What Temple of Saint Sava means
- In Serbian: Храм Светог Саве
- Pronounced: SAYNT SAH-vah
- Category: Places
The Temple of Saint Sava anchors Vračar, a district roughly 2 km south of Republic Square, reachable on foot in about 25 to 30 minutes or by a short ride. It's dedicated to Saint Sava, the founder of the Serbian Orthodox Church, and it was built on the site where, according to tradition, his remains were burned by Ottoman authorities in the 16th century — a history that gives the building deep symbolic weight in Serbian national and religious identity, well beyond its role as a place of worship.
The building itself is deliberately monumental: a vast white-marble exterior topped by an enormous central dome, with an interior finished in extensive gold-and-colour mosaic work that covers much of the walls and ceiling. Photographs tend to undersell it — the scale of the interior space is something that reads far better standing inside it than on a screen. Entry is generally free, with a donation box for those who wish to contribute.
It pairs naturally with a visit to the nearby Nikola Tesla Museum, also in Vračar and within easy walking distance, making the two together one of the standard second-day stops on a first visit to Belgrade.
Common questions about Temple of Saint Sava
Why is the Temple of Saint Sava significant?
It's built on the site where, by tradition, the remains of Saint Sava — founder of the Serbian Orthodox Church — were burned by Ottoman authorities, and it has become the central monument of modern Serbian Orthodox identity, one of the largest Orthodox churches in the world.
What does the inside of the temple look like?
The interior is extensively covered in gold-and-colour mosaic work beneath a huge central dome — a scale and richness that photographs struggle to convey, and that rewards simply standing inside the space.
Where is the Temple of Saint Sava located?
In Vračar, a district roughly 2 km south of Republic Square in central Belgrade, about a 25 to 30 minute walk, and close to the Nikola Tesla Museum.
