Bela crkva Karanska White Church of Karan village
The White Church of Karan – Bela crkva, in close proximity of Uzice /16 km/ is dedicated to Annunciation of the Holy Virgin and dates from the period of the reign of the Serbian King Dusan /ruled 1331 -1355/. “The fertile valley and the mountainous back represent excellent combination of life conveniences in medieval times: conveniences for agriculture and cattle breeding, resources of wood, stone for building, bee cultivation and honey and bees wax production, conveniences for hunting and forest fruit collecting”. Živojin Andrejić.
The Bela crkva Church – the White Church of Karan has been built in the Rashka architectural style between 1340 and 1342/probably on the place of the former Roman settlement/. Endowers of the Bela Crkva Karanska were members of the prominent and powerful family of Rastislalic – nobleman Petar Brajan with his wife Struja and their son and three daughters.
The White Church of Karan village is dedicated to the Annunciation of the Holy Virgin and was also named after the name of the village Karan where it is located. The Bela crkva Karanska is of small dimensions, set on the bank of the fertile Luznica River valley, and features the fully fresco decorated interior, completed just after its construction. The White Church of Karan is one nave structure with the semi circular apse. It has the semi circle covering with the cupola set on the round base. The portraits of the founders dressed in festive and rich noble attires are depicted on the northern side of the western part of naos, while the portraits of the Nemanjic Family are painted on the opposite side : Simeon Nemanja, Saint Sava, King Milutin and the ruler of that time – King Dusan with his son Uros and wife Jelena /Helen/. Donors and all who contributed to the establishment and construction of the Bela crkva – the White Church of Karan were also depicted. Monumental and well preserved fresco painting of the Bela Crkva Karanska /the White Church of Karan/ which were painted by unknown painter – by some sources the painter was priest Djordje Medos – and represents significant monumental ensemble of the north western part of King Dušan’s state. The frescoes of the Bela crkva Karanska contain scenes of the Great feasts: the meeting of Jesus Christ, the Resurrection of Lazarus, Crucifixtion of our Lord Jesus Christ, Resurrection of Jesus Christ, Ascension, Pentecost, the Day of the Holy Spirit, Dormition of the Holy Mother of God.
The original built-in iconostasis painted with frescoes of the Bela crkva – the White Church with depiction of the Three-handed Holy Virgin is pretty well preserved due to the fact that it was accidentally discovered in 1927. Probably two unknown masters-painters were engaged for fresco painting as pter the style and pattern of the frescoes of the Kings Church of Studenica Monastery and Saint George Church in Staro Nagoricino. The painters tried their best to respond to the artistic demands of the so-called Rennaisance of Paleologue. In the altar of the Bela crkva – the White Church of Karan are depicted scenes of the Holy Virgin /four depictions of the Holy Virgin are painted in the church interior/ with angels and in the naos are the Great Holy feasts and the scenes of the life of the Holy Virgin, the Old Testament scenes and the portraits of the saints and other historical portraits.
The simple nartex has been added in the 19th century in the northern part of the temple of the Bela crkva – the White Church of Karan. The tombs of the endowers of the Bela crkva Karanska have been found during the archaeological excavations in 1975 that testify on their wish to build their mausoleum in the church of the Annunciation of the Blessed Holy Virgin. Numerous Roman graves with relief inscribed writings confirm sacral cult of the Bela crkva – White Church of Karan. The restoration works on the White Church of Karan architecture and frescoes were carried out in 1980. Pls see BlagoFund.org Virtual tour
