Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Eastern Orthodoxy is the largest Christian tradition in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with over one million faithful—almost entirely members of the Serbian Orthodox Church under the historic Metropolitanate of Dabar-Bosnia.
Orthodoxy in
Bosnia-Herzegovina.
A living tradition — its history, its faithful, its sacred places.
Eastern Orthodoxy in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Eastern Orthodox Christianity is the most widespread Christian confession in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the country's second-largest religious community overall. According to the 2013 census, there were 1,089,658 Orthodox Christians in the country, representing roughly 30.86% of the population. They belong almost without exception to the Serbian Orthodox Church, whose historical, liturgical, and spiritual life has shaped Orthodox identity in these lands for more than seven centuries.
Medieval foundations
Eastern Orthodoxy became firmly established in the region at the end of the High Middle Ages, in the form of the Serbian Orthodox Church, first taking root in the eastern parts of Herzegovina (the medieval principality of Zachlumia) after a period of Serbian royal rule. The consecration of Saint Sava as autocephalous archbishop of the Serbs in 1219 aligned the Serbian lands firmly with Constantinople, and Orthodox dioceses, monasteries, and parishes gradually spread across Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Ottoman and Habsburg centuries
Under Ottoman rule, Orthodox life endured significant hardship, yet large-scale construction of Orthodox monasteries and churches continued throughout Bosnia, and the Metropolitan of Bosnia exercised authority over the Orthodox bishops of Mostar, Zvornik, Novi Pazar, and Sarajevo by the end of the 18th century. The church's close association with Serbian resistance to Ottoman rule led to Orthodoxy becoming inextricably linked with Serbian national identity. The Austro-Hungarian period (1878–1918) brought new administrative arrangements and the construction of several major cathedrals.
The twentieth century and today
The wars of the twentieth century—both World Wars and the Bosnian War of 1992–1995—were devastating for Orthodox communities. Eparchies such as Dabar-Bosnia, Zvornik-Tuzla, and Bihać-Petrovac were temporarily dislocated, churches and monasteries were damaged or destroyed, and many faithful were displaced. Since the Dayton Agreement, reconstruction of damaged churches and monasteries has been a priority, and ecclesiastical life has been rebuilt across the country, especially in Republika Srpska.
Jurisdictional structure
Today, the Serbian Orthodox Church in Bosnia and Herzegovina is organised into five eparchies:
Metropolitanate of Dabar-Bosnia, seated in Sarajevo (Metropolitan Hrizostom Jević, since 2017)
Eparchy of Zahumlje and Herzegovina, seated in Mostar/Trebinje
Eparchy of Zvornik and Tuzla, seated in Bijeljina
Eparchy of Banja Luka
Eparchy of Bihać and Petrovac, seated in Bosanski Petrovac
All are canonical parts of the Serbian Patriarchate, which is in full communion with the other autocephalous Eastern Orthodox Churches.
Famous Orthodox churches and monasteries in Bosnia and Herzegovina
The sacred architecture of Orthodox Bosnia-Herzegovina — cathedrals, parishes, and the mountain monasteries that keep the lamps burning.
- Cathedral Church of the Nativity of the Theotokos, Sarajevo — Seat of the Metropolitanate of Dabar-Bosnia and the largest Serbian Orthodox church in Sarajevo, counted among the largest Orthodox cathedrals in the Balkans. Built in the 1860s–1870s and designated a National Monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
- Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, Banja Luka — The principal cathedral of the Eparchy of Banja Luka, whose origins go back to the formation of the Metropolitanate of Banja Luka and Bihać in 1900; destroyed in World War II and rebuilt on its original site.
- Tvrdoš Monastery (near Trebinje) — A Serbian Orthodox monastery dating to the late 15th or early 16th century and historically associated with Saint Basil of Ostrog. It remains an important spiritual centre of the Eparchy of Zahumlje and Herzegovina.
- Žitomislić Monastery (near Mostar) — A 16th-century monastery founded by the noble Miloradović–Hrabren family, once home to a noted scriptorium. Destroyed in the 1990s war and subsequently rebuilt.
- Zavala Monastery (Popovo Polje, Herzegovina) — A venerable monastic foundation beneath Ostrog Mountain, regarded as a major cultural and spiritual centre for Orthodox faithful in Herzegovina.
- Hercegovačka Gračanica, Trebinje — A modern monastery church on Crkvina Hill modelled on the medieval Gračanica in Kosovo, built to honour the poet Jovan Dučić and serving as a widely visited pilgrimage site.
Orthodoxy
kept here.
The shape of the faith as it is lived and prayed across Bosnia-Herzegovina today.
The overwhelming majority of Eastern Orthodox Christians in Bosnia and Herzegovina are ethnic Serbs who identify with the Serbian Orthodox Church. The liturgical language is Church Slavonic, with the Serbian recension used for readings, sermons, and many hymns. Feasts are celebrated according to the Julian (Old) Calendar, so that Nativity falls on 7 January and Pascha is calculated by the traditional Paschalion. The family slava—the patronal feast of the household saint—remains a defining feature of Orthodox piety.
Ecclesiastical life is unified under the Patriarchate of Peć (the Serbian Orthodox Church), whose primate is the Patriarch of Serbia in Belgrade. Within Bosnia and Herzegovina, five eparchies cover the territory, with the Metropolitanate of Dabar-Bosnia historically holding the senior place and the Metropolitan sitting in Sarajevo. Monastic life is concentrated especially in Herzegovina, with ancient houses such as Tvrdoš, Žitomislić, and Zavala, and in central and western Bosnia at Gomionica, Liplje, and others.
Church–state relations reflect the country's complex structure. In Republika Srpska, where most Orthodox faithful live, the Serbian Orthodox Church enjoys a prominent public role and close ties to Bosnian Serb civil institutions. In the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Orthodox communities are a minority alongside Muslim and Roman Catholic populations, and parish life has been rebuilt in many cities after the destruction of the 1990s war.
A large Bosnian Orthodox diaspora exists in Serbia, Western Europe, North America, and Australia, pastored through the diocesan structures of the Serbian Orthodox Church abroad. These communities maintain strong ties with ancestral parishes and monasteries in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Asked
of this land.
Frequently asked questions about Orthodoxy in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Which Orthodox Church do Bosnian Orthodox Christians belong to?
Virtually all Eastern Orthodox Christians in Bosnia and Herzegovina belong to the Serbian Orthodox Church, an autocephalous member of the Eastern Orthodox communion whose primate is the Patriarch of Serbia.
How many Orthodox Christians live in Bosnia and Herzegovina?
The 2013 census recorded 1,089,658 Eastern Orthodox Christians, about 30.86% of the population, making Orthodoxy the largest Christian tradition and the second-largest religious community in the country after Islam.
What language is used in Orthodox worship?
Divine services are celebrated primarily in Church Slavonic, following the Serbian liturgical tradition. Sermons, readings of the Gospel and Epistle, and many hymns and prayers are offered in Serbian.
What calendar do the churches follow?
The Serbian Orthodox Church, and therefore all Orthodox parishes in Bosnia and Herzegovina, follows the Julian (Old) Calendar. Christmas (the Nativity of Christ) is celebrated on 7 January, and Pascha is reckoned by the traditional Orthodox Paschalion.
How is the Church organised within the country?
The Serbian Orthodox Church covers the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina through five eparchies: the Metropolitanate of Dabar-Bosnia (seated in Sarajevo), the Eparchy of Zahumlje and Herzegovina, the Eparchy of Zvornik and Tuzla, the Eparchy of Banja Luka, and the Eparchy of Bihać and Petrovac.
Are there historic Orthodox monasteries in the country?
Yes. Herzegovina in particular is home to ancient houses such as Tvrdoš, Žitomislić, and Zavala, while central Bosnia has monasteries such as Gomionica and Liplje. Many were damaged in 20th-century wars and have since been restored.