The continuity of Christian worship at the site of today’s Tasmajdan Park certainly dates back to the 19th century.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
Namely, almost on the same spot, slightly south of the current building, there was the original Church of Saint Mark until the beginning of World War II, which was built during the time of the Metropolitan Petar Jovanovi\u0107 of Belgrade (1833-1859) and Prince Milo\u0161 Obrenovi\u0107, in 1835-1836.<\/p>\n
For Belgrade, where there was still a Turkish military garrison, and where today’s Belgrade Cathedral was made of wood, this was a significant spiritual event.<\/p>\n
The founder of the church was Lazar Pan\u010da, a merchant from Southern Serbia, from the place Katarnica, who died in Belgrade in 1831.<\/p>\n
The church was located in a cemetery, which was a common occurrence, and the cemetery was managed by the Church Administration. There was a stone (and nitrate) quarry at Tasmajdan, which was used during the Turkish period and from which much was built, including in today’s Belgrade.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
Before the construction of the Church of Saint Mark, according to contemporary witnesses, a Cross and a tent where the Holy Liturgy or processions were held in Palilula were set up at that location.<\/p>\n
Sreten Popovi\u0107, a Belgrader, recorded in the 1870s that \u201cthere were some ruins there, and it was said and talked about that there was an old church, which was most likely dedicated to Saint Mark.\u201d The same writer mentions a mound \u2013 a grave, where in 1830 a firman was read.<\/p>\n
The old Church of Saint Mark was a rectangular building with an external area of 11.5\/21 meters and an internal usable space of 7.75\/17.46 meters. At the same time, Prince Milo\u0161 Obrenovi\u0107 built the Top\u010dider court church of Saints Peter and Paul (completed in 1834).<\/p>\n
The works on both churches were supervised by Hadji-Nikola \u017divkovi\u0107 from Voden (1792-1870), the first major builder in restored Serbia, and his masters Janja and Nikola.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
From the very beginning of the church’s existence, in 1838, Prince Milan Obrenovi\u0107, the oldest son of Prince Milo\u0161 Obrenovi\u0107, was buried there \u201cto the right of its western doors, and the remains of the late \u0160abac Bishop Gavrilo (Popovi\u0107) who rests to the left of the western doors in the church itself.\u201d<\/p>\n
After the bloody dynastic coup in May 1903, the royal couple King Alexander and Queen Draga Obrenovi\u0107 were buried in this church.<\/p>\n
Around 1870, the Church of Saint Mark had two parishes: the Terazije parish with 312 households and the Palilula parish with 318 households.<\/p>\n
During World War I, Austrian occupiers restored the church in 1917. The original church existed until the beginning of World War II. Due to German bombing on Palm Sunday, April 13, 1941, the church was set on fire and so damaged that its remains were completely removed during 1942.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>