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On the crossroad of many roads and the boundary between eastern and western world, in a long succession of years and centuries numerous cultures had been originating, developing and disappearing. As the time was passing, old cities have been developing, extending, fortifying, preserving through the centuries their original locations. Inside their firm, defense walls with towers, bastions and gates, numerous important monuments of sacral and profane character have sprouted out.
Cave Crvena Stijena and Cave Odmut
The first forms of urban living originating from the era of early prehistory.
Studenica
Of all the Serbian monasteries, Studenica has always been held in the highest respect, since it was raised by Grand Prince Stefan Nemanja of the powerful dynasty that was to rule Serbia for fully two centuries. With its churches, refectories, towers and residential buildings where monks have lived for centuries, Studenica has retained its original function, and as a monument of outstanding importance protected by law, is on the way to becoming a recognized part of the world cultural heritage. Studenica's treasury is tremendous - the 13th-century frescoes of the church of the Virgin Mary, the ring of King Stefan the First-Crowned, vestments, charters and reliquaries are just some of them.
Piva Monastery
More than four centuries old. A great dam built near it required dislocation of the little town of Pluzine and Piva Monastery. It was moved to a new place, stone by stone without changing its original look and contents in the least.
Moraca Monastery
Most beautiful and spiritual undertaking of Medieval Zeta. The single-nave church within the Monastery, dedicated to the ascension of the Mother of Jesus, was built in 1252.
The Monastery Of Decani
The Church of holy Salvation was founded by King Stefan Uros III
(Decanski). It was constructed between 1327 and 1335 by the master builder
Fra Vita of Kotor. It succeeds in incorporating the multi-naved Western style into the single-naved Byzantine basilica, with a dome, and marble decorations of extraordinary beauty.
The Monastery of Gracanica
The Church of the Annunciation was founded by King Milutin. It was built in 1315, and decorated in 1321 with frescoes in the narrative style. With its five domes and rectangular ground plan in the form of a double cross, it is an extremely fine piece of architecture.
The Monastery Of Sopocani
The Church of the Holy Trinity was founded by King Uros I, the son of
Stefan-the-Fist-Crowned, and was built and painted with frescoes around
1260-1270, in the typical Raska style.It has a triple nave with a
semicircular apse, a low transept, and an eight windowed dome. Sopocani
represents the summit of Byzantine monumental fresco-painting and the
highest achievement of European painting of that period.
The Monastery Of Zica
The Church of the Ascension, was founded by King
Stefan-the-First-Crowned as the seat of the Archbishopric, and built between 1207 and 1220 as a single-naved church in four sections.
Over the third section rises an impressive octagonal dome, and the facade is painted a terracotta red in the style of the Svetagora Monasteries (Hilandar). Its original frescoes, in the monumental style, resembles are not as well preserved; the third layer, in the High Court style, dates from the reign of King Milutin (1309-1316).
| Other historical places to visit: |
| Gracanica Monastery (near Pristina) |
| Studenica Monastery (near Kraljevo) |
| Zica Monastery (near Kraljevo) |
| Lazarica Monastery ( Krusevac ) |
| Sopocani Monastery ( in the vicinity of Novi Pazar ) |
| Decani Monastery (near the town of Pec) |
| Ravanica Monastery (in the vicinity of Cuprija) |
| Ljubostinja Monastery (near the town Trstenik) |
| Patriarsia Of Pec (Pec) |
| Kalenic Monastery (in the vicinity of Jagodina) |
| Ostrog Monastery (between the towns of Danilovgrad and Niksic) |
| Moraca Monastery (near the town of Kolasin) |
11000 Beograd Yugoslavia
