Monasteries

2 MIN

Influenced by Byzantine, Romanesque and baroque architecture, Serbian monasteries are stylistically diverse and are well known for their distinguished religious art. In fact, here you can see some of the most exquisite mediaeval frescoes painted in the Byzantine style.

As the creation of these monasteries was inextricably tied to the emergence of the Serbian state, medieval Serbian rulers spared no expense when erecting these majestic buildings, where they were both crowned and interned.

In the Middle Ages, the church was the centre of spirituality and culture in most European countries. Serbian monasteries thus soon developed into important centres of education and culture. Through the hardest and darkest of times, Serbian monasteries were the guardians of national identity of the Serbian people.

Serbia has more than two hundred monasteries, of which 54 have been designated cultural monuments, while several mediaeval Serbian shrines enjoy international protection. Thus, the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites includes Stari Ras with Sopoćani, Studenica monastery and Dečani, Gračanica, the Partiarchate of Peć and Our Lady of Ljeviš mediaeval Serbian monasteries in Kosovo and Metohija.

Monasteries of Fruška Gora

On the slopes of Fruška Gora mountain, there are as many as 17 medieval monasteries. This mountain became the mainstay of Serbian cultural revival during the Ottoman rule, when oppression forced the centre of spirituality to move north to what was then Austria-Hungary.

Monasteries of Kosovo and Metohija

In the 14th Century, the region of Kosovo and Metohija was the political and spiritual heart of medieval Serbia. It was at this time that Serbian King Milutin erected more than 40 monasteries in a relatively small area, hiring only the best Byzantine building masters. Influences of Byzantine art are visible both in architecture and inside the churches, on the frescoes which have been the object of admiration of visitors and art connoisseurs for centuries. Some of the frescoes found here are not just masterpieces of Serbian fresco painting – they are unrivalled on an international scale.

Monasteries of Moravian Serbia

Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry’s standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book.

Monasteries of the Ovčar-Kablar Region

Nestled on the steep slopes of Ovčar and Kablar mountains lies a unique community of monasteries built in the 14th and 15th centuries.The monasteries were built by monks and builders who sought refuge in this inhospitable gorge, as they retreated from the invading Ottoman Turkish forces.

Other Monasteries

The great diversity of building styles and architecture found in the medieval monasteries scattered all over Serbia demonstrates the various influences on its architecture and art, as well as on the Serbian state.

Valley of the Kings

In the valley of the river Ibar, between the cities of Kraljevo and Novi Pazar, lies a group of medieval monasteries built in the 12th and 13th Centuries. In what was then the fledgling Serbian state of Raška, rulers of the Nemanjić dynasty erected several monumental churches as their endowments, thus setting off a tradition of pious endowments that has continued into the present day. Built in an authentic style – a fusion of Byzantine architecture and Romanesque decoration – and adorned with some of the most beautiful medieval frescoes, the monasteries in the “Valley of the Kings” are an invaluable contribution to the world’s cultural heritage.