| The Cathedral Church of the Nativity of the Theotokos (Serbian: Саборна Црква Рођења Пресвете Богородице or Saborna Crkva Rođenja Presvete Bogorodice) is the largest Serbian Orthodox church in Sarajevo and one of the largest in the Balkans.
The cathedral is dedicated to the nativity of the Theotokos. It was erected at the request of the Orthodox parish of Sarajevo between 1863-1868. The church is constructed as a three section basilica incribed in a cross shaped plan, and has five domes. The domes are build on the beams, the central one is much larger than the other four side domes. The church is arched by round elements. The small gilded baroque style belfry is built in front of the entrance. The interior walls are decorated by painted ornaments. In the lower zones of the walls the painted ornaments are simulating the marble stone construction look. Arches and vaults are decorated in ornaments only. In 1898 the Orthodox Metropolian Palace was built near the cathedral.
The head master for construction was Andreja Damjanov, a man from the great Damjanovi-Renzovski family of master builders, masons, painters, iconographers, carpenters and stonecutters from the village of Papradishte near Veles, Macedonia. |