Students' Square (Studentski trg)

On the site of today's Students' Square there was once a ploughed field with Turkish gravestones. In the second half of the 19th century it was dug up and levelled, and the Great Market (Velika pijaca) was opened on the site, which was overshadowed by the then-newly erected Captain Miša's Building (Kapetan Mišino zdanje), with its light coloured façade and reddish decorations and motives around the windows and doors. When Belgrade fell into Serbian hands, the site of what had once been a market was cleared and levelled to make way for a park.

Captain Miša's Building (Kapetan Mišino zdanje)
(Studentski trg 1)
This building is the endowment of Captain Miša Anastasijević, a merchant and business partner of Prince Miloš. It was designed by the architect Jan Nevola in 1863 and represents a stylistic mixture of elements of the Gothic, Romantic and Renaissance. Today it houses Belgrade University Rectorate.

The Kolarac Foundation (Kolarčeva zadužbina)
(Studentski trg 5)
The building was erected by the great Belgrade philanthropist Ilija Milosavljević Kolarac. It was built in the Academic style and designed by the architect Petar Bajalović. It boasts a large concert hall with excellent acoustics, and an art gallery.

Monument to Petar II Petrović Njegoš (Spomenik Petru II Petroviću Njegošu)
(Akademski plato)
This monument to one of our greatest thinkers and poets was erected on the square in front of the Faculty of Philosophy in 1994. It is the work of Sreten Stojanović.

Sheikh Mustapha's Mausoleum (Šeik Mustafino turbe)
(corner of Braće Jugovića and Višnjićeva)
This mausoleum is one of the few surviving Turkish buildings in Belgrade. It was erected in 1784 over the tomb of this religious figure, in the courtyard of what was once a Dervish House ('tekija').

The University Park
During Turkish rule the Turks had a cemetery on this spot, but it was removed in the mid-19th century. Later on, the largest and most well-known market place was created on part of what is now a park. Emilijan Josimović, the first Serbian town planner, felt that the site demanded something more aesthetically pleasing than just a market and so after 1869, when work on building regulations began, he reduced the size of the Great Market by a half and converted the remainder into a park. The park began to take on a formal shape at the end of the 19th century, when the monument to Josif Pančić was unveiled, and it assumed its final appearance during the 1930s when the monument to Dositej Obradović was re-sited from Kalemegdan and the present Baroque fence was erected.

The main town square, Republic Square is a rendezvous for young people before they move off to other entertainments. In fact people who are not very familiar with Belgrade usually use this square as a place to get their bearings. When anyone in Belgrade says they will "see you in the Square" ("Vidimo se na Trgu!") this is the square they are referring to. In the Square are the National Theatre, the National Museum, the Monument to Prince Mihailo Obrenović III and the Monument to Branislav Nušić.

After the establishment of Serbian rule and the demolition of the Stambol Gate, the area of today's Republic Square long remained undeveloped. For more than 30 years the National Theatre stood as the only building on the site. When the monument to Prince Mihailo was unveiled, the gradual planned development of this square began. A long temporary building which held, amongst other things, the famous Dardaneli inn, a haunt of artists, was erected where the National Theatre now stands. The building was demolished in 1903 to make way for the Funds Administration (today the building of the National Museum). In the small park beside the National Museum, the well known Kolarac inn and cinema stood right until the Second World War. The Riunione Palace which houses the Jadran cinema was built in 1930. The old ground floor and single floor buildings with their merchant's offices were demolished during the German bombing of 6th April 1941. It was replaced by the largest building in the Square, the Press House (Dom štampe) which houses the City Bistro (Gradska kafana) and the International Press Centre.

The site of today's Terazije Square was just marsh and open fields outside the city ramparts right up to the 1830s. Terazije got its name from the towers that distributed water from above, which were called water scales ('terazi') by the Turks. The intensive construction of Terazije began in 1860 when the water tower was replaced by the Terazije Fountain (Terazijska česma) in memory of Prince Miloš Obrenović.

The Hotel Moskva
(corner of Terazije and Balkanska street)
This building was designed by the architect Jovan Ilkić and was built in 1908 as offices and a hotel for the Rosija Insurance Company. It was constructed in the Neorealist style, with elements of Secessionism and was the hub of Belgrade cultural and diplomatic life up until the Second World War.

The Terazije Fountain (Terazijska česma) (Terazije)
This was erected in 1860 during the second reign of Miloš Obrenović and is the work of an Italian master. In 1911 it was moved to Topčider and placed at the entrance to the Topčider Church (Topčiderska crkva), but was returned to Terazije in 1975 where it now remains as a monument and fountain.

The Anker Palace (Palata "Anker")(Terazije 26)
This was built in the Neo-Renaissance style in 1900 to the design of the architect Milan Antonijević for the Anker Insurance Company.

The Krsmanović House (Kuća Krsmanovića)
(Terazije 34)
This building was erected in 1885 for the Belgrade merchant Aleksa Krsmanović to the design of the architect Jovan Ilkić, and is one of his most successful architectural projects. It housed the Court of Aleksandar I Karađorđević from 1918 to 1922. The Unification of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes and the creation of a unified state was proclaimed there on 1st December 1918.

Slavija Square (Trg Slavija)

Slavija is not just the name of the square but a title that signifies a part of Belgrade, a space between Kralja Milana, Beogradska, Makenzijeva, Svetosavska, Bulevar oslobođenja, Deligradska and Nemanjina. All these seven streets meet at Slavija Square and make it a main traffic junction. This roundabout, which vehicles approach from all directions, is a real test for inexperienced drivers.

Until the 1880's this square was just a muddy pond where the people of Belgrade used to hunt wild duck. When a Scotsman Francis Mackenzie, a well-known businessman, bought the large plot of land above the square and split it up to sell it, the square began to take shape. For a time the square was named after Dimitrije Tucović, a distinguished leader in the Serbian socialist movement, whose bust stands in the middle of the square.

On the square is the Jat Airways terminal.