Knez Mihailova Street (Serbian: Кнез Михаилова улица, romanized: Knez Mihailova ulica, officially: Улица кнеза Михаила, Ulica kneza Mihaila) is the main pedestrian and shopping zone in Belgrade, Serbia, and is protected by law as one of the oldest and most valuable landmarks of the city. Named after Mihailo Obrenović III, Prince of Serbia, it features a number of buildings and mansions built during the late 1870s.
Location and Description
The street is approximately one kilometer (3,300 ft) long, stretching from Terazije and Republic Square to the Kalemegdan Park and Belgrade Fortress. It is located in the Stari Grad municipality of Belgrade. The street was protected in 1964 as the first spatial cultural-historical unit of its type in Belgrade, and in 1979 it was elevated to the status of Spatial Cultural-Historical Unit of Exceptional Importance, protected by the Republic of Serbia (reference no. ПКИЦ 1).
History
The street follows the central grid layout of the Roman city of Singidunum, corresponding to one of the main access roads (via cardo) of the Roman settlement. The oldest Roman graves in this section date to the 1st and early 2nd century. During Ottoman occupation in the first half of the 16th century, the Ottomans repaired the old Roman aqueduct and built a new one along the street, along with gardens and five mosques with adjoining mahalas. When the Austrians occupied Belgrade in 1717, they demolished many existing structures and built new buildings.
The street was not a continuous thoroughfare at the time but a succession of smaller alleys. Apart from Delijska Street—named during the Ottoman period—other sections were named by the Ministry of the Interior on 8 February 1848: Kalemegdanska (from modern Kralja Petra Street to Kalemegdan Park) and Vojvodina (from Kralja Petra to Terazije). Delijska Street is the only Belgrade street whose name survived from the Ottoman period.
In the middle of the 19th century, the upper part of the street bordered the garden of Prince Alexander Karađorđević. After the implementation of the 1867 city regulation plan by Emilijan Josimović, the street gained its current look and architecture. Josimović's plan marked the beginning of the city's transformation from oriental to western urbanism. Works on construction of the new street began in spring of 1869. In 1870, two years after the assassination of Prince Mihailo Obrenović, the city authorities officially named the street Ulica Kneza Mihaila (Prince Michael Street), replacing the name "Delijska."
Architecture and Notable Buildings
Houses were built along the street by the most influential and wealthiest families of Serbian society, most of them merchants. The architecture represents a break with traditional Balkan architecture and an adoption of European styles. Notable buildings include:
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Block of private homes (Nos. 46, 48, and 50): Built in the 1870s, representing a transitional style from romanticism to renaissance. No. 50 (Hristina Kumanudi's house) was built in 1870 and housed the National Bank of the Kingdom of Serbia in the 1880s. No. 48 (Kristina Mehana) was built in 1869 as an administrative-commercial building and hosted meetings of the Belgrade City Assembly.
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Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts (SANU): Built in 1924 in the style of Academism with Art Nouveau elements.
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"Ruski Car" (Russian Tsar) building: Located at the corner of Knez Mihailova and Obilićev Venac, built in 1926.
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Belgrade City Library: Located at the end of the street, housed since 1986 in a building originally constructed in 1867 for the hotel "Srpska Kruna" (Serbian Crown).
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Avakumović House (No. 34): Built in 1923 in Russian Empire style.
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Progres Palace (No. 27): Former location of the Gallery Progres. The city intervened against the sale of the gallery space in 2019–2020.
Modern Development
In 1987, the street underwent a major reconstruction and was transformed into a pedestrian zone. It was paved with black granite slabs from Jablanica, a drinking fountain of white marble from Venčac was erected in memory of the former Delijska fountain, and an oak avenue was introduced. The project was developed by architect Branislav Jovin and completed in six months, opening on 20 October 1987.
In the late 20th century, the street evolved from a primarily shopping area into a cultural center of the city. As of the mid-2010s, much of the street's real estate was reported to be owned by Serbian business figures including Dragan Đurić, Miroslav Mišković, Miodrag Kostić, Philip Zepter, and others.
Cultural and Commercial Significance
Knez Mihailova is a common meeting point for Belgraders and has been named one of the most beautiful pedestrian zones in Southeast Europe. The street is home to the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts (SANU), Instituto Cervantes, Goethe-Institut, and Institut français de Serbie, as well as numerous shops, cafes, and restaurants. In December 2006, BusinessWeek magazine included the street as one of Europe's notable Christmas shopping sites. Representative offices of various airlines including Aeroflot, Emirates, Turkish Airlines, Qatar Airways, and Air France are located along the street.
In terms of real estate value, property in and around Knez Mihailova Street is among the most expensive in Belgrade. In November 2007, a 485 m² parcel belonging to the state-owned company Jugoexport sold for €15 million, approximately €32,000 per square meter.
Rajićeva Shopping Mall
Near the end of the street, between Knez Mihailova and Uzun Mirkova, the Rajićeva Shopping Mall complex was constructed. The shopping mall section opened on 14 September 2017, and a Mama Shelter hotel opened in March 2018. The project received criticism from some architects and cultural figures who described it as an unfitting addition to the historic area, while others praised its contemporary design.
Proposed Projects
A tunnel approximately 200 meters in length has been proposed for decades in the ending section of the street, which would follow the route of Pariska Street and allow the ground level to be turned into a pedestrian plateau. As of 2018, this project had not been realized.
