Tour duration from 3h to 4h
Orthodox Cathedral in Niš is the temple of the Serbian Orthodox Church, and is the third largest in Serbia. With the Peace of Paris in 1856, Turkey, under pressure from European powers, recognized the equality of Christians and Muslims, and after that the construction of the Cathedral began, according to the project of protomaster Andrija Damjanov. It is dedicated to the descent of the Holy Spirit – the Holy Trinity, and there are different styles in architecture: Serbian-Byzantine, Romanesque-Byzantine, Islamic, Western Baroque and Renaissance, which makes a turning point in Serbian architecture and creates national symbols. The construction of the Orthodox temple was completed in 1872, and the consecration was performed in 1878.
Catholic Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in Niš was built after the liberation from the Ottoman Empire, in 1884, when there were over 200 inhabitants of the Catholic faith in the city. Nis became the first city in Serbia to establish a Catholic parish.
Islam Aga Mosque is the endowment of Islam-aga Hadrović, an associate of the then commander of the city, and was built in 1870 on the foundations of an older, damaged mosque. It is rectangular in shape with a flat wooden roof and a gallery on pillars and represents the last Ottoman public building built in Niš. Of the nineteen mosques that existed in Nis during the Ottoman rule, only the mosque of Islam-aga Hadrović has been preserved and made suitable for religious use.
Synagogue – the first Niš Synagogue or “prayer house” of Jews existed in 1695 and according to the first written data in the Niš Historical Archive, its origin coincides with the founding of the first Jewish community in Niš. Due to its architectural and historical values, it was placed under the protection of the state. Today, the Synagogue has been renamed a multi-purpose “temple” of culture and is used as a gallery for exhibitions, concerts and literary evenings.
Bali–bey’s Mosque is the endowment of the janissary commander Balija from Jedren and is the only preserved mosque in The Fortress. With its arches and vaults, as well as lavishly decorated windows, it is a real pearl of oriental architecture. It was first mentioned in 1521 as a small religious place of worship, only in the censuses from 1710 it is listed as a mosque. Today, this interesting part of the past of Niš is called “Salon 77” and represents the exhibition space of the Gallery of Contemporary Fine Arts.
Guided tour with a licensed tour guide (Association of Tour Guides of Serbia, Niš) – 60 EUR
Contact: nistourguides@gmail.com, +381652665544, +381605069366
* Possibility of transport organization
Ticket for the objects of the National Museum – 200 RSD for one object, 300 RSD combined.
