Slavija & Vracar, Belgrade

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On Varchar platou, is Sv Sava Christian Ortodox Cathedral, the biggest Ortodox Church in the world.
It was build on the same place where Sinan Pasha in the late 1500s burned the remeins(relics) of St Sava, the first Arch Bishop of the Serbian Ortodox Church.
Also known as Prince Rastko of Middleage Serbia, he was the younger son of King Nemanja. After the Crusaiders left Serbia on their way to the Holy Land, Rastko went to Mnt Athos with his father and took an oath as a monk.
Comming back to Serbia to bring schools and learning.
Sv Sava is Saint protector of the childern and schools. Celebrated on January 27 every year.
The National Anthem of Serbia " Boze Pravde" mantion St Sava too.
Sv Sava is epitomy of the every thing Christian Ortodox and Serbian for the people of Serbia. Together with King Lazar, they ARE what makes Serbia as an Nation. Divine & Heroic....

The Jugoslovensko Dramsko Pozoriste or the Yugoslav Dramatic Theatre is a massive glass structure that seems shockingly modern in old-fashioned Belgrade. The structure reminds me of more than a few places in Toronto, and seems to have been inspired by an avant-garde idea of the theatre’s role in society. The truth is that, although the Theatre itself was founded in 1947, the original building was burnt down in 1997, and was only rebuilt in 2003, which explains its appearance. It was a place (and, I suppose, continues to be one) where Yugoslavia and then Serbia’s greatest dramaturges and actors thrilled the public with modern drama. The building itself has won many domestic awards for its design, and deserves at least a bit of attention as you make your way to Hram Svetog Save.

The Crkva Svetog Save is undoubtedly a much older building than the Hram Svetog Save, and it is also much smaller. Nevertheless, it is a fully functioning church, meaning that it has the full iconostasis and altar and is capable of hosting various religious ceremonies. Indeed, when I was there, there was a christening, which essentially prevented me from admiring the icons and frescoes of the building in detail. Nevertheless, there are many excellent examples of Serbian religious art and icons displayed in the church, and it would be a shame for anyone to miss this church, especially given the contrast with the Hram and the clue, in a way, that it provides to the future set up and grandeur of the Temple, once construction is finally completed.

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As the name say it all... Vracar field means field of Druids. In the middle ages and even in ancient times this fild was just outside city walls. The present church is being built at the place where in 1594 Sinnan Pasha had the holy relics of St. Sava burned at the stake, after he had them brought over from the Mileševa Monastery. Preparations for the construction of one of the largest orthodox churches in the world started way back in 1894. After two public competitions, the design authored by architects Bogdan Nestoroviæ and Aleksandar Deroko was approved in 1926. Construction works were interrupted with the bombing of Belgrade at the beginning of World War II. They were continued after a very long pause, in 1985.
Today, temple is completelly finished outside but interior still have to be finish.

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Some of you might have seen the inside of it on CNN when our Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic was assasined. "Opelo", the religius ceremony, was given in the Temple and held by His Hollines, Serbian Patriarch, Mr. Pavle.

As you could've seen from my pictures, the exterior of the Temple is finished and now comes the most refined part of work. The inetrior. So far the plastics are being done and one the mosaics. I can only hope to live long enough to see this architectual masterpiece done completely.

Here are some pictures to show you how promising it is. Have in mind that the building is huge and without artificial lights. Therefore the quality of pictures is rather poor.

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This is the actual temple. Preperations for the begining of works started in 1894, but it was only in 1926 when the architects agreed on how it's going to look like. The works on the temple were stopped on April 6th 1941, when the when Belgrade was bombed by Germany.

In 1984. a new permition was gained and works on the temple could be continued. That was a great moment for all Serbs.

The temple is still not finished and in one of the following tips you will get to see it the enterior which is being done.

Statue in front of which I amon this main picture in the tip is Karadjordje, as Turks used to call him ("The Black" Djordje). He had led the first Serbian uprising in 1804. which was the beggining of the end for Turkish Ottoman Empire.

The Temple of Saint Sava is the largest Orthodox temple currently in use. The church is dedicated to Saint Sava, founder of the Serbian church and an important figure in medieval Serbia. It is built on the location where his remains are thought to have been burned in 1595 by Turkish Sinan Pasha. This is perhaps the most monumental building in the city.
The building of the temple advanced really slowly, due to several wars (First Balkan War in 1912, and subsequent Second Balkan War and First World War). The actual building started in 1935, and lasted until 1941 when the axis ocupied Yugoslavia. The construction continued stopped until 1984, when a permission for finishing the building was granted.

The church of St. Sava is on the same square as the temple and it is dedicated to the same man. St Sava was the first partriarch of Serbia, he crawled all the way from Serbia to the head of the Byzantine empire to ask for the independence of the Serbian Orthodox church, and he achieved it!

Karadjordje is probably the greatest Serbian hero of all time. Hundreds of years ago, while the Ottoman empire still ruled over Serbia, Karadjordje led the fight against them. That is how he got his name, which means Black Djordje in Turkish, because whenever he came into contact with them, he brought them death. However, the Turksih sultan demanded his dead and Serbian ruler Milos Obrenovic brough the Sultan th head of Karadjordje to save the Serbian people, so his life was sacrificed to save this country. He is our greatest hero and this is his statue!

The temple of St. Sava or Hram Svetog Save as it's known in Serbian, is another major symbol of Belgrade. The building started in 1935 by architect Nikola Nestorovic and Aleksandar Derok. The purpose was to build a catherdral in tribute to the Hagia Sofia. However, in 1941 the work was stopped and the church was damaged by the Germans in the 2nd World War. Since then building has been going on all the way until last year when the exterior was finally completed. The interior is still not yet done! It is a massive cathedral, one of the largest Orthodox ones and you can see it from practically any point in the city. Also the bells inside are meant to be heard in every part of Belgrade, but they aren't lol.