Church of Saint Sava
The St. Sava Temple in Belgrade is the largest Orthodox temple in the Balkans. It was erected on the relics of Saint Sava, the founder of the Serbian Orthodox Church. The construction of the temple began in 1939 and is still in progress.
About this building
Its construction was based on the architectural model of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. The construction began in 1935 but it was interrupted by the Second World War. After the end of the war, the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia suspended construction due to material shortages and the difficult financial situation. Work resumed in the 1980s but stopped again at the end of the 1990s due to its high economic cost.
The Cathedral has a Greek cross nave crowned by four semi-domes and a larger central dome. It is dedicated to the patron Saint and national hero Saint Sava who died on his second pilgrimage to the Holy Land. His relics were burned by the Ottomans in 1594 after the uprising of Serbs in Banat.
