Sveta Petka, Orthodox church in Belgrade Fortress, Serbia

Sveta Petka is a church building in Belgrade Fortress constructed above a natural spring. The interior walls are covered entirely with mosaics from floor to ceiling, creating a richly decorated space.

A chapel of Saint Petka was built in 1417 by an unknown dignitary when her relics were translated to Belgrade at the request of Princess Milica. After Belgrade was captured in 1521, the relics were taken to Constantinople and in 1641 to Iași. The present chapel, designed by architect Momir Korunović, was built and consecrated in 1937 on the site of an earlier dugout chapel, after an initiative by Patriarch Varnava. Excavations for its foundation uncovered remains of an older temple and bones of soldiers killed in the defence of Belgrade in 1914 and 1915.

The chapel draws Orthodox visitors who collect spring water in bottles, maintaining a tradition that has been passed down through generations. This practice shapes the daily rhythm of the sacred space.

Access is through the main entrance of Belgrade Fortress, where signs guide visitors to the building near Runica Church. The site is easily reached on foot and sits close to other historical structures within the fortress.

The sacred spring inside the altar is first mentioned in 1658 by Michel Quiclet. It dried up after the Serbian army withdrew in 1915 but flowed again in 1918 on the feast of Saint Onesimus, and a liturgy is still held and the water blessed on that day.