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SAVA GATE

WHERE IS IT?

The Sava Gate was located on the bank of the Sava, on the main southern road, and led to the Western suburbs and the Lower Town. It is located below The Victor monument and is close to a large gunpowder warehouse.

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kalemegdan

Foto: Andrija Soković/Beotura

Veliki stepenišni silaz

Sava kapija

THE HISTORY

The complex itself, which houses the gate, was built from the 14th to the 18th century, while the gate was built from 1740 to 1760 when the entire fortress was renovated to better defend the city from attacks from rivers. This gate was one of the best-preserved buildings in the entire Fortress. However, that changed when it was the target of the bombing of Belgrade in 1944, and on that occasion, it was completely destroyed. It is interesting that the gate served as a military facility, so there are barely any photographs or plans of it as a whole.

EXTERIOR

Only certain sketches dating back to the Turkish period can tell us about the appearance of the gate. In appearance, the Sava Gate did not differ from other Turkish gates that were built in that period. There were three rooms around the gate, the purpose of which is not known because they suffered the greatest damage, it is speculated that these were barracks for Turkish soldiers, which additionally confirms the importance of the gate. It is built of hewn stone. According to the original plans, it was envisaged that there would be a water trench with a bridge in front of the gate, but it remains unknown whether that plan was realized. During the bombing in 1944, the gate was the target of an air attack, and then only the foot of the right pillar remained. During the 20th century, plans were made for the reconstruction of the gate. However, the reconstruction did not take place until 2009, when the entire right and the foot of the left pillar were reconstructed.

Written and translated by: Andrija Soković