| Chapel of Saint Petka in Belgrade | |
|---|---|
Капела Свете Петке | |
 The chapel tower as seen in 2023 | |
 Chapel of Saint Petka in Belgrade | |
| Location | Belgrade |
| Country | Serbia |
| Denomination | Serbian Orthodox Church |
| History | |
| Founded | 1937 |
TheChapel of Saint Petka (Serbian: Капела Свете Петке,Kapela Svete Petke) inBelgrade is achapel, erected over asacred spring, and dedicated toSaint Petka. It is located at a way connecting the upper and the lower city of theBelgrade Fortress, in proximity of theRužica Church, with the spring being in the veryaltar of the chapel. The present-day chapel was built in 1937 after a project of the architectMomir Korunović. Its inner walls and vaults are covered bymosaics done by painterĐuro Radulović in 1980–1983.
A chapel of Saint Petka in Belgrade was built in 1417 by an unknown dignitary when herrelics weretranslated to Belgrade at the request ofPrincess Milica of Serbia to the sultan.[1] The exact location of this chapel is not known, nor whether it was erected near the sacred spring.[1] AfterBelgrade was captured in 1521, the relics were translated toConstantinople and in 1641 toIași.[1] The current chapel contains a piece of the relics.[1]
Prior to today's chapel, adugout chapel existed on the slope, decorated withicons and containing the sacred spring.[1] Since it was in bad condition, after an initiative byPatriarch Varnava, the today's chapel was built and consecrated at Saint Petka's feast day in 1937.[1][2] Digging the foundation uncovered remains of an older temple, and bones of soldiers who were killed in the defence of Belgrade in 1914 and 1915, that were transferred into a nearbyossuary.[1] Also found wereTurkish tombstones, including that of vizierMarashli Ali Pasha.[3]
The chapel complex also includes abaptismal font and the parish home.[1]
The chapel was painted twice. The first paintings were done by an academician-painter Vladimir Predojević. The paintings soon deteriorated because of the poor quality of materials used for the works, and so the second paintings were done as a mosaic. The second paintings were done by Belgrade painter Đuro Radlović between 1975 and 1982, and consecrated byPatriarch German on February 27, 1983.[2]
The chapel can be visited every day, but is most often visited on Friday andslava days, especially at Saint Petka's feast day on October 27. Every friday morning aliturgy with reading of the canon of Saint Petka and kissing her holy relics is held inRužica Church, while in the afternoon it is held in the chapel of Saint Petka.[2]
The existence of the sacred spring is first mentioned in 1658 byMichel Quiclet.[1] It has dried up once, after the withdrawal of the Serbian army from Serbia in 1915, but ran again in 1918 on the feast day ofSaint Onesimus, so on this day a liturgy is being held in the chapel and the water is consecrated.[1]
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