Description of the attraction
The Serbian Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary is evidence of the tolerant attitude of the Turkish authorities towards other religious denominations.
In 1863, the city's Orthodox community appealed to the officials of the Ottoman Empire for permission to build an Orthodox church. Not only permission was obtained, but also a monetary donation from the ruling sultan Abdul Aziz for its construction. The main funds were collected by the Serbian merchants of Sarajevo. The stronghold of Orthodoxy, the Russian Empire, sent experts to create the iconostasis, and also donated icons, church utensils and books, vestments for clergy.
It was the first non-Muslim monumental religious building in the city. When the temple tower began to rise above some of the minarets, a group of radical Muslims conspired to disrupt the inauguration of the Orthodox Church. This became known to the Orthodox community, which, through the Russian consul, brought this to the attention of the Ottoman Sultan. The conspirators were arrested, and the dedication of the temple was postponed. In the summer of 1872, the sultan sent troops and even artillery for the safety of the event. The dedication took place solemnly and without incident.
The church was built in the form of a basilica with three naves. Five of its domes are erected on beams, the diameter of the central dome is 34 meters. In front of the entrance there is a 45-meter bell tower in the Baroque style, decorated with carvings and gilding. Inside, the walls of the cathedral are decorated with frescoes, the windows are stained-glass, the motives of the frescoes are repeated in the ornaments of arches and vaults.
It is interesting that the church is located next to a Catholic church and a synagogue. Perhaps, as believers say, the "prayer" of this place saved all three religious buildings from the bombing of the Balkan war.
Currently, this church is considered the main Orthodox cathedral in Sarajevo and one of the largest in the Balkans.
