Church of Saint Sava
The Church of Saint Sava in Belgrade is among the largest Eastern Orthodox churches in the world and one of the most monumental places of worship on the planet by sheer volume. Built on the Vracar plateau, it marks the spot where, according to tradition, the Ottomans burned the relics of Saint Sava, the medieval prince who founded the autocephalous Serbian Orthodox Church and is revered as the nation's patron saint.
Inspired by the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople, the temple is crowned by an enormous central dome more than seventy meters high, topped by a great gilded cross. Construction has been a generations-long endeavor: planning dates to the late nineteenth century, the foundation work began in 1935, and progress was repeatedly halted by wars and the communist era. The vast interior, lined with shimmering gold mosaics covering thousands of square meters, was only completed around 2020.
Visible from across Belgrade, the white marble and granite church dominates the skyline and serves as a powerful emblem of Serbian Orthodox identity. It welcomes worshippers and visitors alike to its cavernous, light-filled nave and the crypt church beneath.
- Location
- 44.7981, 20.4685
- Local time
- 00:37 (Europe/Belgrade)
🕘 Visiting hours
| Mon–Sun | 07:00–20:00 |
approximate; free entry; sections closed during services; crypt may have separate hours
✨ Saints & blessed venerated here
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Saint Sava Saint
Temple dedicated to him; built where the Ottomans burned his relics; founder of the Serbian Orthodox Church
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Saint Simeon (Stefan Nemanja) Saint
Father of St Sava and founder of the Nemanjic dynasty; venerated in the temple
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Christ Pantocrator Saint
Colossal central-dome mosaic of Christ dominates the interior
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Theotokos (Virgin Mary) Saint
Major mosaics of the Mother of God in the temple
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Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker Saint
Depicted among the mosaic saints; crypt church associations
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Saint Stefan the First-Crowned Saint
Brother of St Sava, first crowned Serbian king; venerated Nemanjic saint depicted here
The candle wall
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00:37
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