Monastery of Sopoćani

The monastery of Sopoćani (in Serb Cyrillic Serb Sr МанастирСопоћани and in transliterated Sr Manastir Sopoćani) is a orthodoxe monastery Serb located at 7km of Novi Pazar, close to the sources of the Raška and near Vieux Short-nap cloth, which was the center of the medieval Serb State of Rascie.

History

The monastery was founded in 1260 by the king Uroš Ier Nemanjić who wished to make his mausoleum of it. The church, completed towards 1265, was dedicated to the Holy Trinity.

The interior was decorated frescos which count among most beautiful of medieval Serbia. According to some critic art, they recall by their style the painting of Antiquity. Among the subjects represented, one finds the archbishop Sava II, wire of Stefan Nemanjić and nephew of Saint Sava. In 1263, Saint Sava II had become the chief of the Serb orthodoxe Église. On the Western wall of the nave, one of most famous frescos of Serbia is the, that of Dormition of the Virgin (see opposite).

At the 16th century, the monks had on several occasions to leave their monastery because of the Turkish threat. In 1689, the Othoman set fire to the monastery and tore off the lead which covered the roof of the church. The brothers could escape, while carrying with them in Kosovo of important relics.

The place remained with the abandonment during more than two centuries, subjected to the vicissitudes of time and the climate. It was finally restored only at the 20th century. He is again inhabited today by an important monastic community.

In 1979, the monastery of Sopoćani was registered on the Liste of the world heritage of UNESCO, at the same time as Stari Ras.

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