting attractions and seeing exactly what each destination has to offer. The only way I could do this properly was with my own guide, car and driver and this inspired me to create my own range of customised private day tours for other people to be able to explore in-depth and learn to love their destination as much as I do.
Website: www.readyclickandgo.com
Website: http://www.readyclickandgo.com
