Things to see and do in Belgrade: Visit St Sava Temple

The most photographed icon of Belgrade, St Sava Church, is centrally located and visible from every corner of Belgrade. The façade of the church, the windows and bells were finished in 2009 but inside it's still a “work in progress” which still doesn't stop you admiring its sheer size. The guide mentioned that the basement of the Church is almost the same size as the church above ground itself if not bigger. 

This place, St Sava Church, has a very important place in Serbian culture and its history. The Church is dedicated to the first Archbishop of the Serbian Church, who was born as Rastko Nemanjic, the son of the first ruler of Serbia. In his youth he decided to become a monk and was re-christened with the monastic name Sava. He later established the monasteries of Hilandar on Mount Athos in Greece and Žiča. He died in Bulgaria only for his body to be moved to Mileseva Monastery where it stayed until 1594 when the Ottoman Turks removed the remains and burned them on the Vracar hills in Belgrade - St Sava Church is built on the very same spot. 

Three hundred years after the burning of the body the idea of building a church took hold although it was put off by many wars and the communist reluctance to build a church in the middle of Belgrade. Finally permission was granted in 1985 and building started soon after.  

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 Constantine (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 for more than 1000 years 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.

For more information about day tours in Belgrade and Serbia please email Tara@ReadyClickAndGo.com or visit our site at www.ReadyClickAndGo.com

Visit the Museum of Orthodox Church of Serbia

Over the years, the route became a habit – every time I walked down from Knez Mihailova Street towards the Kosancicev venac , I would stop at the Patriarchal Palace and ask to visit the Museum of the Orthodox Church of Serbia, And every time I would get the same reply: “The museum is under construction, reconstruction or it is closed.”  Being an insecure person, I began to think that there was something wrong with me, my dress code, my thirst for a cold beer, for good food and all the things the church says to refrain from.

A few days ago I tried my routine again and a man dressed in a crisp business suite rather than a priest’s robe declared in an authoritative voice “The Museum is open…You need to enter from the door opposite St Michael’s Cathedral.“ Without saying thank you I ran off to the other side of the same building and excitedly pressed a heavy door, pushing it with my whole body and almost falling into what was a garage once upon a time and today was a well-polished entrance hall still smelling of paint. The floor was set in three different colours of marble with distinctive artwork in the shape of circles, something you find in Serbian churches built nowadays. After purchasing a ticket we walked towards the heavy stairs that led us to the museum itself  on the first floor.  The first impression was disappointing. It was a long hall decorated with framed letters, notifications, portraits of church dignitaries, and old photographs from Serbia’s rich past. We walked through very quickly thinking, is that it? At the end of the corridor a lady, dressed in blue, maybe a uniform, walked in front of us and disappeared into a room on the right.  I heard her unlocking the door, switching the lights on and her rubber shoes squeaking through the empty building, she disappeared where she came from. Dispirited and ready to go back we secretly peeked through the door where the lights came from and we stood silent, shocked with the amount of the history laid bare in front of us.  The loud and honest “WOW” made a lady who opened a door chuckle behind us.  Adrenalin and frustration at not being to see the Museum for such a long time kicked in and I started running around trying to see everything at once. Then realising the Museum is not that big only very rich with exhibits I calmed down and started to follow some kind of pattern.

Liturgical books decorated in gold, silver and precious stones dating back from XIV century, the shroud of King Milutin dating from end XIII or beginning XIV c, a silver reliquaries chest dating from XVI c, the sermons of St Isaac of Syria, XIV c, a huge icon of wood, the Adoration of the Wise Men from XVII c, Byzantium crosses and seals, chalices, old sacred vessels, various donations, icons, are squeezed into three connected rooms. Each display had an explanation written in Serbian and English showing the development of the Serbian Orthodox Church through the centuries.  Most of the exhibits come from monasteries scattered around Fruska Gora, from churches around eastern Srem and from donations.

Textiles have a significant presence in the museum and two very interesting pieces of history are the gown of  Prince Lazar dating back to 1389 which is the year of the battle of Kosovo, and a shroud made by the nun Jefimija who is regarded as the first Serbian poetess.

The Museum and the richness of the exhibits are of the standard of the exhibition held in London at the Royal Academy of Art, titled Byzantium. The only difference is that you don’t have to queue here in Belgrade and the entry tickets are much more affordable.  This may change as the Museum of the Orthodox Church of Serbia is just recently opened.

Address: Kralja Petra  nr. 5, entrance from the street Kneza Sime Markovica 6

Open: Weekdays 9-16h, Saturdays, Sundays and Religious Holidays the Museum is Closed

Entrance fee: RSD400 (approx US$5 as per 20th January 2014).

For more information about things to see and do in Belgrade of independent day tours in Belgrade please email Tara@ReadyClickAndGo.com or visit specialist website for day tours, day trips, city tours, travel experiences at www.ReadyClickAndGo.com