Cathedral Church of St. Michael the Archangel (Belgrade)

 church, 1830s construction, Serbian Orthodox Church

The Saborna Crkva Sv. Arhangela Mihaila (Serbian Cyrillic: Саборна Црква Св. Архангела Михаила; English: Cathedral Church of St. Michael the Archangel) is a Serb Orthodox Christian church in the centre of Belgrade, Serbia. It is one of the most important places of worship in the country.

Saborna Crkva was built from 1837 to 1840 by order of prince Miloš Obrenović, according to the design and plans of Adam Fridrih Kverfeld, a builder from Pančevo. The church was built in the style of classicism with late baroque elements. The church is dedicated to St. Michael the Archangel. The interior is richly decorated. The gold-plated carved iconostasis was made by the sculptor Dimitrije Petrović, while the icons on the iconostasis, thrones, choirs and pulpits, as well as those on the walls and arches were painted by Dimitrije Avramović, one of the most distinguished Serbian painters of the XIX century.

The special value of the church is its treasury. The relics of Serbian saints king Uroš and despot Stefan Štiljanović, as well as the heads of the Church and Serbian rulers of the Obrenović dynasty (Miloš, Mihailo and Milan).

Today's building of the Patriarchate was built from 1934 until 1935 and designed by the architect Viktor Lukomski. It is located across Saborna Crkva. The building has a square base, it is solid and has monumental forms. On the main facade, against the Cathedral Church, an impressive portico stands out, with low columns and an arched portal above which is a sculpted coat of arms of the Patriarchate of Serbia. On the top of this facade, in a niche, is a mosaic composition representing St. John the Baptist. In the east part of the building, there is a chapel dedicated to St. Simeon. It contains a carved iconostasis, the work of Ohrid masters, bearing icons painted in 1935 by Vladimir Predojević.

Saborna Crkva is a popular tourist attraction in Belgrade however for tourists it is best to visit the church during weekdays as the church usually holds weddings, baptisms etc. during the weekend. The Library and Museum of Serbian Orthodox Church are in this building, too.

www.saborna-crkva.com