A former imperial mausoleum of the Roman Empire, the oldest functioning cathedral in the world, the primary Catholic shrine of the ancient Croatian city of Split, and, finally, UNESCO World Heritage—all these are titles of the majestic Cathedral of Saint Domnius, or the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, as the locals call it. Located within the premises of the ancient palatial complex of the Roman emperor Diocletian, it is one of the main landmarks of the voguish tourist city of Split.

Named after the former Bishop of Salona, who became a martyr during the persecution of Christians, the cathedral was built at the end of the third century AD. Back then, it was just a small octagonal structure that served as the imperial mausoleum. Later, at the beginning of the 12th century, a bell tower was added to it, which was dedicated to Saint Domnius. The entire cathedral was dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Other parts of the cathedral were erected later, at the beginning of the 17th century. However, they were all made of the same material, perfectly complementing each other. They have survived to this day almost unchanged.

Unfortunately, most of the interior decoration has been lost. The mosaics that adorned the temple dome and the sarcophagi of the imperial family were destroyed. In the cathedral’s interior, Diocletian’s reign is only presented by stone bas-reliefs with images of the emperor and his lovely wife Prisca with laurel wreaths on their heads.

From the later Christian period, the cathedral inherited massive 13th-century wooden entrance doors. More than 5 meters high and about 4 meters wide, they are richly decorated with delicate carvings. Graceful floral patterns frame fourteen scenes of the life of Christ. The entire cathedral is made in the Romanesque style, and this magnificent landmark of temple architecture appears to the eyes of nowadays’s travelers and admirers of ancient architecture as it has been designed.