A PRESENT for JamesThePersion and any other Orthodox Christians!

[Djamila]

Well, I was so pleased with JamesThePersian's post in the "How do you identify yourself in your faith" thread. So, here is a present!

The oldest Orthodox Church in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

It was built at the same time as the Gazi Husrev-begova Mosque and occupies a central place in Sarajevo's old Ottoman market, the Bascarsija.

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[Djamila]

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[Djamila]

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[Djamila]

And the other one, the New Orthodox Church.

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[James the Persian]

And the other one, the New Orthodox Church.

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Yuck, pews. I thought you only got them in Greek churches in the States.

James

 

[Quiddity]

Yuck, pews. I thought you only got them in Greek churches in the States.

James

I could enter that church and not even know the difference from just looking at it. There is one 5 miles away from me that looks just like this one. St. Boniface Catholic Church.

 

[Djamila]

James, I posted the wrong picture. The New Orthodox Church in Sarajevo has no pews, believe me - and the picture I posted (interior) is of Katedrala Srce Isusove (Jesus Heart Cathedral, Roman Catholic) in downtown Sarajevo.

I'll upload a picture of the New Orthodox Church interior in a moment!

 

[Djamila]

Here's the actual interior of the New Orthodox Church.





Sorry I missed that, James.

A quick question, a lot of Orthodox Churches in Bosnia have kiosks inside them selling souvenirs, all of a very religious nature (icons, bibles, etc.) We're not talking keychains or porn mags or anything like that.

But is the idea of a kiosk inside the church acceptable in Orthodox Christianity, in a pure sense? Or is it just cultural?

 

[Quiddity]

James, I posted the wrong picture. The New Orthodox Church in Sarajevo has no pews, believe me - and the picture I posted (interior) is of Katedrala Srce Isusove (Jesus Heart Cathedral, Roman Catholic) in downtown Sarajevo.

I'll upload a picture of the New Orthodox Church interior in a moment!

Ok, that explains it.

 

[James the Persian]

Here's the actual interior of the New Orthodox Church.





Sorry I missed that, James.

A quick question, a lot of Orthodox Churches in Bosnia have kiosks inside them selling souvenirs, all of a very religious nature (icons, bibles, etc.) We're not talking keychains or porn mags or anything like that.

But is the idea of a kiosk inside the church acceptable in Orthodox Christianity, in a pure sense? Or is it just cultural?

Inside the main body of the church? That would be odd to say the least. It's not something I've ever seen. What you do tend to see is that at the back of the church just inside the door (sorry my church architecture terminology is poor and I don't know what the area is actually called) is a part of the church that is not considered the church proper (this is where arch-traditionalist churches will banish the actechumens and visitors after the part of the Liturgy where the priest says 'The doors, the doors' - most Orthodox do not do this, though). You might well find certain items for sail there, such as candles, icons, prayer books etc. Most places I know in Romania, though, particularly the big monasteries, have a separate building for this sort of thing. I don't think what you see in Bosnia sounds usual and most Orthodox I don't think would agree with it, but sometimes needs must, as they say.

By the way, thanks for the new pictures. That's better. The stained glass is odd, though, and very western looking. Was this church brand new or is it a converted building that once housed a heterodox church? I'd have to say that, as well as the unwelcome pews in the photo you first posted, I was wondering who'd stolen the icons and iconostasis!

James

 

[Djamila]

"The Saborna Pravoslavna Crkva (New Orthodox Church) was constructed between 1863-68 in a Neobaroque style by architect Andrija Damjanov."