Terazije
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Terazije ( sr-Cyrl, Теразијe) is the central
town square A town square (or square, plaza, public square, city square, urban square, or ''piazza'') is an open public space, commonly found in the heart of a traditional town but not necessarily a true square, geometric square, used for community gathe ...
and the surrounding neighborhood of
Belgrade Belgrade ( , ;, ; Names of European cities in different languages: B, names in other languages) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers a ...
, Serbia. It is located in the municipality of Stari Grad. Today, Terazije has primarily function of the main transit square, surrounded by the important public buildings, cultural institutions, hotels, public monuments and parks. Though not classically shaped square, Terazije was historically important as the gathering spot and the former business and commercial center of Belgrade. With the
Knez Mihailova Street Knez Mihailova Street, ( sr, Кнез Михаилова улица, translit=Knez Mihailova ulica, officially: sr, Улица кнеза Михаила, translit=Ulica kneza Mihaila, label=none), is the main pedestrian and shopping zone in Belgra ...
, which extends to the northeast connecting directly Terazije and
Belgrade Fortress The Belgrade Fortress ( sr-Cyrl, Београдска тврђава, Beogradska tvrđava), consists of the old citadel (Upper and Lower Town) and Kalemegdan Park (Large and Little Kalemegdan) on the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, in a ...
, the square is one of the oldest and most recognizable ambience units of Belgrade. Due to its historical and cultural importance, Terazije was declared a protected spatial cultural-historical unit in January 2020.


Location

Despite the fact that many Belgraders consider the Republic Square or
Kalemegdan The Kalemegdan Park ( sr, / ), or simply Kalemegdan ( sr-Cyrl, Калемегдан) is the largest park and the most important historical monument in Belgrade. It is located on a cliff, at the junction of the River Sava and the Danube. Kal ...
to be the city's centerpiece areas, Terazije is Belgrade's designated center. When street numbers are assigned to the streets of Belgrade, numeration begins from the part of the street closest to Terazije. Terazije itself is also a short street, connected by the King Milan Street, the main street in Belgrade, to the Slavija square, by the Nikola Pašić Square to the King Alexander Boulevard, the longest street in Belgrade, by Prizrenska street to the neighborhood of
Zeleni Venac Zeleni Venac ( sr-cyr, Зелени венац) or colloquially Zelenjak ( sr-cyr, Зелењак) is an urban neighborhood of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is located in the Belgrade's municipalities of Savski Venac (major part) and Stari ...
and further to
New Belgrade New Belgrade ( sr, / , ) is a municipality of the city of Belgrade. It is a planned city, built since 1948 in a previously uninhabited area on the left bank of the Sava river, opposite old Belgrade. In recent years, it has become the central bu ...
, and by the Kolarčeva street to the Square of the Republic. The neighborhood also borders
Andrićev Venac Andrićev Venac ( sr-cyr, Андрићев венац; ) is a street and the surrounding List of Belgrade neighborhoods, urban neighborhood of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is located in Belgrade's municipality of Stari Grad, Belgrade, Stari ...
and Pioneers Park on the southeast,
Park Aleksandrov Park Aleksandrov ( sr, Парк Александров) is a park in Belgrade, a capital of Serbia. It is situated in the sole center of the city, along the main ''Kralja Milana'' street. Named Devojački Park until 2017, it is located in the muni ...
on the south and neighborhood of Varoš Kapija on the west. A small, covered square of Bezistan connects it to the Nikola Pašić Square.


Etymology

With regard to the origin of the name Terazije, the historian and writer Milan Đ. Milićević wrote: "In order to supply Belgrade with water, the Turks built towers at intervals along the ''đeriza'' or an aqueduct, a water supply system which brought water in from the springs at
Veliki Mokri Lug Veliki Mokri Lug ( sr-cyr, Велики Мокри Луг) is an urban neighbourhood of Belgrade, Serbia. It is located in Belgrade's municipality of Zvezdara. Location Veliki Mokri Lug is the southernmost neighborhood of the municipality of Z ...
. The water was piped up into the towers for the purpose of increasing the pressure, in order to carry it further. Those towers were: one, where the Terazije Fountain is today (roughly at the small square between the otelsBalkan and Moskva; second was where the
Ruski car Tavern Ruski Car or Russian Tsar ( sr, Руски цар) is a commercial-residential building and a restaurant in downtown Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is located in Knez Mihailova Street, a pedestrian zone and a commercial hub of the city. One ...
is; and the third was where ''
kafana Kafana is a distinct type of local bistro (or tavern), common in former Yugoslav countries and Albania, which primarily serves alcoholic beverages and coffee, and often also light snacks (''meze'') and other food. Many kafanas feature live music ...
''
Grčka Kraljica Grčka Kraljica or Greek Queen ( sr, Грчка краљица) is a former kafana in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. Built in 1835, the building is located on Knez Mihailova Street, the commercial hub of downtown Belgrade. For decades, it was ...
is now. The tallest of the three was the one at Terazije. That tower, beside its height, also stood on the spacious clearance, away from the surrounding houses and was taller than any of the neighboring buildings. All those towers were called "water ''terazije''" by the Turks. Because of that, the entire neighborhood of the new section of Belgrade, especially the one between the Stari Dvor and close to the
Stambol Gate ) , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = 34000 to 34990 , area_code = +90 212 (European side) +90 216 (Asian side) , registration_plate = 34 , blank_name_sec2 = GeoTLD , blank_i ...
, is today called Terazije". For the word itself, it literally means "
ater Ater (Hebrew אֲתַר) is an Old Testament male name. #A descendant of Hezekiah, who returned from Babylon ; #An Israelite, who subscribed to Nehemiah Nehemiah is the central figure of the Book of Nehemiah, which describes his work in r ...
scales", more commonly known as "water balances" or
su terazisi
'. But the tower-like structures were more than just scales - they were maintaining water pressure when conveying water to neighbourhoods at a high-level. The towers were tall and had a cistern at the summit from which the water flowed into distribution pipes. The Ottoman ''đeriza'' followed the route of the ancient aqueduct from the period of
Singidunum Singidunum ( sr, Сингидунум/''Singidunum'') was an ancient city which later evolved into modern Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. The name is of Celts, Celtic origin, going back to the time when Celtic tribe Scordisci settled the area in ...
, the
Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...
predecessor of Belgrade.


History


Before 1800

The top of the Terazije Ridge is rich in water springs. Water used to run down the slope, where the modern Prizrenska Street is, into the Zeleni Venac area. Zeleni Venac is built in the area that was previously part of the trench which surrounded the
Belgrade Fortress The Belgrade Fortress ( sr-Cyrl, Београдска тврђава, Beogradska tvrđava), consists of the old citadel (Upper and Lower Town) and Kalemegdan Park (Large and Little Kalemegdan) on the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, in a ...
in the 18th century. When the trench was covered, a pond was formed, partially filled by the stream from Terazije. Today's central city square turned into the bog filled in sludge and covered with overgrowth. Local population visited the pond hunting for ducks. It was recorded that during the cold winters, wolves would reach the pond. The draining of the pond began in the 1830s, but the underground water from Terazije still soaks the land between Terazije and the
Sava The Sava (; , ; sr-cyr, Сава, hu, Száva) is a river in Central and Southeast Europe, a right-bank and the longest tributary of the Danube. It flows through Slovenia, Croatia and along its border with Bosnia and Herzegovina, and finally th ...
river.


1800–1850

Being outside of the moat and the city walls at the time, it was considered "distant" by the citizens. As it was located in front of the
Stambol Gate ) , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = 34000 to 34990 , area_code = +90 212 (European side) +90 216 (Asian side) , registration_plate = 34 , blank_name_sec2 = GeoTLD , blank_i ...
and close to the
Tsarigrad Road The Tsarigrad Road ( bg, Цариградски път, sh-Latn-Cyrl, Carigradski drum, separator=" / ", Цариградски друм, from Tsarigrad “City of the Tsar”, an old Slavic name of Istanbul), also called the Road to Istanbul, ...
, some artisan shops and
khans Khan may refer to: *Khan (inn), from Persian, a caravanserai or resting-place for a travelling caravan *Khan (surname), including a list of people with the name * Khan (title), a royal title for a ruler in Mongol and Turkic languages and used by ...
developed in time. The road was leading through the gate into the city and across the moat. Also, the existence of the water tower, with drinking fountain, helped the area to become sort of the "parking lot" in front of the city entrance. After the collapse of the
First Serbian Uprising The First Serbian Uprising ( sr, Prvi srpski ustanak, italics=yes, sr-Cyrl, Први српски устанак; tr, Birinci Sırp Ayaklanması) was an uprising of Serbs in the Sanjak of Smederevo against the Ottoman Empire from 14 February 18 ...
, the Ottomans regained Belgrade in October 1813, and their
vanguard The vanguard (also called the advance guard) is the leading part of an advancing military formation. It has a number of functions, including seeking out the enemy and securing ground in advance of the main force. History The vanguard derives fr ...
s burned wooden hovels in
Savamala Savamala ( sr-cyr, Савамала) is an urban neighborhood of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is located in Belgrade's municipalities of Savski Venac and Stari Grad. Location Savamala is located south of the Kalemegdan fortress and t ...
neighborhood. When the main Ottoman army landed, a large number of people got stranded on the bank in Savamala, trying to flee across the
Sava The Sava (; , ; sr-cyr, Сава, hu, Száva) is a river in Central and Southeast Europe, a right-bank and the longest tributary of the Danube. It flows through Slovenia, Croatia and along its border with Bosnia and Herzegovina, and finally th ...
into Austria. Men were massacred, while women and children were enslaved. People were impaled on stakes along city's main roads so a rows of impaled people were placed from the Stambol Gate to Terazije, and nearby, along the Tsarigrad Road, from the Batal mosque to Tašmajdan. Terazije started to take shape as an urban feature in the first half of the 19th century. In the 1840s, Serbian ruling prince
Miloš Obrenović Miloš, Milos, Miłosz or spelling variations thereof is a masculine given name and a surname. It may refer to: Given name Sportsmen * Miłosz Bernatajtys, Polish rower * Miloš Bogunović, Serbian footballer * Miloš Budaković, Serbian f ...
wanted to resettle Serbian population from the old moated town where they had been mixed with the Turkish inhabitants, and from the neighborhood of
Savamala Savamala ( sr-cyr, Савамала) is an urban neighborhood of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is located in Belgrade's municipalities of Savski Venac and Stari Grad. Location Savamala is located south of the Kalemegdan fortress and t ...
on the bank of the
Sava The Sava (; , ; sr-cyr, Сава, hu, Száva) is a river in Central and Southeast Europe, a right-bank and the longest tributary of the Danube. It flows through Slovenia, Croatia and along its border with Bosnia and Herzegovina, and finally th ...
river in order to modernize it. He ordered Serbian craftsmen, especially
blacksmith A blacksmith is a metalsmith who creates objects primarily from wrought iron or steel, but sometimes from #Other metals, other metals, by forging the metal, using tools to hammer, bend, and cut (cf. tinsmith). Blacksmiths produce objects such ...
s,
cartwright Cartwright may refer to: * Wainwright (occupation), a tradesperson skilled in the making and repairing of carts or wagons * Cartwright (surname), including the list of people Places ; Australia * Cartwright, New South Wales ; Canada * Cartwr ...
s and
coppersmith A coppersmith, also known as a brazier, is a person who makes artifacts from copper and brass. Brass is an alloy An alloy is a mixture of chemical elements of which at least one is a metal. Unlike chemical compounds with metallic bases, an ...
s, to build their houses and shops on the location of the present square, an empty, inhabited area spreading in front of the Stambol Gate. Also, the move was intended to prevent the fires being lit all over the town and tone down the noise made by these specific types of artisans. However, the craftsmen and artisans refused to relocate, especially the residents of Savamala as prince Miloš planned to relocate them even further than Terazije, to the then distant village of Palilula, "behind God's back". The prince resorted to violence. He gathered his henchmen and thugs and sent them to Savamala in 1835. As the settlement was still just a shanty town, with houses made of rotten wood and mud, all the houses were demolished in one day, without any demolition equipment. Additionally, the ''ustabasha'', chief of the cartwright and blacksmith guild, was publicly beaten, receiving 25 hits. The artisans then agreed to relocate.
Ilija Čarapić Ilija Čarapić (, ), was the first Mayor of Belgrade, Serbia. He was born in 1792 in Beli Potok, near Avala, and died in 1844. He was son of the Voyvode Vasa Čarapić and the brother-in-law of Karađorđe, appointed as Voyvode or Duke of Grock ...
, the president of the Belgrade Municipality 1834–1835 and 1839–1840, had a special task of assigning the parcels in Terazije to these craftsmen and whoever accepted to fence the lot on his own, would have it for free. One of the lots was granted by prince Miloš to his favorite architect, Hadži Nikola Živković. Driving together in the coach one day, prince asked Živković to whom belongs one of the lots without the fence. Živković replied it was his, but the prince said: Well, now it's not yours anymore, when you failed to fence it all this time. Politician and a businessman Stojan Simić, member of the influential Simić family, purchased the lot at the end of Terazije in the late 1830s. It was a piece of marshland which encompassed the modern features of Stari dvor, Pioneers Park and
Park Aleksandrov Park Aleksandrov ( sr, Парк Александров) is a park in Belgrade, a capital of Serbia. It is situated in the sole center of the city, along the main ''Kralja Milana'' street. Named Devojački Park until 2017, it is located in the muni ...
. By the summer of 1840, he drained the marsh, filled and leveled the terrain and on the northern side of the modern Kralja Milana street built a luxurious mansion from 1840 to 1842. The edifice became known as the Old Konak. Development of the first Serbian royal compound began in 1843, when the state leased the mansion, with the surrounding garden, as the court for the ruling prince Alexander Karađorđević. As the royal family now moved into the neighborhood, first regulatory plan for Terazije, which envisioned it as the new commercial and business center of Belgrade, was drafted in 1843.


1850–1900

The idea for the monument to
Karađorđe Đorđe Petrović ( sr-Cyrl, Ђорђе Петровић, ), better known by the sobriquet Karađorđe ( sr-Cyrl, Карађорђе, lit=Black George, ;  – ), was a Serbian revolutionary who led the struggle for his country's independ ...
, leader of the
First Serbian Uprising The First Serbian Uprising ( sr, Prvi srpski ustanak, italics=yes, sr-Cyrl, Први српски устанак; tr, Birinci Sırp Ayaklanması) was an uprising of Serbs in the Sanjak of Smederevo against the Ottoman Empire from 14 February 18 ...
from 1804 to 1813, appeared in 1853 and the proposed location was Terazije First official proposal came in 1857, from
Toma Vučić-Perišić Toma or TOMA may refer to: Places *Toma, Burkina Faso, a town in Nayala province *Toma Department, a department in Nayala province * Toma, Banwa, Burkina Faso, a town * Tōma, Hokkaidō, Japan, a town ** Tōma Station, its railway station *Toma, a ...
, one of the leaders of the
Defenders of the Constitution The Defenders of the Constitution ( sr, Уставобранитељи, ''Ustavobranitelji'') was a political regime that achieved power in Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia ( Serbian: , , ), is a land ...
. Though Ottoman administration over Serbia was limited at the time, it was still strong enough to prevent building of the monument. They couldn't allow a memorial to the bitter enemy of their empire. After the
Saint Andrew's Day Assembly The Saint Andrew's Day Assembly ( sr, Светоандрејска скупштина, Svetoandrejska skupština) was the name of a Serbian parliament which was in session from (Saint Andrew's Day) to 29 January 1859 in the Great Brewery in Belgr ...
in 1858–1859, dethroned Miloš Obrenović was restored to power and the idea of erecting a monument to Karađorđe on Terazije was abandoned. The "Kasina" ''kafana'' and later hotel was built in 1858. It was named as the gambling was organized for the VIP members (female variant of the word
casino A casino is a facility for certain types of gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos are also known for hosting live entertai ...
). Clientele originally included members of the
Serbian Progressive Party The Serbian Progressive Party ( sr-cyrl, Српска напредна странка, Srpska napredna stranka, SNS) has been the ruling political party of Serbia since 2012. Founded by Tomislav Nikolić and Aleksandar Vučić in 2008 as a s ...
.
National Assembly of Serbia The National Assembly ( sr-cyr, Народна скупштина, Narodna skupština, ) is the unicameral legislature of Serbia. The assembly is composed of 250 deputies who are proportionally elected to four-year terms by secret ballot. The as ...
was seated in the venue's hall for a while in 1918, and until 1920 the National Theatre held performances here, too. In 1860 the ''kafana'' "Kod Albanije" ("Chez Albania"), was opened. A small, crummy house, built in the oriental, Turkish style, with yellow façade, it was very popular. The clock in front of it was the first public clock in Belgrade, so it became the most popular meeting point in the city. It was demolished to make way for the Palace Albanija, which was finished in 1939. Starting in 1859, Atanasije Nikolić, educator and agriculturist, planted a number of
chestnut The chestnuts are the deciduous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Castanea'', in the beech family Fagaceae. They are native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The name also refers to the edible nuts they produce. The unrelat ...
trees on Terazije, in the process of making Belgrade greener, where Nikolić, as an engineer and an urbanist, was also charged with arranging the
Košutnjak Košutnjak ( sr-cyr, Кошутњак, ) is a park-forest and urban neighborhood of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is divided between in the municipalities of Čukarica (upper and central parts) and Rakovica (lower part). With the adjoin ...
and
Topčider Topčider ( sr-cyr, Топчидер; ) is a forest park and an urban neighborhood of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is divided between the municipalities of Čukarica, Rakovica and Savski Venac. Being close to downtown, it is one of the ma ...
parks, and avenues along Terazije and Topčider Road, and other streets. He grew seedlings in the nursery garden he personally established in Topčider during the 1830s, when he arranged the park. The chestnut avenue in Terazije was planted in double rows. Up to about 1865, the buildings at Terazije were mainly single and double-storied. The water tower was removed in 1860 and replaced by the drinking fountain, "Terazijska česma", which was erected in to celebrate the second rule of Prince Miloš Obrenović. During the first reconstruction of the square in 1911, the chestnut avenue was cut, while the ''česma'' was moved to
Topčider Topčider ( sr-cyr, Топчидер; ) is a forest park and an urban neighborhood of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is divided between the municipalities of Čukarica, Rakovica and Savski Venac. Being close to downtown, it is one of the ma ...
in 1912. In 1860, construction of the Palace with Towers, next to the Old Konak began. It was intended to be the palace of the heir apparent prince
Mihailo Obrenović Prince Mihailo Obrenović III of Serbia ( sr-Cyrl, Михаило Обреновић, Mihailo Obrenović; 16 September 1823 – 10 June 1868) was the ruling Prince of Serbia from 1839 to 1842 and again from 1860 to 1868. His first reign ended w ...
. The prince never used it, residing mostly in the Little Palace which he built next to the Old Konak, while his court hosted the ministries of interior and foreign affairs. The building was designed by Kosta Šrepalović. On 24 May 1860, privately owned predecessor of the public transport in Belgrade was organized. The ''omnibus'' line was operated by the diligences. Its starting point was in Terazije, at the ''kafana'' "Kod Zlatnog Venca", and connected it to
Topčider Topčider ( sr-cyr, Топчидер; ) is a forest park and an urban neighborhood of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is divided between the municipalities of Čukarica, Rakovica and Savski Venac. Being close to downtown, it is one of the ma ...
. The enterprise wasn't much lucrative so the owner Luka Jakovljević sold it in 1861 to Milan Tešić, who expanded the line from Terazije to Varoš Kapija and lifted the price to 3
groschen Groschen (; from la, grossus "thick", via Old Czech ') a (sometimes colloquial) name for various coins, especially a silver coin used in various states of the Holy Roman Empire and other parts of Europe. The word is borrowed from the late L ...
. Terazije Quarter was officially formed on 3 March 1860, so Terazije administratively became part of Belgrade, so as the other neighborhoods outside of the former trench. After the incident at the Čukur Fountain, Ottoman garrison withdrew from the Stambol Gate. The gate was demolished from 26 April to 31 May 1866, removing the last "scar" which divided city parts on the opposite sides of the trench, thus making Terazije one urban unit with the older part of the city. This prompted accelerated urbanization, not only of Terazije, but of the other neighborhoods outside of the old city limits. When the first
horsecar A horsecar, horse-drawn tram, horse-drawn streetcar (U.S.), or horse-drawn railway (historical), is an animal-powered (usually horse) tram or streetcar. Summary The horse-drawn tram (horsecar) was an early form of public rail transport, wh ...
was introduced in Belgrade, on 14 October 1892, the station was located in Terazije, next to the fountain. The Little Palace was demolished in April and May 1881 to make way for the Stari Dvor. Designed by Aleksandar Bugarski, it was built on the orders by the prince, later king Milan Obrenović. The foundation stone was laid on 23 June 1881 and the building was finished by 1883.


1900–1918

By the turn of the century, the square formed with an "egg-shaped" base, where the Palace Albanija is today. Near this base, a low, yellow house was built, with several toy and slipper stores covered with
roller shutter A roller shutter, security shutter, coiling door, roller door or sectional overhead door is a type of door or window shutter consisting of many horizontal slats (or sometimes bars or web systems) hinged together. The door is raised to open it ...
s (''ćepenak'') at the ground level. The upper floor was the seat of the "Zvezda" monthly magazine, edited by Janko Veselinović. The "Zlatni Krst" ''kafana'' was built next to it, today replaced with the highrise built in the 1960s. There was also an "Albanez" inn, sort of students'
mess hall The mess (also called a mess deck aboard ships) is a designated area where military personnel socialize, eat and (in some cases) live. The term is also used to indicate the groups of military personnel who belong to separate messes, such as the o ...
, as its clientele were mostly high and middle school students, and their professors. Next to it was "Zlatna Slavina" inn, frequently visited by the journalists and writers, adjoined by the bookstore and publishing house. The old hotel "Balkan" with one floor leaned on it. A bit protruding was the bakery ("bread shop") famous at the time for its products (egg '' burek'', various ''
kifli Kifli, kiflice, kifle or kipferl is a traditional yeast bread roll that is rolled and formed into a crescent before baking. It is a common type of bread roll throughout much of central Europe and nearby countries, where it is called by different ...
'', '' pogačice'', hot ''
kaymak Kaymak, sarshir, or qashta/ashta ( fa, سَرشیر ) ( ar, قشطة or ar, قيمر ) is a creamy dairy food similar to clotted cream, made from the milk of water buffalo, cows, sheep, or goats in Central Asia, some Balkan countries, som ...
lepinjas''). In May 1904, the insurance company "Rusija" purchased the estate of Nikola Vuković across the "Balkan", which adjoined the fountain. It included house and the "Velika Srbija" inn. The "Velika Srbija" was known for good food and wine, and was demolished and replaced by the Hotel Moskva by 30 January 1908. Around it, there were several small shops and grocery stores. Further away was the "Viktorović" pharmacy, with distinction of being demolished in the bombings in both World Wars. Close to it were the house of
Lazar Arsenijević Batalaka Lazar Arsenijević Batalaka ( Bukovik, Kragujevac, 1793 - Belgrade, 15 January 1869) was a Serbian participant in the First Serbian Uprising and later a state adviser (since 1842), diplomatic representative of Serbian to Constantinople (from 1846 ...
and ''kafana'' "Kod Dva Tigra". Disreputable at the time, it was later replaced with the building and the famous 1970s and 1980s "Atina" restaurant. A bit away was the Krsmanović House, or later known as the Protocol Building. Purchased by the Krsmanović brothers, it was the location of the 1918 unification proclamation of the
Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes The Kingdom of Yugoslavia ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Kraljevina Jugoslavija, Краљевина Југославија; sl, Kraljevina Jugoslavija) was a state in Southeast and Central Europe that existed from 1918 until 1941. From 1918 ...
. On the other side of the square was a Renaissance-style administrative building that hosted the offices of the Terazije Quarter. At the corner, there was the "Todorović"
delicatessen Traditionally, a delicatessen or deli is a retail establishment that sells a selection of fine, exotic, or foreign prepared foods. Delicatessen originated in Germany (original: ) during the 18th century and spread to the United States in the m ...
, later replaced with the . One of the oldest ''kafanas'' in Belgrade, "Šiškova Kafana", was also on this side of Terazije. Gathering place of the Liberas, the one-storey building had a garden, offered newspapers and was known for political debates. It was later demolished and replaced with cinema "Beograd". Close to it was a string of other ''kafanas'': "Takovo", considered quite a distinguished venue, "Pariz" and "Uroševa Pivnica". The "Pariz" was a gathering place for the
People's Radical Party The People's Radical Party ( sr, Народна радикална странка, Narodna radikalna stranka, abbr. НРС or NRS) was the dominant ruling party of Kingdom of Serbia and later Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes from the l ...
members, while the "Uroševa Pivnica" was a typical inn for the travelers from the interior. At the corner of the Skopljanska (today Nušićeva) Street and Terazije, there was the "Zunane" glass shop. It was later purchased by Tomaš Rosulek who turned it into the delicatessen. One of the former
Robne kuće Beograd Robne kuće Beograd ( sr-cyr, Робне куће Београд; Anglicized: Department Stores Belgrade) is a chain of department stores across Serbia, with headquarters in Belgrade. History Robne kuće Beograd company was founded in 1965 and so ...
department stores occupies the lot today. Down from the Rosulek store was a well known "Pantelić"
pastry Pastry is baked food made with a dough of flour, water and shortening (solid fats, including butter or lard) that may be savoury or sweetened. Sweetened pastries are often described as '' bakers' confectionery''. The word "pastries" suggests ma ...
shop, famous for its
confectionery Confectionery is the art of making confections, which are food items that are rich in sugar and carbohydrates. Exact definitions are difficult. In general, however, confectionery is divided into two broad and somewhat overlapping categories ...
. There was a narrow extension of the square in this area, in the direction of the goldsmith Mihailo P. Petković's store, where the row of '' fiakers'' was usually parked. The Old Konak was demolished in 1904, while the Palace with Towers was torn down in 1911. Its demolition made space for the planned Novi Dvor. The foundation stone was laid in 1911. However, due to the ensuing strings of wars, it was completed only in 1922. Today, Stari Dvor serves as the Belgrade City Hall, while Novi Dvor hosts the
Presidency of Serbia The president of Serbia ( sr, Председник Србије, Predsednik Srbije), officially styled as the President of the Republic ( sr, Председник Републике, Predsednik Republike) is the head of state of Serbia. The curr ...
. Under the mayor
Ljubomir Davidović Ljubomir Davidović (24 December 1863 – 19 February 1940) was a Yugoslav and Serbian politician who served as prime minister (1919–1920 and 1924) of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes (later called Yugoslavia). Biography Davidovi ...
, the Technical Administration of Belgrade Municipality organized
architectural design competition An architectural design competition is a type of design competition in which an organization that intends on constructing a new building invites architects to submit design proposals. The winning design is usually chosen by an independent panel ...
for complete rearrangement of Terazije in March 1911. Stipulations included removal of the fountain. In the summer of 1911, the plan was developed, headed by the special commission constituted specifically for this purpose and headed by architect Édouard Léger. Most of the provisions envisioned by the project were built: new wide paved sidewalks, formation of the square, a fountain, change in tram tracks for better and faster traffic and removal of the public
pissoir A (also known in French as a ) is a French invention, common in Europe, that provides a urinal in public space with a lightweight structure. The availability of aims to reduce urination onto buildings, sidewalks, or streets. They can be fre ...
s. A monument to
Dositej Obradović Dositej Obradović ( sr-Cyrl, Доситеј Обрадовић; 17 February 1739 – 7 April 1811) was a Serbian writer, biographer, diarist, philosopher, pedagogue, educational reformer, linguist, polyglot and the first minister of education ...
, which was projected, was erected in a different neighborhood. The changes in 1911–1913 were significant and the square was completely re-arranged. With Léger, major work was done by the architects Veselin Lučić, who designed the project, and
Jelisaveta Načić Jelisaveta Načić (31 December 1878 in Belgrade – 6 June 1955 in Dubrovnik) was a notable Serbian architect. She is remembered as a pioneer who inspired women to enter professions which had earlier been reserved for men. Not only the first ...
. Along the central part of the square regular flower beds were placed, surrounded by a low iron fence. Refurbishment included artistic candelabra, public three-faced clock, a special kiosk in the Serbian-Byzantine style, circle bars for the protection of the trees in the
avenue Avenue or Avenues may refer to: Roads * Avenue (landscape), traditionally a straight path or road with a line of trees, in the shifted sense a tree line itself, or some of boulevards (also without trees) * Avenue Road, Bangalore * Avenue Road, ...
and granite curbs. On the side towards today's Nušićeva street a large Terazije fountain was built in 1927. At the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, Terazije was the centre of social life of Belgrade. In 1913, Davidović's city administration decided to change the name of the square into the ''Prestolonaslednikov trg'' ("Heir's apparent square"), referring to prince Alexander, future king
Alexander I of Yugoslavia Alexander I ( sr-Cyrl, Александар I Карађорђевић, Aleksandar I Karađorđević, ) ( – 9 October 1934), also known as Alexander the Unifier, was the prince regent of the Kingdom of Serbia from 1914 and later the King of Yug ...
. Another decision was to build the fountain on the square which would include the monument to victory. The ideas came after the
Balkan Wars The Balkan Wars refers to a series of two conflicts that took place in the Balkan States in 1912 and 1913. In the First Balkan War, the four Balkan States of Greece, Serbia, Montenegro and Bulgaria declared war upon the Ottoman Empire and defe ...
and were triggered by the ceremonial entry of the Serbian army in Belgrade after the war ended, and the construction of the Karađorđe monument in Kalemegdan. Due to World War I which ensued shortly after, the decisions weren't fully implemented: the name wasn't changed, the monument was relocated to the Belgrade Fortress, while the short-lived fountain was ultimately built. Načić designed the
triumphal arch A triumphal arch is a free-standing monumental structure in the shape of an archway with one or more arched passageways, often designed to span a road. In its simplest form a triumphal arch consists of two massive piers connected by an arch, crow ...
which was placed in Terazije in order to celebrate Serbian soldiers from the
Balkan Wars The Balkan Wars refers to a series of two conflicts that took place in the Balkan States in 1912 and 1913. In the First Balkan War, the four Balkan States of Greece, Serbia, Montenegro and Bulgaria declared war upon the Ottoman Empire and defe ...
1912–1913. She placed an inscription "Not all Serbs are liberated" on the arch, pointing to the position of the Serbs in
Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...
. During the occupation in World War I, Austro-Hungarian authorities arrested Načić and expelled her to the
internment camp Internment is the imprisonment of people, commonly in large groups, without charges or intent to file charges. The term is especially used for the confinement "of enemy citizens in wartime or of terrorism suspects". Thus, while it can simpl ...
at
Neusiedl am See Neusiedl am See (; cs, Nezider; hr, Niuzalj; hu, Nezsider; sk, Nezider) is a town in Burgenland, Austria, and administrative center of the district of Neusiedl am See. Neusiedl am See is located on the northern shore of the Neusiedler See. ...
. The neighborhood was damaged during the World War I, especially during the heavy Austro-Hungarian bombardment in 1914–1915, prior to occupation. Terazije was described as desolate, empty and destroyed by the grenades. The ground cracked, underground canals collapsed and the surrounding buildings were demolished. Serbian army had no proper ammunition to fight the Austrian
gunboat A gunboat is a naval watercraft designed for the express purpose of carrying one or more guns to bombard coastal targets, as opposed to those military craft designed for naval warfare, or for ferrying troops or supplies. History Pre-steam ...
s, so they freely fired at the city from the Sava river.


Interbellum

Despite complete urbanization, local farmers, up to the 1920s, were illegally selling goods of the ox carts on and around Terazije. It was one of the reasons for city administration to build a large Zeleni Venac farmers market, on Zeleni Venac, below Terazije. Also despite being the sole center of the city, some areas evaded urbanization until the late 1930s, like the Kuzmanović Yard. This was period of building various highrise buildings ("palaces"). At No. 10, a
Modernist Modernism is both a philosophical and arts movement that arose from broad transformations in Western society during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The movement reflected a desire for the creation of new forms of art, philosophy, an ...
building was constructed in the mid-1930s. It was designed by Đorđe Đorđević in pure style, with the typical geometry of Modernism represented by the step-like ''
risalit An ''avant-corps'' ( it, avancorpo or , plural , german: Risalit, pl, ryzalit), a French term literally meaning "fore-body", is a part of a building, such as a porch or pavilion, that juts out from the ''corps de logis'', often taller than othe ...
''. Modern Hotel Balkan was built in 1935, in 1938, while Palace Albania was finished in 1939.


World War II

In order to "effectively intimidate the population" and discourage the people from fighting the occupiers, a military commander of Serbia
Heinrich Danckelmann Heinrich Dankelmann (2 August 1887 – 30 October 1947) was a Luftwaffe General who served as the third Military Commander for the Territory of the Military Commander in Serbia from 23rd of July to 20th of October 1941. During his tenure as comma ...
and the head of the Belgrade Gestapo Carl Krauss ordered a killing of five Serbs on Terazije. The executed victims were Velimir Jovanović (b.1893) and Ratko Jević (b. 1913), farmers, Svetislav Milin (b. 1915), a shoemaker, Jovan Janković (b.1920), a tailor, and Milorad Pokrajac (b. 1924), a high school student, only 17 years old. They were arrested, accused of alleged terrorist activities and brutally tortured before being shot in the yard of the Gestapo headquarters. The entire ordeal happened on 17 August 1941. Their corpses were then hanged on the
light pole A street light, light pole, lamp pole, lamppost, street lamp, light standard, or lamp standard is a raised source of light on the edge of a road or path. Similar lights may be found on a railway platform. When urban electric power distribution ...
s on Terazije. For a long time, it was claimed that bodies were left for days, while the Belgraders were "sitting in restaurants and drinking cold beer". Historian Milan Koljanin wrote that this was a negative stereotype pushed for a decades. Police reports from the period say that some citizens calmly paid respect, but others gathered, with parents bringing children and professors their students, showing to them what the "new German culture" actually looks like. As the hanging was announced by the Germans in the press, and the news and photos were published, the bodies were removed on the evening of the same day. On the same day, a procession of the
Volksdeutsche In Nazi German terminology, ''Volksdeutsche'' () were "people whose language and culture had German origins but who did not hold German citizenship". The term is the nominalised plural of '' volksdeutsch'', with ''Volksdeutsche'' denoting a sin ...
units marched next to the hanged victims, marking the 224th anniversary of
Prince Eugene of Savoy Prince Eugene Francis of Savoy–Carignano, (18 October 1663 – 21 April 1736) better known as Prince Eugene, was a Generalfeldmarschall, field marshal in the army of the Holy Roman Empire and of the Austrian Habsburg dynasty during the 17th a ...
taking Belgrade in 1717. A monument to commemorate the crime was erected in 1981 by the city. Titled "Monument to the hanged patriots" and sculptured by Nikola Janković, the obelisk-shaped monument is tall with a diameter of . It is posted on the marble pedestal and has carvings representing the scenes of the hanging and commemorative lyrics by the poet
Vasko Popa Vasile "Vasko" Popa ( sr-Cyrl, Васко Попа; 29 June 1922 – 5 January 1991) was a Serbian poet. Biography Popa was born in the village of Grebenac ( ro, Grebenaț), Vojvodina, Yugoslavia (present-day Serbia). After finishing hig ...
. In 1983 a memorial bronze plaque, work of Slave Ajtoski, was added. It contains names of the victims and an
epitaph An epitaph (; ) is a short text honoring a deceased person. Strictly speaking, it refers to text that is inscribed on a tombstone or plaque, but it may also be used in a figurative sense. Some epitaphs are specified by the person themselves be ...
: "To freedom fighters who were hanged by the Fascist occupiers in Terazije on 17 August 1941", signed by "citizens of Belgrade". The plaque got damaged in time and was removed in 2008, during the reconstruction of Terazije, for restoration. It was returned on 28 May 2011. Terazije, as the central city square, was also used as the hanging location by the previous occupiers, too. During World War I, the Austrians hanged at Terazije citizens who didn't obey the
curfew A curfew is a government order specifying a time during which certain regulations apply. Typically, curfews order all people affected by them to ''not'' be in public places or on roads within a certain time frame, typically in the evening and ...
. However, this resulted in incidents, where drunk Austrian soldiers would pull or drag the bodies of the hanged ones, so the bodies and the gallows were removed,. Also, the neutral countries protested because of these public hangings, so in the end the Austrians moved dead bodies to the
Belgrade New Cemetery The New Cemetery ( sr, Ново гробље, ''Novo groblje'') is a cemetery complex in Belgrade, Serbia, with a distinct history. It is located in Ruzveltova street in Zvezdara municipality. The cemetery was built in 1886 as the third Christia ...
. Due to the history of this type of executions, the phrase "hanging at Terazije" entered the Serbian language. It can be variously used in different context: as a threat, offering self-sacrifice or protesting one's innocence. The square and the Palace Albania were hit during the heavy "Easter bombing" of Belgrade by the
Allies An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...
on 16 April 1944. The palace was fiercely defended by the Germans during the 1944 Belgrade Offensive against the
Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, after ...
and Yugoslav Partisan forces. In the evening of 19 October 1944, a Partisan soldier Mladen Petrović placed the Yugoslav flag with red star on the top of the building. Taking over the building opened the way for the Partisan army to the Belgrade Fortress, and allowed the charge which liberated the wider area surrounding the Belgrade Main railway station, so just one day later the entire Belgrade was liberated.


After 1945

Modern appearance of Terazije is mostly set after 1947. City's main urbanist,
Nikola Dobrović Nikola Dobrović ( sr-Cyrl, Никола Добровић, ; 12 February 1897 – 11 January 1967) was a Serbian architect, teacher, and urban planner. Dobrović designed a number of buildings including the Yugoslav Ministry of Defence building, l ...
, in order to adapt the square for the May 1st military parade, demolished almost everything on the ground level, including all of the flower beds and the other urban ornaments, so as the fountain. The wooden cobbles were removed and two separate traffic lanes were molded into connected carriageways and the adjoining Nušićeva Street was closed for traffic from the Terazije direction. After 1948 the main square in Belgrade was narrowed, double
tram A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport are ...
tracks from both sides were removed and a number of
modernist Modernism is both a philosophical and arts movement that arose from broad transformations in Western society during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The movement reflected a desire for the creation of new forms of art, philosophy, an ...
buildings were constructed, forming a Square of Marx and Engels (present Square of Nikola Pašić) in the 1950s to the north. Terazije became a "lifeless" ground for the parade and, in the future, for the automobile traffic. An 8-storey building, later known as the Hempro Building, was constructed by Aleksej Brkić at No. 8 in 1951 and finished in 1956. The black and white façade covering is made of marble, glass and metal, with geometric shapes. It was one of the first public buildings in Belgrade after World War II projected outside of the
Socialist realism Socialist realism is a style of idealized realistic art that was developed in the Soviet Union and was the official style in that country between 1932 and 1988, as well as in other socialist countries after World War II. Socialist realism is ch ...
style, rather being a
Modernist Modernism is both a philosophical and arts movement that arose from broad transformations in Western society during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The movement reflected a desire for the creation of new forms of art, philosophy, an ...
edifice. The building also has an imitation of a penthouse with a series of "ribbed
bachelor apartment Bachelor Apartment is a 1931 American pre-Code romance film directed by and starring Lowell Sherman as a bachelor/playboy, Wayne Carter, who falls in love with Irene Dunne's honest working girl, Helene Andrews. The credits for the film, and a ...
s". Brkić had to follow two rules: the building was not to be higher than 8 storeys, which was the height of the neighboring building, and he had to take into consideration that the Terazije Tunnel will be dug beneath it. Deemed "impressive" for its period and a "bald step towards the international architecture", it refreshed the grey urbanity of the socialist city and paved way for the future modernist buildings of the 1950s, like the Hotel Metropol. In 1950, the sculptural group by Lojze Dolinar, which represented merchant Sima Igumanov, his prematurely died son and youth from South Serbia, popularly known as Sima Igumanov and orphans, was removed from the roof of Igumanov's bequest, the Igumanov's Palace. It wasn't just taken down, but was smashed with hammers by the members of the
League of Communist Youth of Yugoslavia , SKOJ mk, Сојуз на комунистичката младина на Југославија, СКМЈ sl, Zveza komunistične mladine Jugoslavije, ZKMJ , colorcode = red , founded = 1919 , dissolved = 1948 , succeeded by = League of S ...
. This made a way for the first
neon Neon is a chemical element with the symbol Ne and atomic number 10. It is a noble gas. Neon is a colorless, odorless, inert monatomic gas under standard conditions, with about two-thirds the density of air. It was discovered (along with krypton ...
commercial signage Signage is the design or use of signs and symbols to communicate a message. A signage also means signs ''collectively'' or being considered as a group. The term ''signage'' is documented to have been popularized in 1975 to 1980. Signs are any ...
in 1958. A mobile advertisement for the Zagreb's Chromos Corporation, it was the first neon commercial sign in Belgrade. In February 2020, deputy mayor Goran Vеsić said that the tall sculptural composition is being recreated by the sculptor Zoran Kuzmanović. Some 60% of the original Dolinar's sculpture survived and Kuzmanović used it for reconstruction. Originally placed on the roof in January 1939 and demolished in 1950, the restored sculpture was returned to its place on 22 April 2021. Pedestrian underground passage, with commercial facilities, was dug under Terazije in 1967, connecting Iguman's Palace with Hotel Moskva. Another underground passage, connecting Hotel Balkan and Palace Albanija, envisioned as an underground shopping mall, was finished in 1968. Terazije Tunnel, for traffic, was opened on 4 December 1970. On 12 December 1975, old Terazije Fountain was relocated from Topčider back to the square, and placed at its present location. On 25 January 2020, the square and the surrounding area of was placed under the state protection as the spatial cultural-historical unit.


Administration

Terazije
quarter A quarter is one-fourth, , 25% or 0.25. Quarter or quarters may refer to: Places * Quarter (urban subdivision), a section or area, usually of a town Placenames * Quarter, South Lanarkshire, a settlement in Scotland * Le Quartier, a settlement ...
had a population of 6,333 by the 1883 census of population. According to the further censuses, the population of Terazije was 5,273 in 1890, 6,074 in 1895, 6,494 in 1900, 6,260 in 1905, 9,049 in 1910 and 7,038 in 1921. For a short period after the World War II, when Belgrade was administratively reorganized from districts (
raion A raion (also spelt rayon) is a type of administrative unit of several post-Soviet states. The term is used for both a type of subnational entity and a division of a city. The word is from the French (meaning 'honeycomb, department'), and is co ...
s) into the municipalities in 1952, Terazije had its own municipality with the population of 17,858 in 1953. However, already on 1 January 1957 the municipality was dissolved and divided between the municipalities of Vračar and Stari Grad. Population of the modern local community (''mesna zajednica'') of Terazije was 5,033 in 1981, 4,373 in 1991 and 3,338 in 2002. Municipality of Stari Grad later abolished local communities. Borders of the Terazije local community were streets: Dečanska, Nikola Pašić Square, Kneza Miloša, Kraljice Natalije, Sremska, Kolarčeva and Makedonska. That way it encompassed
Andrićev Venac Andrićev Venac ( sr-cyr, Андрићев венац; ) is a street and the surrounding List of Belgrade neighborhoods, urban neighborhood of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is located in Belgrade's municipality of Stari Grad, Belgrade, Stari ...
, Pioneers Park,
Park Aleksandrov Park Aleksandrov ( sr, Парк Александров) is a park in Belgrade, a capital of Serbia. It is situated in the sole center of the city, along the main ''Kralja Milana'' street. Named Devojački Park until 2017, it is located in the muni ...
,
London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
, Terazije Terrace and part of historical
Savamala Savamala ( sr-cyr, Савамала) is an urban neighborhood of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is located in Belgrade's municipalities of Savski Venac and Stari Grad. Location Savamala is located south of the Kalemegdan fortress and t ...
. Borders of the Terazije protected area are somewhat reduced: Čumićeva, Nušićeva, Dečanska, Nikola Pašić Square, Kneza Miloša, Andrićev Venac, Dobrinjska, Kraljice Natalije, Sremska. Both definitions excluded the most prominent Terazije feature, Palace Albanija.


Notable buildings

As the central and one of the most famous squares in Belgrade, it is the location of many famous Belgrade buildings. The most important hotels, restaurants and shops are or were located here.


Former

* Hotel Pariz; it was built in 1870 at the spot where Bezistan passage and shopping area is located today. Hotel was demolished during the reconstruction of the square in 1948; * ''Kod zlatnog krsta'' (Serbian for 'By the Golden Cross'); a
kafana Kafana is a distinct type of local bistro (or tavern), common in former Yugoslav countries and Albania, which primarily serves alcoholic beverages and coffee, and often also light snacks (''meze'') and other food. Many kafanas feature live music ...
where the first public cinema show (after the first, private screening in a privately owned house) was held by the
Lumière brothers Lumière is French for 'light'. Lumiere, Lumière or Lumieres may refer to: * Lumières, the philosophical movement in the Age of Enlightenment People *Auguste and Louis Lumière, French pioneers in film-making Film and TV * Institut Lumière, ...
on ; used to be at the spot where ''Dušanov grad'' is located today; it is not clear whether the brothers showed the movies themselves, or it was their representative, Alexandre Promio; Serbian king Aleksandar Obrenović was in the audience. The tickets were pricey and the films were screened for the next six months. After Promio left Belgrade, the next film was shown only 4 years later, in 1900, but those were mobile cinemas. * ''Takovo'' restaurant and cinema; one of the first permanent cinemas in Belgrade, founded in 1909.


Present

* (1902); residential-commercial building built in 1902 for merchant Đorđe Vučo, after design by Dimitrije T. Leko. The edifice in Venetian Renaissance style has two floors and a loft. It hosted restaurant Atina, which was part of the Hospitality Educational Center in 1956–1958. The restaurant was predated by the ''kafana'' "Dva Tigra". Atina's popularity was especially boosted in the 1970s and the 1980s, when it was adapted into the "express restaurant" (hot food bar) and became the first ''
pizzeria A pizzeria is a restaurant focusing on pizza. As well as pizza, dishes at pizzerias can include kebab, salads and pasta. Many pizzerias offer take-away, where the customer orders their food either in advance or at the restaurant and then t ...
'' in Belgrade. * Hotel Moskva (1906); still preserving the original shape with its famous
façade A façade () (also written facade) is generally the front part or exterior of a building. It is a Loanword, loan word from the French language, French (), which means 'frontage' or 'face'. In architecture, the façade of a building is often t ...
made of
ceramic A ceramic is any of the various hard, brittle, heat-resistant and corrosion-resistant materials made by shaping and then firing an inorganic, nonmetallic material, such as clay, at a high temperature. Common examples are earthenware, porcelain ...
tiles. Often voted as one of the most beautiful buildings in Belgrade; * Putnik Building (1914); at the corner of Terazije and Dragosla Jovanovića Street, right across the former royal residence of Stari Dvor. It was built in 1914, after the design of
Nikola Nestorović Nikola Nestorovic ( sr-cyr, Никола Несторовић, April 15, 1868 Požarevac - February 18, 1957, Belgrade) was a Serbian architect and professor at the Technical Faculty. After finishing grade school, he moved to Belgrade, where he ...
, for the banker Nikola Bošković. The highrise was considered extremely modern for its time. The façade was richly decorated in the
Vienna Secession The Vienna Secession (german: Wiener Secession; also known as ''the Union of Austrian Artists'', or ''Vereinigung Bildender Künstler Österreichs'') is an art movement, closely related to Art Nouveau, that was formed in 1897 by a group of Austr ...
style ornaments, while the specificity includes the corner position, with, also very richly ornamented, narrow alcove. The building was purchased by the tourist company "Putnik" after 1929 and adapted in the 1939–1940 period, when the alcove and all of the façade ornaments were removed, per Đorđe Đorđević's project. Rajko Tatić designed an additional, indented floor, in 1959. In July 2019 a refurbishment of the building began. The reconstruction project, which includes returning of almost all of the original Secessionist façade ornaments, is a work of Zoran Ljubičić. After the reconstruction is finished, the building will become a hotel. * Hotel Balkan (1935); right across the Hotel Moskva; originally a one-story building built in 1860 on the location of the ''Simina Kafana'', opened by Sima Mehandžija in 1848. It was demolished in 1935 when the present building of the hotel was constructed, work of architect Aleksandar Janković; The old building was also known as the ''Simina mehana'' ("Sima's
meyhane A ''meyhane'' (from Persian: میخانه translit. ''meykhaneh'') is a traditional restaurant or bar in Turkey and rest of the Balkans, Azerbaijan and Iran. It serves alcoholic beverages like wine, rakı, vodka, beer with meze and tradition ...
") and was the gathering point for the volunteers during the Serbian-Turkish wars; Singer
Zdravko Čolić Zdravko Čolić (, ; born 30 May 1951) is a Bosnian Serb singer and is widely considered one of the greatest vocalists and cultural icons of the former Yugoslavia. Dubbed the " Tom Jones of the Balkans", he has garnered fame in Southeastern Europ ...
recorded a song about the hotel in 2000; * Hotel Kasina (1935); the old hotel was built around 1860, next to Hotel Pariz. The owner of Kasina was Doka Bogdanović (1860–1914). He allowed for the travelling cinemas to show movies in Kasina in the 1900s and in 1910 Jovanović opened the permanent cinema. In 1913 he founded the "Factory for the making of the cinematography films" and purchased the technology for filming movies. He hired Russian photographer Samson Chernov who filmed photo journals from the
Second Balkan War The Second Balkan War was a conflict which broke out when Bulgaria, dissatisfied with its share of the spoils of the First Balkan War, attacked its former allies, Serbia and Greece, on 16 ( O.S.) / 29 (N.S.) June 1913. Serbian and Greek armies r ...
which Jovanović showed in Kasina under the title "First Serbian program". When the World War I broke out, Jovanović and Chernov were filming new movies for the cinema in September 1914 on the
Syrmia Syrmia ( sh, Srem/Срем or sh, Srijem/Сријем, label=none) is a region of the southern Pannonian Plain, which lies between the Danube and Sava rivers. It is divided between Serbia and Croatia. Most of the region is flat, with the exce ...
n front, when Jovanović fell off the horse, dying after a while from the aftermaths of the fall. The plays of the
National Theatre in Belgrade The National Theatre ( sr-cyr, Народно позориште, Narodno pozorište) is a theatre located in Belgrade, Serbia. Founded in the later half of the 19th century, it is located on the Republic Square, at the corner of Vasina and Fr ...
have been performed here until 1920. The present Hotel Kasina was built at the same place in 1922. Due to the unrepresentative building of the Serbian assembly, and its bad conditions, the deputies occasionally held parliamentary sessions in the "Kasina" instead. This continued after the creation of the
Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes The Kingdom of Yugoslavia ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Kraljevina Jugoslavija, Краљевина Југославија; sl, Kraljevina Jugoslavija) was a state in Southeast and Central Europe that existed from 1918 until 1941. From 1918 ...
in 1918, until the new assembly building was finished in 1936; * Palace Albania (1940), built in 1937, the first high rise in Belgrade and the highest building in the Balkans before
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
; * ''
Theatre on Terazije Theatre on Terazije ( sr, italic=yes, Позориште на Теразијама, Pozorište na Terazijama) is a Broadway-style theatre located in Belgrade, Serbia. Located in Terazije square, it is the only theatre in Serbia which exclusively ...
'', in the building of the Retirement Fund of the National Bank of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia (1941); It is a Serbian equivalent to Broadway staging numerous musical productions and adaptations from around the world. The theatre is one of the most modern in Belgrade being reconstructed in 2005; * The biggest
McDonald's McDonald's Corporation is an American Multinational corporation, multinational fast food chain store, chain, founded in 1940 as a restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald, in San Bernardino, California, United States. They rechri ...
restaurant in the
Balkans The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...
(1989);


Other features


Bezistan

Bezistan is a shopping area in an indoor passage that connects Terazije and the Square of Nikola Pašić. Originally, it was a location of Hotel "Pariz", which was built in 1870 and demolished in 1948 during the reconstruction of Terazije. Passage has been protected by the state as a "cultural property", though still under the "preliminary protection", and was nicknamed by the architects as the "belly button of Belgrade". It is part of the wider protected Spatial Cultural-Historical Unit of Stari Grad. Since the 1950s, the covered square was a quiet corner in sole downtown, with mini gardens and coffee shops and a popular destination of many Belgraders, but in the recent decades mainly lost that function. In 1959 a round plateau with the fountain and a bronze sculpture, called “Girl with the seashell”, sculptured by
Aleksandar Zarin Alexander is a male given name. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia (ancient kingdom), Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history. Variants li ...
, was built. A webbed roof, shaped like a semi-opened dome, made of concrete and projected by Vladeta Maksimović, was constructed to cover the plateau and the fountain. Because of that feature, and a small shops located in it, it was named "Bezistan", though it never functioned as the
bezistan A bedesten (variants: bezistan, bezisten, bedestan) is a type of covered market or market hall which was historically found in the cities of the Ottoman Empire. It was typically the central building of the commercial district of an Ottoman town or ...
in its true, oriental sense of the term. Revitalization and reconstruction was projected for the second half of 2008, but the only work that has been done was the reconstruction of the plateau and the fountain in 2011. A popular disco club "Bezistan" was opened in the 1980s. It was located in the basement of the venue which was later adapted into the McDonald restaurant. It was different from other discos of the era, and was the only "dancing club" in the city. When the popularity of the
Italo disco Italo disco (variously capitalized, and sometimes hyphenated as Italo-disco) is a music genre which originated in Italy in the late 1970s and was mainly produced in the early 1980s. Italo disco evolved from the then-current underground dance, p ...
reached Belgrade, the club organized dance competitions for participants from the entire Yugoslavia. Band Zana was promoted for the first time here, while band Aska practiced its choreography for their performance at the 1982
Eurovision song contest The Eurovision Song Contest (), sometimes abbreviated to ESC and often known simply as Eurovision, is an international songwriting competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), featuring participants representing pr ...
. The venue was closed in 1989. Bezistan covers an area of . The major feature within Bezistan was the "Kozara" cinema, one of the most popular in Belgrade for decades. It was closed in 2003, purchased by Croatian tycoon
Ivica Todorić Ivica Todorić (; born 2 January 1951) is a Croatian businessman. Until June 2017, he was the owner and chairman of the board of Agrokor, the largest privately owned company in Croatia. The operations of Agrokor are focused on two core businesses ...
and allegedly planned as a supermarket for Todorić's Serbian brand "Idea" before it was destroyed by fire on 25 May 2012 It has been left in that condition ever since. Bezistan had candy and souvenir shops on one side, and modernistic section on other side, with McDonald's restaurant, modern coffee shop and "Reiffeisen bank", but as of 2018 it looks like nothing more than a neglected, empty passage. New possible reconstruction was announced in April 2017, followed by a series of postponing: for October 2017, January, March and May 2018. The project included new paving of the area and reintroduction of the greenery. Nothing has been done, though, and in May 2019 part of the concrete ceiling collapsed so the city again promised to renovate the passage, sometime in 2019. After the reports of further deterioration of the ceiling in January 2021, city announced that Bezistan will not be renovated in 2021 either, even though it became part of the Terazije protected area in January 2020.


Čumić Alley

In the early 20th century, a section behind the main square became a hub of commercial and craft shops. After the owner of the lot, quite big for the central urban zone of the city, Živko Kuzmanović, the area became known as the Kuzmanović Alley, or Kuzmanović Yard. Initially, quite a successful business area, by the 1930s the shops went bankrupt and were closed. The alley was transformed into an
informal settlement Informal housing or informal settlement can include any form of housing, shelter, or settlement (or lack thereof) which is illegal, falls outside of government control or regulation, or is not afforded protection by the state. As such, the inform ...
. In the reprint of its article from 13 March 1937, daily ''
Politika ''Politika'' ( sr-Cyrl, Политика; ''Politics'') is a Serbian daily newspaper, published in Belgrade. Founded in 1904 by Vladislav F. Ribnikar, it is the oldest daily newspaper still in circulation in the Balkans. Publishing and owners ...
'' writes about the city's decision to tear down the Kuzmanović Yard: ''It seems that another disgrace will disappear from Belgrade, but much larger and more dangerous for the health and lives of the people than that eyesore that ”Albania” was. A row of shacks and hovels in ”Kuzmanović yard”, which altogether cover an area of 4.000 m2 between the streets of Dečanska, Pašićeva nad Kolarčeva, will disappear. Belgrade municipality sent its commission yesterday to check the condition of the ”Kuzmanović yard”. The commission established that the shanties and burrows are prone to collapse any minute and that it will advocate for them to be demolished, in the interest of health and lives of the tenants''. The shantytown was demolished by 1940. The alley was later renamed ''Čumićevo Sokače'' ("Čumić Alley") after a politician Aćim Čumić, former mayor of Belgrade and prime minister of Serbia. In 1989, the first modern
shopping mall A shopping mall (or simply mall) is a North American term for a large indoor shopping center, usually anchored by department stores. The term "mall" originally meant a pedestrian promenade with shops along it (that is, the term was used to refe ...
(concurrently with the ''Staklenac'' on the Republic Square) in Belgrade was opened in Čumić Alley, colloquially shortened only to Čumić. It soon became one of the elite shopping locations in Belgrade, with numerous cafés, galleries and clubs in addition. It is also the shortest passage between the squares of the Republic and of Nikola Pašić. The entire alley complex, designed by architect Milutin Gec, was finished in 1991. By the late 1990s, when other shopping malls started to open around the city, the decline of Čumić began. By 2010, the district was almost completely abandoned, becoming a ghost town. Then a group of young designers moved into the empty shops and began selling their homemade crafts, forming a Belgrade Design District with over 100 shops. In 2018 city administration stepped in with plans of creating a full artistic quart in the future. The deadline is set for 2020. The shopping mall was built without proper permits as the city urban plans envisioned public garage on that location, so there was always a possibility for the city to demolish it and go with its plan. In May 2020 city reiterated that it will not demolish it, but due to the ownership issues, lack of paperwork, plans and designs, and
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
, the reconstruction was moved for 2021. Nothing has been done by August 2022, when the reconstruction of the upper section of the Nušićeva Street was announced, which should include the access section of the Čumić Alley.


Sremska

Sremska is a short, curved street which connects the section where the ''Knez Mihailova'' and Terazije meet and the ''Maršala Birjuzova'' street, making a pedestrian connection between Terazije and
Zeleni Venac Zeleni Venac ( sr-cyr, Зелени венац) or colloquially Zelenjak ( sr-cyr, Зелењак) is an urban neighborhood of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is located in the Belgrade's municipalities of Savski Venac (major part) and Stari ...
, and, further down the ''Maršala Birjuzova'', with Varoš Kapija. Sremska is known for the shopping mall on its right side. On the left side, the tall building of "Agrobanka" was built from 1989 to 1994, and as a part of the project, a barren concrete plateau was built right above the Terazije tunnel. Since the 1990s it was used as a location for the small
flea market A flea market (or swap meet) is a type of street market that provides space for vendors to sell previously-owned (second-hand) goods. This type of market is often seasonal. However, in recent years there has been the development of 'formal' ...
. In 2005 the market was removed and from December 2010 to April 2011 the concrete slab was turned into a mini-square (''piazzetta'') with small, mobile park, in the form of the
roof garden A roof garden is a garden on the roof of a building. Besides the decorative benefit, roof plantings may provide food, temperature control, hydrological benefits, architectural enhancement, habitats or corridors for wildlife, recreational oppo ...
. The urban pocket has lawns, flowers and evergreen shrubs. It is also Belgrade's first public location in the past 100 years that had a
mosaic A mosaic is a pattern or image made of small regular or irregular pieces of colored stone, glass or ceramic, held in place by plaster/mortar, and covering a surface. Mosaics are often used as floor and wall decoration, and were particularly pop ...
done on the floor. Materials used include the porous concrete, movable metal construction on which the grass turfs are planted and the
drip irrigation Drip irrigation or trickle irrigation is a type of micro-irrigation system that has the potential to save water and nutrients by allowing water to drip slowly to the roots of plants, either from above the soil surface or buried below the surface. ...
system was installed. With Terazije, it is part of the "Stari Beograd" ("Old Belgrade") cultural unit, which is under protection. In time, due to the poor maintenance, by 2019 the ‘’piazetta’’ deteriorated again. The inclined street is long, and covers an area of . In the first half of 2019 the reconstruction of the street was announced. Reconstruction began in June 2022. The street will be adapted into the extension of the Knez Mihailova's pedestrian zone. The
asphalt concrete Asphalt concrete (commonly called asphalt, blacktop, or pavement in North America, and tarmac, bitumen macadam, or rolled asphalt in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland) is a composite material commonly used to surface roads, parkin ...
will be replaced with granite slabs, with added benches, candelabra,
pergola A pergola is most commonly an outdoor garden feature forming a shaded walkway, passageway, or sitting area of vertical posts or pillars that usually support cross-beams and a sturdy open lattice, often upon which woody vines are trained. The ...
s and
jardiniere ''Jardinière'' is a French word, from the feminine form of "gardener". In English it means a decorative flower box or "planter", a receptacle (usually a ceramic pot or urn) or a stand upon which, or into which, plants (often in pots) may be pla ...
s.


Terazije Fountain

Colloquially, the term applies to any of the three historical fountains in Terazije: a drinking fountain (1860–1911 & 1976–), a waterworks fountain (1892–1912) and a decorative fountain (1927–1947). Terazije drinking fountain ( sr, Теразијска чесма, ); The fountain replaced the old Turkish water tower, which had only one water pipe. It was envisioned by the first regulatory plan developed for Terazije in 1843. The plan for the fountain was presented to the State Council on 13 March 1846. General design included the monument-like, four-sided fountain with water pipes and troughs on two opposite side, with stone benches on two other sides. The monument would be tall and the entire complex would be made of dressed stone. From start, the fountain would be connected to the city waterworks. On 16 March, the Council accepted the proposal and allocated 2,570 silver forints. The project wasn't executed. Italian sculptor from
Novara Novara (, Novarese: ) is the capital city of the province of Novara in the Piedmont region in northwest Italy, to the west of Milan. With 101,916 inhabitants (on 1 January 2021), it is the second most populous city in Piedmont after Turin. It i ...
, Giuseppe Cassano, drafted the new, detailed plan for the fountain. Still, the plan followed all general stipulations from the 1846 design. He presented it on 26 May 1855, but this plan also remained only on paper. By July 1859, the public and the press openly objected to the shape of the existing Turkish water tower, as being worn out by the time and having just one pipe which is not nearly enough for the needs of this part of the city. The fountain was disparaging the neighborhood, especially regarding its location in the burgeoning business area and new commercial hub of Belgrade as Terazije was described as one of the most beautiful Belgrade cities by this time. As the area around it also was not properly arranged, there were constant crowds and quarrels. This was regular for other fountains in Belgrade at the time, too, and some skirmishes ended up having major political impact, like the 1862
Čukur Fountain incident The Čukur Fountain incident ( sr, Инцидент на Чукур-чесми/Incident na Čukur-česmi) refers to a series of events in June 1862 in Belgrade, at the time the capital of the Ottoman subject state of Serbia. On 15 June (O.S. 3 Ju ...
. In the end, the fountain was built to celebrate the return of Prince Miloš Obrenović to Serbia and his second rule, though the historians can't agree whether he supplied the funds for its construction, as often reported. Foundation stone was laid and consecrated on , though it is often erroneously reported as 1859. The old water tower was removed. The fountain provided of water on all four pipes. The fountain had appearance it preserved until today. It has carved "MO", the initials of Miloš Obrenović, and "1860", the year of its completion. Italian stone cutter Francesco Franco Lorano sculptured it. When the new, modern Belgrade waterworks system was inaugurated,
Metropolitan of Belgrade The Metropolitanate of Belgrade ( sr, Београдска митрополија, Beogradska mitropolija) was an Eastern Orthodox ecclesiastical province (metropolitanate) which existed between 1831 and 1920, with jurisdiction over the territo ...
Mihailo Jovanović Mihailo Jovanović (Serbian Cyrillic: Михаило Јовановић; born 29 November 1975) is a Serbian football player. He was released by his former club South China in Hong Kong First Division League after 2006-07 season. He started pla ...
consecrated it on the fountain on , the
Feast of Saints Peter and Paul The Feast of Saints Peter and Paul or Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul is a liturgical feast in honor, of the martyrdom in Rome of the apostles Saint Peter and Saint Paul, which is observed on 29 June. The celebration is of ancient Christi ...
. During the reconstruction of Terazije, the fountain was planned for relocation in March 1911. City administration decided so, because they were sure it will damage the planned, future appearance of Terazije. It was originally to be moved, with "the full piety", either to the spring of Hajdučka Česma in
Košutnjak Košutnjak ( sr-cyr, Кошутњак, ) is a park-forest and urban neighborhood of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is divided between in the municipalities of Čukarica (upper and central parts) and Rakovica (lower part). With the adjoin ...
, or somewhere within the city limits, at some respected location. It was to be relocated in its entirety and to be transformed into the "flower vase". In the end, it was moved to Topčider in 1912. It was situated in the
churchyard In Christian countries a churchyard is a patch of land adjoining or surrounding a church, which is usually owned by the relevant church or local parish itself. In the Scots language and in both Scottish English and Ulster-Scots, this can also ...
of the Topčider Church. Question remains whether the relocation was indeed influenced by the urbanism or rather by the political reasons as the ruling dynasties switched from the Obrenović to the Karađorđević in 1903. Relocation helped the preservation of the fountain. Terazije were heavily bombed and damaged in both
World wars A world war is an international conflict which involves all or most of the world's major powers. Conventionally, the term is reserved for two major international conflicts that occurred during the first half of the 20th century, World WarI (1914 ...
, including its major landmarks like Palace Albania and Hotel Moskva, but the fountain in the park, on the outskirts of the city, survived unharmed. During the Communist period, it was decided to return the fountain to Terazije. With the participation of structural geologist Milorad Dimitrijević, the relocation was conducted on 12 December 1975. Nothing was changed on the object itself, so it preserved its original 1860 appearance. The location is not the same, though. It was moved a bit closer to the Hotel Moskva than it used to be, because of the underground passage dug under Terazije in 1967. Terazije (waterworks) fountain; The fountain was opened in 1892, when the first Belgrade waterworks was ceremonially opened in Terazije. It was located on the opposing side of Terazije from the drinking fountain, and situated on the pedestrian pathway in front of the Kasina and Pariz hotels. The water jet was tall. It was demolished during the major Terazije reconstruction in 1911–1912. With few surviving photographs which depict it, the fountain disappeared from the collective memory and is completely forgotten today. Terazije fountain ( sr, Теразијска фонтана, ); The first proper, decorative fountain (''fontana'') in Belgrade, as previously only drinking fountains (''česma'') were built. A plan for the rearrangement of Terazije in the summer of 1911, among numerous other changes, included the construction of a new fountain. Among many ''rundelas'' (round flower beds), on the side towards today's passage to the Nušićeva street one ''rundela'' was used as the base for the postament of the monument “Victory Herald”, a work of
Ivan Meštrović Ivan Meštrović (; 15 August 1883 – 16 January 1962) was a Croatian sculptor, architect, and writer. He was the most prominent modern Croatian sculptor and a leading artistic personality in contemporary Zagreb. He studied at Pavle Bilinić's ...
. Meštrović's statue was finished in 1913, immediately after and as a continuation, in concept and style, of the cycle of sculptures intended for his large-scale project for a shrine commemorating the
Battle of Kosovo The Battle of Kosovo ( tr, Kosova Savaşı; sr, Косовска битка) took place on 15 June 1389 between an army led by the Serbian Prince Lazar Hrebeljanović and an invading army of the Ottoman Empire under the command of Sultan ...
("Temple of Vidovdan"), which includes representative sculptures such as
Miloš Obilić Miloš Obilić ( sr-cyr, Милош Обилић, ) was a legendary Serbian knight who is reputed to have been in the service of Prince Lazar during the Ottoman invasion of Serbia in the late 14th century. He is not mentioned in contemporary sou ...
and Marko Kraljević. Conceived as a colossal athletic male nude set up on a tall column, the monument symbolically represents the iconic figure of victory. In iconographic terms, the personification of the triumph of a victorious nation can be traced back to classical antiquity and its mythic hero
Hercules Hercules (, ) is the Roman equivalent of the Greek divine hero Heracles, son of Jupiter and the mortal Alcmena. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures. The Romans adapted the Gr ...
. The outbreak of World War I and the reconstruction of a massively demolished Belgrade delayed the dedication but the idea was revived in the 1920s. However, some puritan and female organizations protested heavily against posting a tall figure of a fully naked man in downtown. It was then opted to erect the monument in the
Kalemegdan Park The Kalemegdan Park ( sr, / ), or simply Kalemegdan ( sr-Cyrl, Калемегдан) is the largest park and the most important historical monument in Belgrade. It is located on a cliff, at the junction of the River Sava and the Danube. Kal ...
in the
Belgrade Fortress The Belgrade Fortress ( sr-Cyrl, Београдска тврђава, Beogradska tvrđava), consists of the old citadel (Upper and Lower Town) and Kalemegdan Park (Large and Little Kalemegdan) on the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, in a ...
. Becoming known as
Pobednik ''Pobednik'' ( sr-cyr, Победник, lit=The Victor) is a monument in the Upper Town of the Belgrade Fortress, built to commemorate Serbia's victory over the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian empires during the Balkan Wars and the First World Wa ...
(The Victor), the statue is today a symbol and one of the most recognized landmarks of Belgrade. The ''rundela'' designated as the base of the monument remained empty. Due to the impending marriage of the King Alexander I Karađorđević and Romanian princess Maria, city architect Momir Korunović was given a task of making something out of it, worthy of the royal wedding which was set for 8 June 1922. The ''rundela'' was turned into the several steps elevated podium, with a stone border which was ornamented with the lion heads from the outside and pigeons from the inside. Due to the lack of time and funds, the animal ornaments were made of
papier-mâché upright=1.3, Mardi Gras papier-mâché masks, Haiti upright=1.3, Papier-mâché Catrinas, traditional figures for day of the dead celebrations in Mexico Papier-mâché (, ; , literally "chewed paper") is a composite material consisting of p ...
, like a theatrical scenography. After the wedding, the cardboard ornaments survived until the fall of 1922 and were disintegrated by the rains. The ''rundela'' again remained empty for several years. In 1927 city administration decided to adapt it into a fountain. It was ceremonially open on 2 April 1927. During winters, in order to prevent frost damage, the entire fountain was covered with hay, earth and grass on top. It was a constant source of making fun of the city government, which was being accused by the journalists for creating a
midden A midden (also kitchen midden or shell heap) is an old dump for domestic waste which may consist of animal bone, human excrement, botanical material, mollusc shells, potsherds, lithics (especially debitage), and other artifacts and ecofact ...
in downtown instead of progressing to the future. The fountain itself though, was considered a beauty: it was made of greenish granite, had sprinklers of different intensity while the bed of the pond was made from
Murano glass Venetian glass () is glassware made in Venice, typically on the island of Murano near the city. Traditionally it is made with a soda–lime "metal" and is typically elaborately decorated, with various "hot" glass-forming techniques, as well as ...
. In 1947, Dobrović demolished almost everything to the ground level, including the fountain His explanation for the destruction was that the fountain "choked" the traffic. When the original plans were made, the municipality purchased the marble in 1911 which was to be used not only for the fountain, but for the entire reconstruction the square. When Belgrade was conquered by the German army during World War I, in October 1915, German commander, ''
Generalfeldmarschall ''Generalfeldmarschall'' (from Old High German ''marahscalc'', "marshal, stable master, groom"; en, general field marshal, field marshal general, or field marshal; ; often abbreviated to ''Feldmarschall'') was a rank in the armies of several ...
''
August von Mackensen Anton Ludwig Friedrich August von Mackensen (born Mackensen; 6 December 1849 – 8 November 1945), ennobled as "von Mackensen" in 1899, was a German field marshal. He commanded successfully during World War I of 1914–1918 and became one of t ...
, order for the dead soldiers to be buried on the hill above
Banovo Brdo Banovo Brdo ( sr-cyrl, Баново брдо, ) is a neighbourhood of Belgrade, Serbia. It is located in Belgrade's municipality of Čukarica. Location Banovo Brdo is bounded by the neighborhoods of Čukarica and Čukarička Padina in the we ...
, where an extension of
Košutnjak Košutnjak ( sr-cyr, Кошутњак, ) is a park-forest and urban neighborhood of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is divided between in the municipalities of Čukarica (upper and central parts) and Rakovica (lower part). With the adjoin ...
forest is today. He also ordered for three monuments to be built (two for German and one for Serbian soldiers), and the marble for Terazije was used. Same marble was used in 1916 when German emperor
Wilhelm II Wilhelm II (Friedrich Wilhelm Viktor Albert; 27 January 18594 June 1941) was the last German Emperor (german: Kaiser) and King of Prussia, reigning from 15 June 1888 until his abdication on 9 November 1918. Despite strengthening the German Empir ...
arrived in Belgrade for the large stone bench, built for him by the German soldiers next to the cemetery. Though in various states of bad shape, all four object made from Terazije marble still survive in the 21st century.


Terazije Terrace

Terazije Terrace ( sr, Теразијска тераса, Terazijska Terasa is a sloping park coming down from the high Terazije Ridge (on top of which Terazije is built) to the right bank of the
Sava The Sava (; , ; sr-cyr, Сава, hu, Száva) is a river in Central and Southeast Europe, a right-bank and the longest tributary of the Danube. It flows through Slovenia, Croatia and along its border with Bosnia and Herzegovina, and finally th ...
river, but more specifically coming down to the
Zeleni Venac Zeleni Venac ( sr-cyr, Зелени венац) or colloquially Zelenjak ( sr-cyr, Зелењак) is an urban neighborhood of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is located in the Belgrade's municipalities of Savski Venac (major part) and Stari ...
market. It covers area of . Geographically, it is a part of the larger, long Sava Ridge. The top of the area is an excellent natural
lookout A lookout or look-out is a person in charge of the observation of hazards. The term originally comes from a naval background, where lookouts would watch for other ships, land, and various dangers. The term has now passed into wider parlance. ...
point to the Sava river valley, Novi Beograd and further into the
Syrmia Syrmia ( sh, Srem/Срем or sh, Srijem/Сријем, label=none) is a region of the southern Pannonian Plain, which lies between the Danube and Sava rivers. It is divided between Serbia and Croatia. Most of the region is flat, with the exce ...
region. The future of the terrace is a subject of public and academic debate ever since the 19th century. The urban arrangement of the area "behind the Prince Miloš fountain" was tackled for the first time in 1867, by the city's first urbanist Emilijan Josimović. Architect Andra Stevanović in 1897 suggested the transformation of the area into the scenic viewpoint, which would "open view on the Sava river and the Podrinje mountains". His colleague, Dimitrije T. Leko suggested Terazije Terrace as the location of the new
National Assembly of Serbia The National Assembly ( sr-cyr, Народна скупштина, Narodna skupština, ) is the unicameral legislature of Serbia. The assembly is composed of 250 deputies who are proportionally elected to four-year terms by secret ballot. The as ...
building. Engineer Jevta Stevanović proposed in 1910 for the Belgrade Municipal Hall to be built here. First general plan for it is from 1912 by the French architect Alban Chamond which envisioned it as the cascades of trapezoid ''piazzetas'' with flowers and fountains, leaving the panoramic view intact. Austrian architects Emil Hoppe and Otto Schönthal proposed their solution for the slope in 1919. They envisioned it as an esplanade, surrounded by the new buildings and the monument to Creation of Yugoslavia, Unification. The monumental, grandiose project was rejected for being too expensive. International design competition for Belgrade's general plan (GP) was announced in 1921 and none of the subjected works, dealing with 58 proposed public buildings, dealt with the terrace, leaving an empty space in downtown. Head of the commission for GP Đorđe Kovaljevski noticed this and in 1922 ordered new plan just for this area. In 1923 a project for constructing a terrace-observation point was made, as the "central city lookout". City began to buy out the lots along the Balkanska and Prizrenska streets and to demolish objects. For the first time, this opened view from Terazije to the Sava. The 1924 GP also tackled the issue of the slope. In 1929, Serbian architect
Nikola Dobrović Nikola Dobrović ( sr-Cyrl, Никола Добровић, ; 12 February 1897 – 11 January 1967) was a Serbian architect, teacher, and urban planner. Dobrović designed a number of buildings including the Yugoslav Ministry of Defence building, l ...
's plan was accepted. He projected two tall, tower-like business buildings on the both ends of the ridge and a plateau between with several small business and leisure objects, while the slope itself would be a succession of horizontal gardens, pools and fountains. Dobrović envisioned it as part of the closest connection of downtown and the
Sava The Sava (; , ; sr-cyr, Сава, hu, Száva) is a river in Central and Southeast Europe, a right-bank and the longest tributary of the Danube. It flows through Slovenia, Croatia and along its border with Bosnia and Herzegovina, and finally th ...
river: Terazije-Terazije Terrace-Kraljice Natalije Street-Karađođreva Street. Due to the Great Depression, in 1930 city decided that the temporary solution will be park on three step levels, until it becomes possible to construct the "future monumental terrace". At that time, only the upper section was adapted as a park, while the lower section was occupied by the houses in the ''Kraljice Natalije'' Street and their backyards. In order to hide that "eyesore" from the view of the people in downtown, a front-type wooden wall made of slats was constructed in the 1930s. It was made like a grid, and the ivy was planted in order to grow around it and to obstruct the view on the lower neighborhood. The houses were demolished after World War II, so the park today extends all the way to the Kraljice Natalije Street. In 1937, Romanian architects won the competition on arrangement of the entire downtown from Theatre Square to Terazije. They envisioned demolition of both the Balkan and the Moskva hotels and formation of the monumental park. However, new city's GP from 1939 retained the project of Dobrović. There was another project, by Stanko Mandić, in 1951. In the 1990s Dobrović's plan was reactivated, but the temporary park remained and a competition from 1991 (won by Slobodan Rajević and Zoran Nikezić) resulted only in the large building at the beginning of the Balkanska street. Bulky residential-business complex, built by the "Mali Kolektiv" company, met with disapproval of the public. General consensus was that the building rather defaced Terazije instead to beautify it. Another competition followed in 1998. In 2006 a new tender for architectural solution for Terazije Terrace was organized which resulted in 2007 project by Jovan Mitrović and Dejan Miljković, and 2008 project by Branislav Redžić (shared with a different project by Grozdana Šišović and Dejan Milanović), but they all remained only on paper. City architect at the time, Đorđe Bobić, favored the Šišović-Milanović project, which was met with criticism. In 2015, city urbanist Milutin Folić announced plans to reactivate and adapt Redžić's project and asked for the donations of €3 million. After that failed, city claimed it spared enough money in 2016 and announced reconstruction for 2017, but nothing happened. City again announced it will arrange the slope in 2019 but without specifying by which project. In January 2020 city official stated they will combine two designs, the 2008 one by Redžić and the second awarded work from 1998 by Branislav Mitrović and Miljković. A month later, city urbanist Marko Stojčić included the Šišović-Milanović in this group, as this project has now been deemed unjustly pushed aside. Stojčić said that at the new bidding will not be a proper bidding, instead the jury will cherry-pick from each project and adjust it to the modern guidelines (pedestrian zone, more green areas, etc.). He also said that the jury, unlike now, won't be made only of architects, but the clerks from the city administration will be members, too. Public protested, considering a circus the constant change of projects and prolonged start of the reconstruction. All three invited teams refused to participate in the proposed bidding, so the city decided to return to the 2008 project by Redžić in May 2020, announcing the reconstruction is not ready anyway due to technical problems, moving it for 2021. By this time, urbanists and other architects began to criticize all the projects as wrong, starting with the Dobrović's design and all the other which all followed his basic idea which includes, in different variants, concreting of some , construction of the pointless monumental stairways under which the "tunnel" will host just another shopping mall. Instead, some proposed ditching of all those projects and construction of a proper, modern park, which would descent down to the Sava bank and help conduct fresh river air directly into the overheated city downtown. In June 2022, Stojčić stated that he awarded the entire project to Redžić, who will do it in three phases, bordered by the streets: Balkanska-Kraljice Natalije, Kraljice Natalije-Lomina, and Lomina-Gavrila Principa. The park should be on top of the Savamala#Savamala-Palilula tunnel, Sava-Danube tunnel. Construction of this tunnel was tentatively scheduled for 2023, when the first phase of the terrace should also start. Phase two should be finished in 2025. The project should have much more greenery than any of the previous designs and the previously planned of constructed area and parking lots, will be cut in half. Idea of making the terrace into the scenic viewpoint again, with or without other phases of reconstruction, was discarded by architect and member of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts , who stated that "(this idea) is completely disavowed in our time by the gigantic structures in Belgrade Waterfront, erected right between the terrace and the Sava.


Terazije Tunnel

Terazije Tunnel ( sr, Теразијски тунел, Terazijski tunel) is a traffic tunnel which passes right beneath Terazije in the east–west direction. The eastern entry point is at the intersection of the ''Dečanska'' and ''Nušićeva'' streets, while the western is the extension of the ''Brankova'' street. It is a direct and the closest link between downtown Belgrade and the Branko's Bridge and further to the
New Belgrade New Belgrade ( sr, / , ) is a municipality of the city of Belgrade. It is a planned city, built since 1948 in a previously uninhabited area on the left bank of the Sava river, opposite old Belgrade. In recent years, it has become the central bu ...
and Zemun. In one of his projects, architect Dimitrije T. Leko envisioned the tunnel in 1955. In 1957-60 a building was constructed by Zagorka Mešulam which is located at the future entry point from the ''Nušićeva'' street. An elevated empty space in the base of the building was built to keep and area for the future descent into the tunnel. The space was hidden behind the wall before the tunnel was built. The tunnel was projected by the Ljubomir Porfirović and Milosav Vidaković and was officially opened on 4 December 1970 by the President of Yugoslavia Josip Broz Tito and the first lady Jovanka Broz. It was part of the four major official openings on the same day, which also included the Mostar interchange, the European route E75, highway through Belgrade and the Gazela bridge. Today Terazije tunnel is known as one of the busiest traffic routes in Belgrade and even a short stoppage in it causes widespread traffic jams all over the downtown. On the same day, the pedestrian underground passage in ''Nušićeva'' street, at the entrance into the tunnel, was also opened. First 24/7 supermarket in Belgrade, (in Serbian: ''dragstor''), was opened in the passage. Since then, it deteriorated quite a bit, with only few shops working, despite a partial reconstruction in 2009. During the planning, it was envisioned that two old buildings at the Zeleni Venac entrance will be demolished. One is located at the corner of the Prizrenska and Sremska, and another at the corner of the Sremska and Maršala Birjuzova. The latter had a distinction of surviving World War II, though damaged, even though the surrounding area was so badly ruined that it had to be leveled to the ground after the war. Post-war urbanists planned to demolish it, too, but it survived. In the end, one wing of the building in the Prizrenska had to be demolished, while the building in the Maršala Birjuzova survived again. Earning a moniker of "tunnel sentinel", its façade was fully renovated in 2019. Already in the 1970s it was evident that the tunnel is not adequate for the amount of traffic. A "twin tunnel" for the traffic from the opposite direction was planned. It was to connect the Bulevar kralja Aleksandra and the Branko's Bridge. According to the proposed plans, the traffic would descend underground between the bridge and the Republic Square. In time, several other routes were proposed, like the Branko's Bridge-Bulevar Despota Stefana (Palilula, Belgrade, Palilula neighborhood), from the Pop Lukina Street at the bridge to the First school of economics at the corner of the Cetinjska and Bulevar Despota Stefana streets. Ultimately, the tunnel wasn't built. In the 2010s the idea of a tunnel resurfaced, but though the exit point at Palilula remained in the new plans, the entry point was moved to the west, near the Old Sava Bridge area.


See also

*Hotel Moskva (Belgrade) * Palace Albania


References


External links


City of Belgrade
{{Neighbourhoods of Stari Grad Neighborhoods of Belgrade Squares in Belgrade Former and proposed municipalities of Belgrade Stari Grad, Belgrade