Through the past centuries in Serbia the diversity of religions has left their traces as remarkable masterpieces of architecture always impressively respecting each other in harmony.
The Orthodox Monasteries in Serbia as the oasis of culture, history and identity of Serbian people have been built in past centuries throughout Serbia by visionary rulers. Inside the monastic complexes of incomparable beauties that live the particular life of wisdom, calmness, love, enlightment and prayers, providing all necessary living conditions for the brethen and often producing the food and wine for themselves and visitors, there are priceless shrines capturing the huge history of Serbia presented in magnificent fresco paintings, hidden manuscripts and wisdom gospels as the treasurers of Serbian identity. Today there are 152 sacral Monastic monuments in Serbia, amongst them some listed in the UNESCO World Heritage list of protected Monuments. Thus they are the main issues of many Panacomp arrangements so to contribute to overall mental ecology.
Miroslavljevo Jevandjelje (The Miroslav Gospel) is the earliest and most beautiful manuscript written in Serbian in the Cyrillic script dating from around 1180. It has been inscribed on UNESCO's Memory of the World Register in 2005. Miroslavljevo Jevandjelje was inscribed in gold for the celebrated prince Miroslav, son of Zavida and brother of Grand Zhupan Stefan Nemanja. It is one of the richest manuscripts of its kind and the oldest Serbian book in Cyrillic alphabet. The 181 bound sheet book with miniatures and penmanship of outstanding beauty belongs to a group of illuminated manuscripts of specific style and iconography resulting from the fusion of elements of the West (Italy) and the East (Byzantine). The Serbian script is actually one of the important testimonies of the paths of artistic influences from the West to the East and back. The manuscript documents the liturgical structure of the Evangelistria and a development stage of the Serbian orthography, and also speaks about Christian princes in the Balkans at the end of the 12th century. This invaluable material, precious parchment and gilding, wealth of painted ornamentation and illuminated initials, linguistic complexity and variety of models written for Medieval Serbian Knez (Duke) Miroslav has been preserved almost completely. Judging by the few traces of candle wax the Gospel was not often used for liturgical purposes. During the Ottoman rule the manuscript was kept in the Chilandari Monastery on Mt. Athos (The Holy Mountain). Today Miroslavljevo Jevandjelje (The Miroslav Gospel) is treasured in the National Museum in Belgrade dealing with the turbulent eight century story of this magnificent Manuscript that is the treasury of universal value. Miroslavljevo Jevandjelje is the second Serbian entry to the Memory of the World, after the 2003 inscription of the entire archives of prominent genius Serbian-born American inventor and scientist Nikola Tesla (1856-1943).
Banja Monastery or as it was called earlier St. Nicolas of Dabar is situated in the very vicinity of Priboj on a highland plateau of the Banja Brdo at the right bank of Lim River. Banja Monastery got its name after curative springs /banja - spa/ on the monastery property that were used for healing from the ancient times. Priboj Spa is located just beside the monastery fence. Banja Monastery existed since the 12th century and was dedicated to St. Nicola. Banja Monastery is endowment of Nemanjic Family and considered as one of the oldest and most important amongst Serbian Medieval Monasteries. Banja Monastery was first mentioned in the 12th century in the Typichon of Studenica Monastery when its Prior took part in election of Prior of Studenica Monastery.
Banjska Monastery near Kosovska Mitrovica in Kosovo and Metohija was built between 1313 and 1317 on the site of former Episcopal Church. Banjska Monastery is the endowment and the burial place of King Milutin /Stefan Uros 2nd/, one of the most powerful rulers in Nemanjic Dynasty and the greatest builder of churches amongst all the Serbian Medieval rulers /there were more than forty endowments of King Milutin built during his 40 years long reign/. It was the “metochian” Monastery of Gracanica Monastery and dedicated to St. Stephen /the “slava” – family patron saint and protector of Nemanjic Family/. In Banjska Monastery King Milutin was buried until 1389 when his relics have been relocated to Trepca and afterwards to Sofia, where they are preserved until nowadays.
The White Church of Karan is dedicated to Annunciation
. The White Church of Karan was built in the Rashka architectural style by nobleman Petar Brajan with his wife Struja and their son and three daughters between 1340 and 1342 on the place of the former Roman settlement.
The Monastery of Hvostno Virgin was in Middle Ages located at the foot of Mokra Gora Mountain near the village of Vrelo, 20km north-east of Peć. Nowadays there is nothing left of it. The earliest buildings on this location date from the mid 6th century. Within the Byzantine fortification there were two three-nave basilicas with narthex belonging to the early Byzantine period. From the Medieval times this area, the part around Decani Monastery and Peć Patriarchate is also known as Old Hvosno /4.684 sq km/. Hvosno /encompassed major part of present day Metohija/ was covered with a network of large and rich monasteries built by Serbian kings and significant number of late medieval churches erected by local Serbian noblemen /Velika Hoca, Orahovac, Crkolez, Vaganes, Zociste,Dolac.../. It became part of the independent Serbian Archdiocese in 1219 and the Hvosno region came under special Hvosno Diocese with its seat in the Monastery. With the Serb Orthodox Church being elevated to the level of the Patriarchate, the Prizren Diocese acquired the status of a Metropolitanate and The old Hvosno and Lipljanska Dioceses, i. e. that of Gracanica /Novo brdo/ were added to the Prizren Diocese after 1766.
Bogorodica Ljeviska Cathedral /the Holy Virgin of Ljevish Church/ is the main official diocesan church of Prizren Orthodox Serbian Bishops and is considered by Orthodox Serbs as a pride of the Royal Medieval city of Prizren. It was built as the cathedral church in the old part of Prizren which was the capital of Medieval Serbia for a while and beloved city of Nemanyć Family. Remains of the older church buildings dating probably from the 9th-10th century are under the foundations of the present church of the Holy Virgin. The oldest one was a three-nave basilica with three alter apses and two vestibules. This building had the features of Byzantine provincial architecture. It is assumed that the Bishopric mentioned in a charter by the Byzantine emperor Basil II in 1018, was situated in this church /monastery/.
Bukovo Monastery is dedicated to Father Nikolai the Miracle-Worker. Monastery is located at the 4th km from Negotin, on the road Zajecar - Negotin, on the slopes of Bratujevac mt. The name Bukovo of the monastery comes by tradition from the surrounding "Beech Forest" or the bird "Buk" that lived here in the former marshes. There are no written records of the founder of the monastery, but there are many traditional legends testifying about its history. One of them "proof" Bukovo Monastery is the endowment of the Serbian King Milutin erected at the end of the 13th century built after the victory over the Bulgarian Emperor Sisman. The next legend says that the founder of the monastery is St. Nikodim Tismanski who lived in Timocka Krajina and built several churches in the 15th century. The last legend says that the founder of the monastery was someone from the aristocracy of Eastern Serbia from the 15th century.
Crna reka Monastery is situated in Ibarski Kolasin area comprising the tiny ancient Cave-church dedicated to the Archangel Michael with the frescoes from the end of the 16th century. In Crna Reka Monastery are kept the Holy relics of Saint Peter of Korisha who was hermit in the village of Korisa near Prizren. Crna Reka Monastery is a hermitage in the midst of the south Serbian mountains /Mokra Gora Mountain/ situated in the gorge of the Black River. Crna Reka Monastery lies at the crossroad between Kosovska Mitrovica, Rozaje /Montenegro/ and Novi Pazar, within the area of Ribarice village, 310 km south of Belgrade. Crna Reka Monastery is located in inaproachable high rocks, steep mountain sides and lush vegetation of hundred years old oak forests. Due to its unique architecture Crna Reka Monastery is considered as one of the most beautiful cave-church in Serbia. Crna Reka Monastery dates from the 13th century when a small church only three meters wide and six meters long dedicated to the Holy Archangel Michael was built in a big cave. Soon the monks hermits built their cells around the church and erected a small draw bridge over the drybed of the Black River. By a great blessing of God the Black River disappears underground just in front of the monastery and reappears after several hundred meters of its underground flow and thus spares the monastery from the noise.
Celije Monastery is situated on the glade above the Gradac river near Valjevo. As the endowement of King Dragutin Nemanjić, Celije Monastery was built in the 13th century and reconstructed in the 18th century. Celije Monastery church is dedicated to St Archangels.
Davidovida Monastery dates from the 13th century. It was built on remains of the Byzantine basilica from the 6th century as
endowment of Nemanjic Family, actually the monk David /the great duke Dimitrije/, the grandson of Stefan Nemanja after whom Davidovica Monastery got its name. Davidovica Monastery is the only shrine whose contract on the building was preserved and found historicaly recently amongst the scribes of Dubrovnik. This contract was signed in1281 by the monk David and builders from Dubrovnik.
Devič Monastery is founded in 1434 in a wooded hills of Drenica in the central part of Kosovo and Metohija. Devič Monastery was erected on the place where St. Joanikije /St. Joannicius/ lived in the highest ascetic manner within one hermitage pump in the 15th century. He was heailing ill and poor people and had been making miracles. Devič Monastery ranks amongst the most significant Christian shrines in the Balkans featuring the traditional rules form the ancient history. Devič Monastery is a endowment of Despot Djurdje Brankovic who built it in the memory of the healing of his ill daughter - virgin (devica), which is how the name came.
