Divljana Monastery

The Monastery of Divljana, dedicated to the Great Martyr of Demetrius is located in the foothill of the southeastern portion of the Suva Planina Mountain, in the area of Divna Gorica Mountain whose woody slopes descend towards the meadows of the Monastery, at the altitude of 450 meters from where spreads majestic view to Svrljiske Planine Mountains and Sljivovicki Vrh peak. The Monastery of Great Martyr Demetrius is 6 km away southwest from Bela Palanka, close to the ancient road that led from Skopje to Thessaloníki between ancient villages of Divljana and Mokra. By the legend Divljana Monastery is the endowment of Mrnjavcevic Family dating from the end of the 13th and the beginning of the 14th centuries whose tradition dates back as long as the early Christian 4th century.

The tradition of the Divljana shrine dates to the early-Christian 4th century. Namely, as per some resources, the earliest Christian shrine of the Divljana Monastery was raised in 394 when the shrine was erected on foundations of the ancient pagan temple that was dedicated to Mitra – the God of Sun. Since the earliest time this was a cult place which was the reason that the later construction of the shrine and the monastic estate was founded on the same place. Historical resources testify that the area of the present village of Divljana was populated since the earliest times, and that was one of the holy places of the antique Tribal population of the Thracians. Only a kilometer away from the Divljana Monastery there is the prehistorical settlement of Igriste from the Bronze age, dating from around 1200 BC. Besides, some 1 km in the surroundings of the Divljana Monastery there were several Roman settlements – Stasovac, Bils, Villa rustica… The pagan sanctuary was extinguished in 392 when parts of the old shrine and reliquaries were taken to the newly established monastery of Saint Demetrios.

The founder of the Divljana Monastery was the Saint Nicetas – the Bishop of Remesiana, 338-420, and the first church was erected at the end of the 4th century, between 392 and 395. During the turbulent times of the frequent Goth raids across the Danube River the Saint Nicetas tirelessly established and spread the Orthodox religion in this area. The Bishop Saint Nicetas was determined by the Roman Empire as per his achievements among which were the missionary work and literary concept, as well as numerous shrines that belong to the earliest in the area.

The Monastery of Saint Demetrios in Divljana experienced in 476 the fall of Romea and in 614 constant settlement of the pagan Slavs into Ponisavlje region. The next 2,5 centuries the Christian life declined to be restored in 870 by foundation of the Bishopric under the Greek hierarchs of the Tsarigrad Patriarchy. After several centuries since Slavs arrival reconstruction of the shrine started which was about 880 AD when the New Christianity begun as well as education of the new Bishops. The restoration of the Divljana shrine started in 880 when the new Christianisation was carried out as well as creation of the new bishoprics. The center of the restored church life in the middle of Ponisavlje was located in the Monastery of St Demetrius which was confirmed in the Charter of Emperor Basil II in 1019 while in the town of Nis itself was the Episcopal Center in the Monastery of Saint Procopius while in the area of Pirot town it was in the Monastery of Ascension of the Holy Virgin in Sukovo village. Each of three churches are three-nave basilicas built on the early Christian foundations of the equal sizes. Upon establishment of the monastic life of the Monastery of Saint Demetrius, the monastic estate of some 1000 hectares was founded, as well as the monastic Divljana village.

It is presumed that the name of Divljana /hundred years ago it was pronounced as well as “Divijana” which most probably origins from the fairy Diviana/ and comes from the Latin word Divus – God. Large number of ancient monuments were found in the Divljana Monastery of which two capitols could be seen today. One is 64 cm high with radius of 53 cm in the lower part and 72 in the higher part of it with the early Christian Cross in the ring on the front side and stylized “Omega” letter along all vertical edges.

In historical sense as per local traditions the Divljana Monastery is restored endowment of the Mrnjavchevics from the end of the 13th and beginning of the 14th century. On the old foundations of Remesiana locality the Medieval Serbian town of Izvori was erected where on the 28th of August 1330 Serbian King Stefan Decanski had received Bulgarian Peace delegation after the Velbuzd Battle. From the travelers’ records we learn that in Divljana Monastery in 1578 there were five monks and in 1663 Stojan Vuja from Suracevo village was the Priest and in 1714 books have been repaired and in 1719 monks lived their lives according to the rules of St Basil while in 1809 it was set a flame after withdraw of Veljko the Brigand. In 1821 Divljana Monastery was reconstructed to be burnt again in 1877. About this fire when all precious handwriting were burnt testify records of Felix Kanic as the metochion of the Saint Demetrius in Thessaloníki.

Prothosyngel Agatangel /of origin by Greek father from Tinos Island and by his mother Serb/ came to the monastery in 1862 and arranged the property and near the old dormitory in 1874 has built the new one which was again burnt by Turks. After the liberation in 1878 he started the reconstruction in which all inhabitants of Bela Palanka took part. The foundations of the new shrine were consecrated in March of 1878 so the Medieval Church remained in the middle of the new temple which was completed in 1908. Icons of the Christ and the Most Holy Virgin from the 14th century and of the St Demetrius from the 13th century and St John the Baptist from the 12th century were moved from the old church to the new one.

The new Monastery of Divljana is concerned as the most acoustic in Serbia and maybe in the Balkans. During the Bulgarian occupation in 1915/16 Divljana Monastery was looted and demolished. The old inscription of monks about the Serbian Saint Sava visit to this shrine was missing from that occasion. After Liberation large number of Russian monks and nuns arrived to the Monastery of Divljana who were painting icons and frescoes and around 1933 have built the temple dedicated to the St Seraphim of Sarov. In 1935 St Nicolas Serbian had brought the piece of the Venerable Cross and the relics of St Cyril and Julita. After Russian monks left the Monastery just before the Second World War nunnery was formed in the Monastery. After the II WW communists tried to fear nuns with punishment of shooting and took almost all its property so nowadays it is only 13 hectares that is the Divljana Monastery’s belonging. There was kindergarten for orphans in the Monastery of Divljana while on its once property the Youth Center for recreation and leisure of Red Cross was established. The new belfry with three bells was erected in 1977 and was consecrated by the Bishop of Nis on the Peter’s Day.