Orthodox Cathedral, Sarajevo

Orthodox Cathedral, Sarajevo tickets: which one to buy

The Serbian Orthodox Cathedral of the Nativity of the Theotokos stands in the centre of Sarajevo, near Liberation Square, where old men play giant chess, and a short walk from the Catholic cathedral, the Gazi Husrev-beg mosque and the old synagogue. Entry is free, and a small donation for candles is customary. Walking tours of Sarajevo almost always include the cathedral as part of the city's story of coexistence between religions, which earned it the nickname of the Jerusalem of Europe;

the best tours also cover the siege of the 1990s. The older Orthodox church of the Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel, with its museum of icons, is in the Bascarsija old town nearby and is worth adding. Dress modestly and be quiet during services. Photography inside may be restricted. The Latin Bridge, where Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in 1914, is ten minutes' walk away along the river.

Visiting Orthodox Cathedral, Sarajevo: what to see

The cathedral was built between 1863 and 1868, when Bosnia was still part of the Ottoman Empire, and it was one of the largest Orthodox churches in the Balkans at the time. Its construction was supported by donations from Orthodox communities and from the Russian tsar, who sent icons and a chandelier. The architecture combines Byzantine and Baroque elements: a cross-shaped plan with five domes and a tall bell tower rising above the entrance. Inside, the iconostasis is carved and gilded, with icons painted in a style influenced by Russian church art, and the walls carry frescoes.

The cathedral was damaged during the siege of Sarajevo and has been restored. The square in front, with its benches and trees, is one of the liveliest in the city, and from it you can see the minarets and towers of other faiths within a few hundred metres. The interior is lit by chandeliers and candles, and the smell of incense and beeswax fills the nave during services, when choirs sing in Church Slavonic and Serbian. The icons on the iconostasis show the major feasts of the church year in rows.

Orthodox Cathedral, Sarajevo opening hours and the best time to go

The cathedral is open daily; hours may be shorter in winter and restricted during services. Sarajevo is pleasant in late spring and early autumn, hot in summer and cold and snowy in winter, when the surrounding mountains become ski resorts. The Sarajevo Film Festival in August fills the city with visitors and events. Orthodox Christmas in early January and Easter, on the Orthodox calendar, bring large congregations and midnight services.

Ramadan changes the rhythm of the old town, with evening meals in the streets around the mosques. Allow about twenty minutes for the cathedral, and continue on foot along Ferhadija street towards the Bascarsija and the Catholic cathedral. The Eternal Flame memorial, dedicated to victims of the Second World War, stands a few minutes away at the head of Ferhadija street.