What We Saw in Serbia

Belgrade is a lively city… 

We saw evidence of past war in Belgrade too.  This was the Yugoslavian Ministry of Defense before it was bombed by NATO in 1999 during the Kosovo War.

Word is that the site is going to be cleared and a luxury hotel built there.

From destruction to construction:  the Cathedral of Saint Sava.  Serbian Orthodox church, is the largest Orthodox church in the world.

Construction began in 1935 and ceased when Belgrade was bombed in 1941.  In 1958 there were requests to resume work on it, but permission was not granted until 1984.  Construction began again in 1985.  Funds come solely from donations, so progress happens over time.  By 2009 the exterior was completed.  Work on the interior is ongoing…

It's an active construction site inside, but we didn't have to put on hard hats.

Marble from Italy awaiting placement…

Notice the green marble in the column?  We saw another column awaiting outside (photo above).

Many mosaics are planned for the interior.  This one is finished.

Our guide says she hopes the cathedral is finished in time for her to be married there some day.  After we left Serbia, we sailed through the Iron Gate and on into Bulgaria and Romania.