Terazije, Belgrade

It's between Kneza Mihailova and Kralja Milana.
The name Terazije was given by the Turks because of water towers that existed in this plateau before 1830. They were called "scales" or "terazije".

The urbanization of this area, nowadays the very centre of modern Belgrade, started relatively late in the 19th century. It doesn't look that old. It has actually many 20th century buildings.

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Serbia’s Parliament has a long history – although, obviously, not always as the Parliament of the Republic of Serbia. The building, which is visible from Terazije through Pionerski Park, is a large and imposing building with the same sort of cupola that appears to adorn Parliamentary chambers the world over. The plan for building the Parliament here was announced in 1891, and the site was chosen because it is where the first Parliament received a document recognizing the rights of the Serbian nation from the Turkish Sultan and where Prince Obrenovich swore to protect those rights. Construction began in 1907 and was not completed until 1936, when Parliament had its first session. Unfortunately, Parliament only sat for three years, and then was dissolved. It was designed in “academic traditionalist” style, with much decoration on the interior, and many statues and interesting works outside of the building. The statue of the horsemen was added in 1939. Today, the Parliament provides a grand view along Bulevar kralja Aleksandra, one that allows for a grandiose view of a city that can otherwise seem grey and depressing. Unlike in other countries, you can get up real close to the building and take as many pictures as you like.

Officially, Terazije is the centre of Belgrade’s universe. That is, although Trg Republike or Kalemegdan might seem like the natural spots for the civil administration to declare as the centre of Belgrade, the fact remains that all numbers in Stari Grad and the rest of the city start in relation to Terazije. The original idea – in the early 1800s, that is – was to develop Terazije and places like Studentski Trg as a series of green squares connecting Kalemegdan with Trg Slavije. In the end, especially after the destruction caused by the German and then Allied bombardments (1941 and 1944 respectively), Terazije was turned into a large boulevard that connected Stari Grad with Slavija. This part of the city gradually grew from being low (one or two story buildings, often occupied by craftsmen and merchants) to become a place with larger, more grandiose structures put up, usually in the first half of the 20th century. Terazije is where you can find many of the famous, large old hotels like Hotel Moskva (built in 1906) and the Balkan, as well as Palace Albania, which was the tallest building in the Balkans when it was built in 1937. Unfortunately, there are also some Socialist-era buildings along Terazije, which doesn’t help to give the impression that this is another Tverskaya or similar wide boulevard from central Moscow.

Terazi (means a pair of scales in turkish)Terazije is the most famous square in Belgrade. In order to supply Belgrade with water, the Turks built towers at intervals along the water supply system which brought water in from the springs at Mokri Lug. The water was piped up into the towers for the purpose of increasing the pressure, in order to carry it further.One such tower was erected on the site of the present drinking-fountain in Terazije and the square was named after it the Turks called their water towers terazije (scales for water).
The water was removed in 1860 and replaced by the drinking-fountain, which was erected in memory of Prince Milos who had died the same year. In 1976, in the space between the Moskva and Balkan Hotels, the old Terazije fountain was installed.

Go visit this place at night. It's called a square but basically it's a broad street dominated with neon-light commercials. In my opinion this is the hearth of Serbia, together with Trg Republike. Everything comes together here and at night there are still many people around. Also the "Hotel Moskva" is situated at this square, one of the better looking buildings in the city.

One more popular meeting point in the city. Fountain is located in Terazije Square, just in front of hotel “Moskva”. Duke Milos Obrenovic built it in 1861.
Some of cultural manifestation use to take places there like on Christmas, when people try to find gold coin in “Cesnica”, bread that we prepare on Christmas.

Terazije is the most famous square in Belgrade. It started to take shape as an urban feature in the first half of the XIX century. In the 1840s, Prince Milos Obrenovic ordered Serbian craftsmen, especially blacksmiths and coppersmiths, to move out of the old town where they had been mixed with the Turkish inhabitants, and build their houses and shops on the place of the present square.
At the end of the XIX and beginning of the XX century, Terazije was the center of social life of Belgrade. The most important hotels, restaurants and shops were located here. Of the important buildings which used to be or still are at Terazije, the "Pariz" Hotel should be mentioned. It was built about 1870 at the place where the "Bezistan" is today. It was demolished during the reconstruction of the square in 1948. The "Kod Zlatnog Krsta" (“At Golden Cross”) cafe, where the first film was shown on June 6, 1896, was at the place of today' "Dusanov Grad" (“Dusan’s City”). The old "Kasina" (“Casino”) Hotel, built around 1860, was next to the "Pariz" (“Paris”) Hotel. At this hotel, in 1918 the National Assembly of Serbia held its meetings for a while. The plays of the National Theatre have been performed here until 1920. The present "Kasina" Hotel was built at the same place in 1922. On this side of Terazije, between the world wars, there were the "Takovo" restaurant and cinema.
In 1936, on the foundations of the old hotel, the new "Balkan" Hotel was built. On the site of a small "Albania" cafe, a palace of the same name was constructed in 1938. The building in which the "Balkan" cinema is today, and in which the "Siskova kafana" used to be, was finished just before World War II. Terazije acquired its definitive form during its last reconstruction in 1947, when its flower beds, fountain and tram-lines were all removed. In the memory of the five patriots hanged by German fascists at Terazije on August 17, 1941, a monument was erected in 1983 at the corner of Bulevar Kralja Aleksandra and Terazije.

Terazije Square adds Knez Mihailova Street at the Place of Albany. In this place use to stand a small inn called "Albany" and, when they built this new building in 1939, they gave it the same name. At that time the Palace was the highest building on the Balkans.
It is interesting that, while they were digging the foundations, the skeleton of a mammoth was found.