 The term "Sava amphitheater" was coined by the architect Đorđe Kovljanski in 1923 when he projected a plan by which Savamala would be turned into an island.Savamala was much shaped by the architectural work of merchant Luka Ćelović, which includes hotels, palaces and parks (Park Bristol, Park Luka Ćelović).The name comes from the name of the Sava river and "mahala", contracted usually to "ma('a)la" in Serbian, one of the Turkish words for neighbourhood or block of houses.