National Assembly Building

National Assembly building, in  Serbian Dom Narodne Skupštine is very typical building for Europe. It is not as splendid as in Prague or Vienna, but it sure will find the way to your camera. Most tourists only have the exterior view, but it is possible to have a guided tour and see treasures hidden inside this historical building. I had a chance to see it from the inside, but only one part, and here I will share my photographs with you.

The construction of the building of the National Assembly (originally the House of National Representation, of the Kingdom of Serbia), was based on a design by the architect Jovan Ilkić from 1901. Construction began in 1907, when King Petar I Karađorđević laid the cornerstone. As a consequence of Balkan Wars and the First World War, due to a lack of resources, the construction works had to be stopped and the building was made only up to the first floor.

The second phase of construction began with the establishment of the new state-the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. They drew up new plans which were necessary because the planned parliamentary session halls did not provide sufficient space. The architect was Pavle Ilkić, the son of the deceased Jovan Ilkić. Following the new design, the Assembly Building continued to be constructed until 1926, when the construction works were interrupted once again.

The third and final construction phase started after the death of King Aleksandar in 1934 when the chief architect became Nikola Krasnov, a Russian immigrant close to the court. The building of the National Assembly was finally completed in 1936.

Because of its precious architectural design and historical significance in 1984 the building was listed in the cultural heritage of Belgrade.

The history can be seen from the very moment you enter the building. The entrance hall has statues of significant people from history of all countries of the territory of Yugoslavia. Serbian emperor Dušan, who wrote the first Law, Croatian king Tomislav, Slovenian king, Karađorđe - the leader of riots against Turks, Nikola Pašić...

Unbelievable variety of marble, from white, through gray, to black, with all shades of yellow, pink and green, cleverly mixed in playful, yet elegant combination.

But, enough with talk - enjoy photos!