Private Orthodox Icons Tour in Belgrade
Explore Orthodox Icons in Three Settings with Art Historian Guide
Duration: 2 hours Price: EUR 55 per person
Understand orthodox icon, an object of religion, art and personal prayer
Explore numerous icons from 15th to 19th century in three contexts: at a museum, in a church, at home
Get immersed in atmosphere of peace and calm
Quick book this tour
Enter your details and when you want to go on a tour. We’ll confirm your booking within 12 hours.
No deposit is needed at booking. If you have to cancel the booking please do so 24 hours before the tour at the latest.
This private 2-hour walking tour, led by an art historian, shows Orthodox icons in three settings in the historical center of Belgrade: the Museum of the Serbian Orthodox Church, the Belgrade Cathedral and Sekulić Collection. The icons by Serbian, Russian and Greeks masters date from 15th to 20th century. The tours run on Fridays, starting any time you choose between 9 AM and 2.30 PM. The price per person is EUR 55, payable in cash at the end of the tour.
Why do icons look the same for more than 1,000 years and why is that the point? This private tour will answer questions like these and bring these timeless images closer to you. Each of thre tree places we visit presents icons in a specific context. By the end of the tour, you’ll get the whole of the meaning of icons in Serbian and other Orthodox cultures.
You’ll love this tour if you are:
- Art lover
- Cultural explorer
- History lover
- On search for hidden gems
Museum of the Serbian Orthodox Church: Serbian Icon Masters of the 16th and 17th Centuries
Our exploration of Orthodox icons begins at the Museum of Serbian Orthodox Church, nested in the building of the Seat of the Serbian Patriarch.
The icons at the Museum belong to the 16th and 17th centuries, when the Serbian Church was intensely reaffirming its identity and power within the Ottoman territory. These icons were commissioned by the church dignitaries from the best icon painters. In a way, you can consider this an exhibition of the Serbian Old Masters.
Besides the icons, the Museum shows priceless artifacts that belonged to Serbian medieval kings. These are complemented by the exquisite objects hand made by Serbian medieval princesses of touching personal histories.
Read about these unique objects of Serbian Medieval legacy, to understande how elevated Serbian court culture was in the Late Middle Ages.
For an impressive 20th century reinterpretation of Serbian frescos in 3,500 square meters of mosaics, consider visiting Saint George’s church in Oplenac, just a one hour drive from Belgrade.
Iconostasis of Belgrade Cathedral
We cross the street and enter the Belgrade Cathedral, built in the 1830s. Our focus is the iconostasis, the icon screen that separates the altar from the rest of the church. We’ll see what role the iconostasis plays within the service and liturgy and what messages the rows of icons give to the faithful.
You’ll notice a sharp difference between these icons, painted during the 1840s, by a Serbian artist trained in Vienna, and those we saw at the Museum. An exception to the rule, the iconostasis of Belgrade Cathedral is the right spot to explain why Orthodox icons differ from the Western paintings of the saints and why they have never changed over time.
To get familiar with the basics of the Serbian Orthodox worship, read about the most important church service in Serbia – the Easter Service.
Private Collection of Home Icons: the Sekulić Apartment
The third type of Orthodox icon is the one closest to a little man, a home icon that’s been in his family for generations, a holy image hung on the wall, where he says his prayers every day.
The private collection we visit shows this type of icon. The collectors assembled 165 icons originating from 15th to 19th century Serbia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Italy, Greece and Russia.
Who were the collectors? A successful prewar architect and his wife, whose intricate postwar destiny is telling of political and social circumstances of the time. Mr. and Mrs. Sekulić kept the collection at their private apartment in the elegant building he designed. After her husband’s passing, Mrs. Sekulić was keeping their legacy alive, inviting visitors over for tea.
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For the complete overview of Belgrade’s history, check out how it is explained on our private tour of Belgrade Fortress. If you like history and culture interpreted at historic interiors, you’ll want to join the private tour of house museums of Jovan Cvijić, Ivo Andrić and Paja Jovanović.
Practical Info
Meeting point
in front of Museum of Serbian Orthodox Church
End point
What else is there
oldest neighbourhoods, pedestrian zone, commercial bars, restaurants and shopping
Level
easy
Booking
We’ll confirm your e-mail or whatsapp booking within 12 hours.
Payment
Cash at the end of the tour.
Ne deposit needed.
Start times
Fridays 9am – 2.30pm
Let’s Go!
Ready to hit the right places at right times?