Old Orthodox Church and Museum (Stara Ortodoksna Crkva I Muzej) description and photos - Bosnia and Herzegovina: Sarajevo (Topic)

Old Orthodox Church and Museum (Stara Ortodoksna Crkva I Muzej) description and photos - Bosnia and Herzegovina: Sarajevo. Detailed information about the attraction. Description, photographs and a map showing the nearest significant objects. The title in English is Stara Ortodoksna Crkva I Muzej.

Photo and description

The old Orthodox church and museum are located a few hundred meters from the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. To distinguish the temples, this church of the archangels Michael and Gabriel is called the old Orthodox church in the city.

Located in Bascarsija, the old part of the city, the church itself is the oldest cultural and historical monument in Sarajevo. The exact date of its construction is unknown, but clearly before the start of the Ottoman conquest. When the Turks settled in Sarajevo, they made an inventory of everything captured in the city. This inventory from 1463 contains the first mention of the old Orthodox Church. And the foundation on which it was built dates back to the 5th-6th centuries.

The appearance of the church confirms its antiquity. The temple is not high, only two floors, but longitudinal, without a semicircular projection for the altar. This is how Serbian churches were usually built during the period of early Christianity - in the XII-XII centuries.

During the existence of Sarajevo, fires have repeatedly occurred in the city, which did not bypass the old church. At least six times in different centuries, it was restored, strictly adhering to its original appearance. Since the last restoration in 1730, the stonework has darkened and the church looks rather gloomy. But inside, she is very original and unusually interesting.

The stone carved iconostasis is decorated with a collection of unique antique icons. Ancient relics are kept in the church: St. Mokrina, St. Jacob, St. Martyr Thekla, particles of the relics of St. Panteleimon the Healer and St. Tryphon.

In the courtyard of the church there is a museum of icons and relics, also old, opened in 1889. It only occupies four rooms, because many exhibits disappeared during the Balkan War. Valuable rarities - the icon "Deesis" 1490, as well as the handwritten Gospels. Many valuable things were donated to the museum from the collections of old Serbian families.

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Topic: Old Orthodox Church and Museum (Stara Ortodoksna Crkva I Muzej) description and photos - Bosnia and Herzegovina: Sarajevo.