Christmas is celebrated on the 25 December and is a Christian holy day that marks the birth of Jesus who Christians believe to be the Son of God. The following two sites can be visited during and after the Christmas in Sarajevo, mainly due to the holiday atmosphere in town.
Catholic cathedral
The Cathedral of Jesus’ Heart (Bosnian: Katedrala Srca Isusova) in Sarajevo is the largest cathedral in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is commonly referred to as the “Sarajevo Cathedral”. A pretty yet unspectacular church on Sarajevo‘s main pedestrian street. Well restored after being heavily damaged in the war, it was built in 1889 by the Josip Vancas, the same architect who designed the post office. And also here, Vancas copied another building, in this case the Notre Dame cathedral in Dijon (France). Its till is an essential addition to the town‘s religious cityscape – within a few hundred meters you‘ll find Sarajevo‘s main Catholic. Orthodox, Muslim and Jewish buildings. Interestingly, the painting on the wall next to the cathedral door is the only one we‘ve ever seen in a Catholic church with a depiction of a mosque (though the painter went to some length to make the one minaret he dared to paint rather blurred).
Sv. Ante Franjevacka
Again proving Sarajevo‘s religious tolerance, this church and monastery complex is just meters away from the Ottoman representative‘s residence (and, not unusual for Catholics, also opposite a brewery). Josip Varcas built the bright tred ensemble (after his own design this time) in1914, and the church has a modern interior with two statues of Saint Anthony. The monastery contains many ancient artifacts and documents in “bosancica” script.
by Aloha Dean
(Source: vthavaii/ photo klix)
