After lunch in the café next to St. Mark's Church, we went to The Church of Saint Sava. The Church of Saint Sava was founded in 1935 and is one of the larger churches of the Orthodox Church in Belgrade.
The Church of Saint Sava in Belgrade is the largest Orthodox church in the Balkans and is ranked as one of the top ten cathedrals in the world. In memory of Saint Sava, the founder of the Serbian Orthodox Church and an important figure in medieval Serbia, the Serbs decided in 1895 to build a church for it in Belgrade. But due to the war and other reasons, construction did not really begin until 1935. In 1941, World War II broke out, and construction was interrupted. In September 1985, the construction of the church was restarted, and in 1992, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was broken down, and the construction of the church naturally could not be carried out. After a new presidential election in 2000, construction began again on the long-suspended church, and the main body of the church was completed in 2004.
On the northwest side of the church there is a huge bronze statue with his hands held sideways, a Bible in one hand and a cross in the other, this is the statue of Saint Sava Naimaniya, the founder of the Serbian Orthodox Church, who abandoned the king's position to found the Serbian Orthodox Church in 1192, and in 1219 he was crowned Archbishop of Serbia by Patriarch Constantine. In 1595, the Ottoman Turkish prime minister Sinan Pasha, in order to destroy the will of the Serbs, burned the remains of saint Sava at the church site. Serbia's national hero Stephen Naimania led the Serb people to the bloody battlefield, the southern conquest of the northern war, and the first establishment of an independent monarchy and a unified Serbian kingdom. The founding father was thus highly respected and was later dubbed the "Great and Perfect Stephen Naimania". 300 years later, in 1895, the Serbs decided to build a church in Belgrade in honor of their national hero. But due to the war and other reasons, construction did not really begin until 1935. In 1941, World War II broke out, and construction was interrupted. After the establishment of the Post-War Yugoslav Federation led by Tito, with the support of the Serbian Chairmen at the time, the construction of the church was restarted in September 1985. In 1992, the Fryingist Union was broken down, and the construction of churches naturally could not be carried out. At the end of a new presidential election in 2000, the new Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia, Djitsic, received some assistance from abroad for the construction of the church, and the construction of the church, which had been suspended for many years, began again.
Serbia's economy is gradually improving, the interior decoration of churches is also slowly progressing, although the huge expenditure still makes it impossible to achieve overnight, but in any case people see hope and see the future possible glory. Like this troubled nation and country, for more than half a century, The Cathedral of Saint Sava has slowly moved forward in the midst of hardships, looking forward to being reborn in the fire, looking forward to the reappearance of national heroes such as Naimaniya and Sava.
The Church of Saint Sava was built in 1935 and for various reasons the entire exterior construction was completed in December 2003, while the interior renovation is still underway today. In 2000, the new Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia, Djitsic, received some assistance from abroad for the construction of the church, and the construction of the church, which had been suspended for many years, began again. The entire external construction work was only completed in December 2003.
The church covers a total area of 1,800 square meters and adopts the Byzantine design commonly used in Orthodox Christianity. The main body adopts the shape of a regular cross with four sides of basic equal length, 91 meters from east to west and 81 meters from north to south, and is square and neat from any angle, magnificent and abnormal. The church is made of pure white marble, and the main roof is a huge bronze dome, second only to the Hagia Sophia Mosque in Istanbul, the largest in the Balkans. The 4,000-ton dome, together with the 12-meter-high cross, was completed on the ground, and its installation became a pioneering work in architecture. Four bell towers hang a total of 49 bronze bells, of which the largest diameter of 2.04 meters, weighing 6200 kg, the smallest also 150 kg, whenever the bell rings, the four bell towers are launched together, melodious bells spread throughout the city.
An iconic feature of Byzantine architecture is the huge stretched dome, the main roof of the Church of Saint Sava is covered by a huge bronze dome, which is said to be second in size to the Hagia Sophia Mosque in Istanbul, the largest in the Balkans. The 4,000-ton dome, together with the 12-meter-high cross, was completed on the ground. In May and June 1989, 16 large special hydraulic cranes were used, moving 2 meters vertically upwards per day, spending more than 20 working days, tens of thousands of onlookers every day, and 4 European television stations broadcast the resettlement of the dome.
The whole body of the church is made of pure white marble, and the crystal solid texture ensures the stability and height of the church, and also symbolizes the majesty, holiness and inviolability of the church. The church of Saint Sava is spectacular from any angle of view, as the church is being renovated and the main entrance is inaccessible.
We were fortunate enough to enter through the north door, first to see the icon painting display and the tourist commissary, and then from a side door down to the underground hall, to see the golden and brilliant underground hall, which is our unexpected gain, many tourists do not know that there is this underground hall.
Entering the church, the interior decoration is still in progress, completely obscured by a large curtain. Moving on, to the basement, which has been renovated, a palatial prayer hall appears in front of people.
The surrounding walls and top are exquisite religious frescoes with vivid figures.
The underground prayer hall of this church is really decorated with magnificence.
Most of these religious murals are figures, and there are very few landscape paintings.
Every painting has a story, but I don't understand the background, so I can't understand it.
This is the insider's way of watching the doorway, we are laymen, we can only see a "lively".
The top of the hall is equipped with a large golden chandelier, which is dazzling.
Leading upstairs is this golden door.
Return from the ground to the main entrance of the church, where a crucifixion of Jesus hangs on the side of the main entrance.
The main entrance of the church was completely obscured due to unfinished renovations, and it was impossible to enter at all. I feel very sorry about this.
Next to the Church of Saint Sava, there is also a Russian chapel, which is also under renovation, but it was not possible to enter it because the gate was closed.
On the right side of the Cathedral of Saint Sava, there is the Belgrade Library, which I did not know at the time, but I learned about it later when I was sorting out the pictures and looking up the materials, otherwise I would have to walk over and look at it.