CATHEDRAL OF CHRIST THE SAVIOR

A new symbol of the city, this Serbian Orthodox church (Saborni Hram Hrista Spasitelja/Саборни Храм Христа Спаситеља) was erected between 1993 and 2004, and consecrated as a cathedral in 2009. Neo-Byzantine in style, it is designed to impress, but without much subtlety. It is distinguished by its steel dome covered with gold that rises to 22.5 m high and by its 47 m belfry that exceeds the top of the minaret of the Ferhadija mosque by a few meters. The interior is richly decorated: marble floors, engraved wooden iconostasis, colorful frescoes, etc.. Outside, a chapel dedicated to the Mother of God hosts, in the basement, the place where the faithful light the candles. The building is the seat of the eparchy (diocese) of Banja Luka and was built on the site of the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, erected in 1929 and destroyed by the Ustasha in 1941. The latter was rebuilt in 1969 next to the Catholic cathedral. With almost the same architecture, it was demoted to the rank of church. The present cathedral is the center of the Serbian Rulers' Square (Trg Srpskih Vladara) named after the Serbian rulers (bans) of the Vrbas Banovina (1929-1941) created during the period of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. It contains the Palace of the Republic and two buildings dating from 1932: the former Palace of the Bans, which houses the Municipal Cultural Center since 2008, and the City Hall, pseudo-medieval style.