The Ascension Cathedral, commonly known as the Serbian Orthodox Cathedral (; ), is the
cathedral
A cathedral is a church (building), church that contains the of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, Annual conferences within Methodism, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually s ...
Serbian Orthodox
The Serbian Orthodox Church ( sr-Cyrl-Latn, Српска православна црква, Srpska pravoslavna crkva) is one of the autocephalous (ecclesiastically independent) Eastern Orthodox Christian churches.
The majority of the populat ...
Fabric
Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, and different types of fabric. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is no ...
In 1737 (according to other sources 1728), during the plague epidemic in the city, the Serbian Orthodox Cathedral that originally stood on this site burned down. The present church was built in
Baroque style
The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from the early 17th century until the 1750s. It followed Renaissance art and Mannerism and preceded the Rococo (i ...
between 1744 and 1748 by order of the Serbian Orthodox Bishop Georgije Popović. The church was built from the donations of the churchgoers, being made of stone and brick. In order to gain space for the larger church, a Turkish
rampart
Rampart may refer to:
* Rampart (fortification), a defensive wall or bank around a castle, fort or settlement
Rampart may also refer to:
* LAPD Rampart Division, a division of the Los Angeles Police Department
** Rampart scandal, a blanket ter ...
that had existed since the 16th century was demolished in 1742. In 1791, when the church was restored under Bishop , it was completed with two towers, in which there are five bells, one of which weighs 800 kg.
Initially, the church was equipped with a small
iconostasis
In Eastern Christianity, an iconostasis () is a wall of icons and religious paintings, separating the nave from the sanctuary in a Church (building), church. ''Iconostasis'' also refers to a portable icon stand that can be placed anywhere withi ...
by Serbian painter
Stefan Tenecki
Stefan Tenecki (; 1720 in Romanian Ștefan Tenețchi; Lipova, Arad, Habsburg monarchy – 1789 in Certege, Alba (near Câmpeni), Habsburg Monarchy) was a prolific Serbian icon painter of Aromanian origin who developed a rich artistic activity in ...
. After its disposal, a new wooden iconostasis was carved by Mihajlo Janić between 1833 and 1836 and fitted with six icons, which were painted by
Konstantin Danil
Konstantin Danil ( sr-Cyrl, Константин Данил, ; 1798–1873) was a Serbian painter of the 19th century. He is most famous for his portraits and religious painting. Danil is considered to be the most important Serbian painter of Bie ...
between 1838 and 1843. Alexander Tepferer gilded the wood carvings in 1839. The outer wall facing Union Square was built in 1822, while the wrought-iron gate facing Emanoil Ungureanu Street was constructed in 1886. The
Pantocrator
In Christian iconography, Christ Pantocrator (, ) is a specific depiction of Christ. or , literally 'ruler of all', but usually translated as 'almighty' or 'all-powerful', is derived from one of many names of God in Judaism.
The Pantokrator ...
and the
Four Evangelists
In Christian tradition, the Four Evangelists are Matthew the Apostle, Matthew, Mark the Evangelist, Mark, Luke the Evangelist, Luke, and John the Evangelist, John, the authors attributed with the creation of the four canonical Gospel accounts ...
were created in 1903 as the work of the painter Stevan Aleksić. The ornaments of the church were designed by Josef Habinger.
Seven bishops are buried in the church, and several dignitaries who donated their fortune to the church also rest in the
nave
The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...
. Initially, the church hosted Orthodox religious services for both the Serbian and Romanian communities, but since 1864, following the separation of the two churches, the building belongs to the Serbian community. Romanian Orthodox and Serbian Orthodox believers are equally welcome to church services today.
Gallery
File:Catedrala Ortodoxă Sârbă, Timișoara (2023) - img 01.jpg, The
iconostasis
In Eastern Christianity, an iconostasis () is a wall of icons and religious paintings, separating the nave from the sanctuary in a Church (building), church. ''Iconostasis'' also refers to a portable icon stand that can be placed anywhere withi ...
File:Serbische orthodoxe Kirche in Timișoara.jpg, Close-up
File:Temišvar, Rumunija 38.jpg, The cathedral and the Serbian Orthodox Episcopal Palace