Banja Luka's Serbian-Byzantine–style Orthodox cathedral is an impressive structure of layered gold-brown and crab-pink stones rising to golden domes and flanked by an unfeasibly tall free-standing bell tower. The interior has a splendid carved iconostasis and a giant central chandelier through which a dazzling image of Christ stares down from within the main dome.
Originally consecrated in 1939, the church was damaged by Nazi bombers before being demolished by the Ustaše (Croatian fascist) regime. The present structure is a faithful reconstruction, commenced in 1993 and completed in 2004.
