125 years since the construction of Sarajevo Cathedral began

The foundation stone for the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Sarajevo, or simply Sarajevo Cathedral, was laid on November 20, 1889, and since then it has been one of the symbols of the city on the Miljacka, writes the Bosnian news agency Patria (NAP).

The Roman Catholic cathedral was built by the first Archbishop of Vrhbosna, Dr. Josip Stadler, according to drawings made by architect Josip Vancaš from Vienna. 

When creating the conceptual design for the Sarajevo Cathedral, Vancaš combined elements of Romanticism and Gothic, thus creating a synthesis that distinguishes the building from other structures in Sarajevo. Part of the interior was also done according to the same principle.

The construction of the Sarajevo Cathedral was completed in 1889, after which it was handed over for use to the Sarajevo city municipality.

The cathedral was built on the site of a former Janissary camp where the Austro-Hungarian administration intended to build a city market.

The square in front of the cathedral is named after Fra Grga Martić, and since the summer of this year, it also features a memorial to Pope John Paul II, who visited Sarajevo in 1997.

The facade of the cathedral features two 43.2-meter-high bell towers with a square cross-section. Inside them are bells: one 2.5-ton bell in the western tower and five smaller bells in the eastern tower.

Above the main entrance, an arch and a richly decorated rose window with decorative stained glass stand out, parts of which are also found on the coat of arms of Sarajevo Canton, writes NAP.