Background
Popović was born into an old and distinguishable family of priests in the town of Prilep, at the time in Ottoman Empire.
Popović was born into an old and distinguishable family of priests in the town of Prilep, at the time in Ottoman Empire.
He continued schooling in Belgrade where in 7th grade he switched from classical to technical high school which he finished with excellent grades.
His family left Macedonia when he was a child and came to Smederevo in Serbia where Petar received his primary education. Popović proceeded to the studies of architecture at the Technical Faculty of Belgrade University (1892-1896). This is where he got interested in monuments of Serbian medieval art, which he considered of utmost importance for Serbian architecture.
In 1897 Popović started working in the Ministry of Construction, where he stayed for the next three decades.
In 1901 he passed state exams for an architect and subsequently began his designs. In 1919 Popović became head of the Ministry of Construction as well as professor of Medieval Serbian and Byzantine architecture at Belgrade University.
He was also highly decorated. Except architecture, Popović was also engaged in church interior decoration, restoration of buildings, urbanism, historiography and heraldry.
Although he retired from state service in 1927, Popović remained active in research, publishing as well as in building.
He became a member of the Serbian Royal Academy (today Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts) in 1925 while the next year he became a corresponding member of Masaryk Academy of Labour in Prague.