It was built between 1884 and 1889, early in the Austro-Hungarian period, to designs by the architect Josip Vancaš. The style is neo-Gothic with Romanesque touches: two square bell towers, a large rose window above the main portal and a stone facade that stands out among the surrounding city buildings.
Inside, the nave is decorated with stained glass and painted walls. In front of the cathedral stands a statue of Pope John Paul II, who visited Sarajevo in 1997, and nearby on the pavement is one of the red-filled shell scars known as the Sarajevo Roses, a reminder of the 1990s siege.
The cathedral is on Ferhadija, the main pedestrian street linking Baščaršija with the Austro-Hungarian centre, so most walks between the old and new parts of town pass right by it.
