Sacred Heart Cathedral, Sarajevo
The Sacred Heart Cathedral in the Old Town, better known as the Sarajevo Cathedral, is the seat of the Archbishop of Vrhbosna and the largest church in the country.
The Sacred Heart Cathedral in the Old Town, better known as the Sarajevo Cathedral, is the seat of the Archbishop of Vrhbosna and the largest church in the country. The Neo-Gothic style building with Romanesque Revival elements was built in the 19th century to designs by Josip Vancaš. The façade is flanked by two 43.2 metre high square bell towers. The central section features an octagonal rosette with stained glass and motif of the coat-of-arms of Sarajevo. The lunette above the main entrance has a relief of the Holy Trinity, above which is a statue of the Sacred Heart.
The interiors feature beautiful frescoes by Alexander Maximilian Seitz depicting scenes from the Bible. The main altar is made of Grisignano marble, and has 7 niches with statues of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, St. Joseph and St. Francis of Assisi, St. Michael and the prophet Elijah, and angels. The western aisle has an altar dedicated to the Immaculate Conception, while the eastern aisle has an altar dedicated to the apostles of the Slavs, St. Cyril and St. Methodius.
The roads around the Cathedral have Sarajevo Roses – bomb craters that have been levelled with red resin which mark the spots damaged by shelling during the siege of Sarajevo in 1992-'96.
