BELGRADE 553

Palace of

Princess Ljubica 5
Konak Kneginje Ljubice

Kneza Sime Markovića 8.
Map C3. Tel (011) 263 8264.

10am–5pm Tue, Wed, Fri & Sat,

noon–8pm Thu, 10am–2pm Sun. &

Situated a short distance
from Belgrade’s Orthodox
Cathedral, this former royal
residence is the finest surviv ing
example of Ottoman-Serbian
archi tec ture from the early
19th century. It was built for
Prince Miloš Obrenović in
1830, but he preferred his
forest-fringed residence in
Topčider Park southwest of
the city centre, and left this
build ing to his wife, Princess
Ljubica, and their children
Milan and Mihail.
The exterior is Oriental
in appearance, with bay win-
dows protruding from the
upper floors and slender
minaret-like chimneys emerg-
ing from the roof.
Inside is a display
of traditional Balkan
decorations, with
the ground floor
divanhane (reception
room) contain ing a
raised platform
carpeted with brightly
coloured Oriental
rugs. Cushioned
benches, charcoal
braziers, Turkish
coffee jugs and tables
inlaid with mother-
of-pearl re-create the semi-
European, semi-Levantine
lifestyle enjoyed by the Serbian
elite of the period. The top-
floor rooms house a collection
of 19th-century furniture
and portraits of the Serbian
Royal Family.

Skadarlija 7

Skadarska

Skadarska ulica. Map E3. @ 2, 5,

10, 79.

Centred on a cobbled street,

Skadarlija was early 20th-cen-

tury Belgrade’s bohemian

quar ter, where artists and poets

would gather for a night of

wine and song. Crowded with

cafés and restau rants, it is one

of the city’s hot spots for

dining and carousing.

Skadarlija’s history as a hub

for nightlife dates back to the

1880s, when Czech entrepre-

neur Ignat Bajloni established

a brewery at the end of the

street. A host of inns opened

up in the vicinity and a regular

clientele of artists and writers

began to meet here. Today,

Skadarska ulica is still atmos-

pheric, with most of the res-

tau rants retaining their

trad i tional furnishings.

Further down the street

stands an Ottoman-style foun-

tain, a replica of the Sebilj

Fountain (see p514) in the

Baščaršija district of Sarajevo.

Orthodox

Cathedral 6

Saborna crkva

Kneza Sime Markovića 3. Map C3.

Tel (011) 263 6684. # 7am–8pm

daily. 5

Built in 1837 on the orders of

Prince Miloš Obrenović and

dedicated to the

Archangel Michael,

the Orthodox

Cathedral is a blend

of Neo-Classical and

Baroque styles.

Inside, the gilded

iconostasis carved

by Dimitrije Petrović

bears several tiers of

icons. In front of it is

a casket contain ing

the bones of Prince

Lazar, who was killed

dur ing the Battle of

Kosovo in 1389. This battle

ended in stale mate and the

province of Kosovo has held

special importance in Serbian

national conscious ness ever

Mosaic, Orthodox

Cathedral

Visitors enjoying a stroll through the cobbled streets of Skadarlija

since. Out side the main

entrance lie the tombs of

cultural reformers Dositej

Obradović and Vuk Karadžić.

Opposite the cathe dral, on

Kralja Petra, is the Café of the

Question Mark (Kafana “?”)

(see p565), built in 1823 and

the old est functioning tavern in

the city. It was originally called

the Café at the Cathedral, but

the church authori ties objected

to the name, leaving the owner

to hang the “?” sign above the

door as a symbol of protest.

Oriental façade of the Palace of Princess Ljubica