Saint Archangels Monastery
Encyclopedia
The Saint Archangels Monastery is a Serbian Orthodox monastery
located in Prizren
, in southern Kosovo
. It was founded by the Serbian emperor Stefan Uroš IV Dušan of Serbia
, and built between 1343 and 1352, on the site of the earlier church, part of the Višegrad fortress complex. It was built as burial church for the Emperor Dušan, and it represented the culmination of the Serbian sacral archritecture
style, that led to the birth of the Morava school
style. Inside the complex, which ranges over approximately 6,500 m²
,, are two churches, dedicated to Saint Archangels
(which was Dušan
's tomb), and Saint Nicolas
, both built in the Serbian Raška Architectural Style, although, like Visoki Dečani monastery, regarding time of the construction, and some architectural elements, it may belong to the Vardar Architectural Style. The monastery was looted and destroyed after the Ottomans
arrived in 1455, and in 1615 it was razed to the ground, and its' material was used for the construction of the Sinan Pasha Mosque
in Prizren
.
The entire complex was archeologically explored in 1927, and its remains were conserved after the Second World War. During the last decade of the 20th century work on the reconstruction was continued, and in 1998 it again became an active male monastery. After the 1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia
and retreat of the Yugoslav army forces, reconstructed objects were burned and looted in June 1999, by members of the Kosovo Liberation Army
(KLA), after the Kosovo Force(KFOR) arrived. During the 2004 unrest in Kosovo
, the monastery was burned and looted again. The entire monastery complex is under protection of the Republic of Serbia
, as a Monument of Culture of Great Importance, and today in the monastery lives one priest and the monastery is under constant protection of Kosovo Police and in a special protection zone
, on top of which is the fortified citadel
Višegrad. At the time of its construction, near Prizrenska Bistrica river, a caravan road
was nearby, which connected Skopje
with Prizren (Then capital of Serbia
), over Kačanik
, Sirinićka Župa
and Sredačka
Župa
, and it may be that road was passing right through the monastery.
there was a settlement. During classical period
, settlement was disbanded, and later during the 4th, 5th and 6th centuries was again founded and it was late classical period or early Byzantine village, which was surrounded by a late antique wall, but that still has not been scientifically confirmed.
After this period, there are findings from the 10th, 11th and 12th centuries, when it is considered that the original medieval fortress (which then included only the five-cornered citadel on the hill above the monastery) built in the 12th century. Dusan's grandfather, King Milutin
(1282–1321), donated a small fort of Visegrad with a church dedicated to Saint Nicholas, Bishop of Prizren. It was donated as a refuge in case of war, as, later, Maglič
was a shelter of the Serbian archbishop
from Žiča
. Later, Dusan gave three villages to a Bishop of Prizren in return from the fortress of Visegrad, which was subsequently submitted to a monastery, connecting them into a whole with a defensive wall
.
of Monastery of St. Peter Koriškog issued 19.05. that year, and was consecrated in the fall of 1347, as Dušan was preparing to go to Prizren in 01.08. that year, to attend consecration of the church, and in the December the same year he was on the Mount Athos
. Start of the church construction can be placed in 1348, and all works are undertaken under the supervision of Abbot Jakov, which later became a bishop
in Serres
. The main works are finished early next year, as we know from the letter of a Venetian
merchant from Trepča
, from 24 March 1348, where he complained that he can not sell the lead
from your Trepča mine, since the head of the Trepča mines received direct order that, by the cost of his life, he should not sell lead to anyone, except the abbot of the Saint Archangels Monastery to cover the roof. It is believed that the grave with the construction of the monastery church, supporting facilities and protective walls ended in 1352, and that it was the home of at least 200 monks.
Dušan during construction, its endowment issued hrisovulja
, which established its position among other Serbian monasteries and its seigniory, which included some lands that were found by Šar Mountains to Adriatic Sea
, and more estates were concentrated around Prizren, Skopje
Tetovo
and Lake Skadar. Awarded her 55 (Total 93, with attachments of other village, which is less than the number awarded Milutin its endowment Banjska, but at the end where it is located were richer and more advanced. In addition, Holy Archangels monastery seigniory, it seemed, among other things was:
Within the monastery was built, and Hospital
, and in chrysobull states and the provision of compulsory treatment of sick. In addition, the monastery had a right to free oil
(from Bar
), salt
, fish
(from Skadar and Lake Plav
), silk
, wine
, honey
and wax
, as well as income from Prizren square and customs.
After his death on 20. December 1355, the emperor Dušan was buried in a separate tomb, located in southwest part of the nave
of the Church of the Saint Archangels, which is the unique solution in the Serbian architecture. After collapse of Serbian Empire
, the monastery of the 1373 served as a refuge for Dubrovnik merchants from Prizren, who left town in fear of Nikola Altomanović
(1366–1373), and two years later it came to the settlement of the Serbian and Ecumenical Patriarch
. Then the grave of Dušan Serbian and Greek priests performed a joint service and remove the Anathema
from the Dušan, and the monastery dwelt at one time and Serbian Patriarch Ephraim (1375–1380, 1389–1392). In one Chronicle
were mentioned fields from other quarters 15th century and, according to the monastery's church there under the sunstraight to her artistic process and the beauty beyond Church of Christ Pantocrator in Dečani, and especially emphasizes its covered under the mosaic
s the highest reach of the Serbian medieval architecture in this field. The same record states that are then discussed to no longer anywhere to be found Pathos of Prizren, Dečani church, Peć
narthex, Banjska gold and Resava writings, which are symbolically represented the most significant limits of the Serbian state at the time.
After the capture of Prizren and its surroundings in 1455 by Ottomans, monastery was looted. The same writer, who, only a few decades earlier, stated that the monastery has no flat under the sun, after plundering the monastery said that this is practically destroyed, which speaks volumes about the scale of the Ottoman attack. The monastic life of this destruction is not stopped, but it is certain that the complex has not regained its old glory and was in constant decline. At the beginning of 17th century, a systematic demolition was conducted of the monastery church to obtain a construction material that Sinan Pasha
(1615) used for construction of Sinan Pasha Mosque in the center of Prizren
, which is also now under the protection of Republic of Serbia, as Monument of Culture of Exceptional Importance
, added in 1990. It is not known whether the time the monastery was still active, but it is certain to be abandoned after the 1542. During the following centuries I site was further destroyed the remaining delivery of construction materials for the building, as buildings in the Prizren, and ordinary houses and time are the remains of former buildings buried layers of the country. Nonetheless, the position remained famous monasteries in the surrounding people, so that the entire area to be hit occasionally found robbery
from which ruins were dig up in search of hidden treasures of the monastery. Some of the folk traditions of the monastic treasures are crossing the border fantasy
and the other recorded the legend of gemstone
that decorated the top of cross
and the central dome. According to her, he sparkled so great, that man could by dark night thirty kilometers to go to North but, to the Švanjski Bridge, which is located at old fort, as in the middle of broad daylight.
Local Serb population
is gathered twice a year in the monastery ruins in summer (26.07.) and winter (21.11.) on monastery Slava
day (Holy Archangels). According to one travel writers, the service began during the night
and so that only Light
provided the burning candle
s, while the people and clergy in the prayer
welcomed the dawn.
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
located in Prizren
Prizren
Prizren is a historical city located in southern Kosovo. It is the administrative center of the eponymous municipality and district.The city has a population of around 131,247 , mostly Albanians...
, in southern Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
. It was founded by the Serbian emperor Stefan Uroš IV Dušan of Serbia
Stefan Uroš IV Dušan of Serbia
Stephen Uroš IV Dušan the Mighty , was the King of Serbia and Emperor of the Serbs and Greeks until his death on 20 December 1355. Dušan managed to conquer a large part of Southeast Europe, becoming one of the most powerful monarchs in his time...
, and built between 1343 and 1352, on the site of the earlier church, part of the Višegrad fortress complex. It was built as burial church for the Emperor Dušan, and it represented the culmination of the Serbian sacral archritecture
Serbian art
Serbian art refers to the art of the Serbs and Serbia.The territory of today's Serbia has been inhabited since pre-historical times. Indeed, Sirmium is one of the oldest settlements in Europe with archaeologists tracing some form of urban life as far back as 5000 BC.The Romans conquered Sirmium in...
style, that led to the birth of the Morava school
Morava school
The Morava School or Moravska School entails the establishments of architectural style in Serbia from 1370-1459. The churches and monasteries were built by the rulers Lazar Hrebeljanović , Stefan Lazarević and Đurađ Branković and their nobleman. The first endowment was the royal tomb of Ravanica...
style. Inside the complex, which ranges over approximately 6,500 m²
M²
m2 may mean:*Square metre, an SI measure of area*m2 , the ambient project of German electronic musician and DJ Mathis MootzM2 may mean:*M squared, a measure of laser beam quality*M2 , by Marcus Miller...
,, are two churches, dedicated to Saint Archangels
Archangel
An archangel is an angel of high rank. Archangels are found in a number of religious traditions, including Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Michael and Gabriel are recognized as archangels in Judaism and by most Christians. Michael is the only archangel specifically named in the Protestant Bible...
(which was Dušan
Stefan Uroš IV Dušan of Serbia
Stephen Uroš IV Dušan the Mighty , was the King of Serbia and Emperor of the Serbs and Greeks until his death on 20 December 1355. Dušan managed to conquer a large part of Southeast Europe, becoming one of the most powerful monarchs in his time...
's tomb), and Saint Nicolas
Saint Nicolas
Saint-Nicolas may refer to the following places:-In Belgium:*Saint-Nicolas, Belgium, in the Province of Liège*The French name for Sint-Niklaas, in Province of East Flanders-In France:*Saint-Nicolas, Pas-de-Calais...
, both built in the Serbian Raška Architectural Style, although, like Visoki Dečani monastery, regarding time of the construction, and some architectural elements, it may belong to the Vardar Architectural Style. The monastery was looted and destroyed after the Ottomans
Ottoman Turks
The Ottoman Turks were the Turkish-speaking population of the Ottoman Empire who formed the base of the state's military and ruling classes. Reliable information about the early history of Ottoman Turks is scarce, but they take their Turkish name, Osmanlı , from the house of Osman I The Ottoman...
arrived in 1455, and in 1615 it was razed to the ground, and its' material was used for the construction of the Sinan Pasha Mosque
Sinan Pasha Mosque
The Sinan Pasha Mosque is an early Ottoman-era mosque in Damascus, Syria, located along Suq Sinaniyya Street.-History:The mosque was built in 1590 by Sinan Pasha, the Ottoman-appointed governor of Damascus from 1589 to 1593. It stands on the site of an older mosque called the Mosque of Basal to...
in Prizren
Prizren
Prizren is a historical city located in southern Kosovo. It is the administrative center of the eponymous municipality and district.The city has a population of around 131,247 , mostly Albanians...
.
The entire complex was archeologically explored in 1927, and its remains were conserved after the Second World War. During the last decade of the 20th century work on the reconstruction was continued, and in 1998 it again became an active male monastery. After the 1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia
1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia
The NATO bombing of Yugoslavia was NATO's military operation against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia during the Kosovo War. The strikes lasted from March 24, 1999 to June 10, 1999...
and retreat of the Yugoslav army forces, reconstructed objects were burned and looted in June 1999, by members of the Kosovo Liberation Army
Kosovo Liberation Army
The Kosovo Liberation Army or KLA was a Kosovar Albanian paramilitary organization which sought the separation of Kosovo from Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in the 1990s....
(KLA), after the Kosovo Force(KFOR) arrived. During the 2004 unrest in Kosovo
2004 unrest in Kosovo
Violent unrest in Kosovo, which at the time was under United Nations administration, broke out on 17 March 2004. Kosovo Albanians, numbering over 50,000, took part in widescale attacks on the Serbian people, compared by the then Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Koštunica to ethnic cleansing but not...
, the monastery was burned and looted again. The entire monastery complex is under protection of the Republic of Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
, as a Monument of Culture of Great Importance, and today in the monastery lives one priest and the monastery is under constant protection of Kosovo Police and in a special protection zone
Monastery position
The monastery complex is built in the smaller plateau in the Prizrenska Bistrica canyon, approximately 2.5 km southeast of Prizren. The plateau is in a peninsula, surrounded by the river from the three sides, while on the fourth southeastern side it is surrounded by sharp rocksRock (geology)
In geology, rock or stone is a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids.The Earth's outer solid layer, the lithosphere, is made of rock. In general rocks are of three types, namely, igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic...
, on top of which is the fortified citadel
Citadel
A citadel is a fortress for protecting a town, sometimes incorporating a castle. The term derives from the same Latin root as the word "city", civis, meaning citizen....
Višegrad. At the time of its construction, near Prizrenska Bistrica river, a caravan road
Trade route
A trade route is a logistical network identified as a series of pathways and stoppages used for the commercial transport of cargo. Allowing goods to reach distant markets, a single trade route contains long distance arteries which may further be connected to several smaller networks of commercial...
was nearby, which connected Skopje
Skopje
Skopje is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Macedonia with about a third of the total population. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre...
with Prizren (Then capital of Serbia
Capitals of Serbia
This is a list of the historical capitals of Serbia:-See also:*Serbia*History of Serbia*Border history of Serbia*Capitals of Vojvodina...
), over Kačanik
Kacanik
Kačanik or Kaçanik is a town and municipality in southern Kosovo, in the Uroševac district. The municipality covers an area of , including the town of Kačanik and 31 villages. It has a population of approximately 33,454...
, Sirinićka Župa
Župa
A Župa is a Slavic term, used historically among the Southern and Western branches of the Slavs, originally denoting various territorial and other sub-units, usually a small administrative division, especially a gathering of several villages...
and Sredačka
Sredska
-Church of the Holy Virgin:At the hamlet of Pejcici, today north of the highway, there is the biggest but also the youngest church in the group of churches of the Sredska district, dedicated to the Holy Virgin...
Župa
Župa
A Župa is a Slavic term, used historically among the Southern and Western branches of the Slavs, originally denoting various territorial and other sub-units, usually a small administrative division, especially a gathering of several villages...
, and it may be that road was passing right through the monastery.
Site before Holy Archangels Monastery construction
During archeological excavation of the monastery complex, the oldest findings are dated from the Eneolithic age, while it is evident that in the early Iron AgeLa Tène culture
The La Tène culture was a European Iron Age culture named after the archaeological site of La Tène on the north side of Lake Neuchâtel in Switzerland, where a rich cache of artifacts was discovered by Hansli Kopp in 1857....
there was a settlement. During classical period
Classical antiquity
Classical antiquity is a broad term for a long period of cultural history centered on the Mediterranean Sea, comprising the interlocking civilizations of ancient Greece and ancient Rome, collectively known as the Greco-Roman world...
, settlement was disbanded, and later during the 4th, 5th and 6th centuries was again founded and it was late classical period or early Byzantine village, which was surrounded by a late antique wall, but that still has not been scientifically confirmed.
After this period, there are findings from the 10th, 11th and 12th centuries, when it is considered that the original medieval fortress (which then included only the five-cornered citadel on the hill above the monastery) built in the 12th century. Dusan's grandfather, King Milutin
Stefan Uroš II Milutin of Serbia
Stefan Uroš II Milutin was a king of Serbia , and member of the House of Nemanjić.-Early:...
(1282–1321), donated a small fort of Visegrad with a church dedicated to Saint Nicholas, Bishop of Prizren. It was donated as a refuge in case of war, as, later, Maglič
Maglic
Maglič is a medieval fortress in Ibar gorge 20 km south from Kraljevo in Serbia. It is placed atop a hill around which the Ibar River makes a curve, about 100 m above river level. The fortress protected the only caravan road that connected the Morava Valley and Kosovo polje...
was a shelter of the Serbian archbishop
Serbian Orthodox Church
The Serbian Orthodox Church is one of the autocephalous Orthodox Christian churches, ranking sixth in order of seniority after Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, and Russia...
from Žiča
Žica
Žiča is an early 13th century Serb Orthodox monastery near Kraljevo, Serbia. The monastery, together with the Church of the Holy Dormition, was built by the first King of Serbia, Stefan the First-Crowned and the first Head of the Serbian Church, Saint Sava....
. Later, Dusan gave three villages to a Bishop of Prizren in return from the fortress of Visegrad, which was subsequently submitted to a monastery, connecting them into a whole with a defensive wall
Defensive wall
A defensive wall is a fortification used to protect a city or settlement from potential aggressors. In ancient to modern times, they were used to enclose settlements...
.
Raising of Saint Archangels Monastery
In place of Dušan's monastery, there was an older monastery, dedicated also to Saint Archangels, in which Dušan recovered after serious illness, so after that he decided to raise its endowment at this point. Preparatory work on the construction of new churches were started in 1343, according to Dušan CharterCharter
A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified...
of Monastery of St. Peter Koriškog issued 19.05. that year, and was consecrated in the fall of 1347, as Dušan was preparing to go to Prizren in 01.08. that year, to attend consecration of the church, and in the December the same year he was on the Mount Athos
Mount Athos
Mount Athos is a mountain and peninsula in Macedonia, Greece. A World Heritage Site, it is home to 20 Eastern Orthodox monasteries and forms a self-governed monastic state within the sovereignty of the Hellenic Republic. Spiritually, Mount Athos comes under the direct jurisdiction of the...
. Start of the church construction can be placed in 1348, and all works are undertaken under the supervision of Abbot Jakov, which later became a bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
in Serres
Serres
Serres is a city in Greece, seat of the Serres prefecture.Serres may also refer to:Places:* Serres, Germany, a part of Wiernsheim in Baden-WürttembergIn France:* Serres, Aude in the Aude département...
. The main works are finished early next year, as we know from the letter of a Venetian
Republic of Venice
The Republic of Venice or Venetian Republic was a state originating from the city of Venice in Northeastern Italy. It existed for over a millennium, from the late 7th century until 1797. It was formally known as the Most Serene Republic of Venice and is often referred to as La Serenissima, in...
merchant from Trepča
Trepça
- Basketball Hall :The club currently plays in the sport and youth center "Palestra e Sporteve Minatori", in the center of Mitrovica, with a capacity for around 3500 spectators.- Roster :-Notable players:- External links :**...
, from 24 March 1348, where he complained that he can not sell the lead
Lead
Lead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...
from your Trepča mine, since the head of the Trepča mines received direct order that, by the cost of his life, he should not sell lead to anyone, except the abbot of the Saint Archangels Monastery to cover the roof. It is believed that the grave with the construction of the monastery church, supporting facilities and protective walls ended in 1352, and that it was the home of at least 200 monks.
Saint Archangels Monastery as Imperial Lavra
Charter
A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified...
, which established its position among other Serbian monasteries and its seigniory, which included some lands that were found by Šar Mountains to Adriatic Sea
Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan peninsula, and the system of the Apennine Mountains from that of the Dinaric Alps and adjacent ranges...
, and more estates were concentrated around Prizren, Skopje
Skopje
Skopje is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Macedonia with about a third of the total population. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre...
Tetovo
Tetovo
Tetovo is a city in the northwestern part of Macedonia, built on the foothills of Šar Mountain and divided by the Pena River.The city covers an area of at above sea level, with a population of 86,580 citizens in the municipality. Tetovo is home to the State University of Tetovo and South East...
and Lake Skadar. Awarded her 55 (Total 93, with attachments of other village, which is less than the number awarded Milutin its endowment Banjska, but at the end where it is located were richer and more advanced. In addition, Holy Archangels monastery seigniory, it seemed, among other things was:
- 7 churches with their people and possessions (land, vineyardVineyardA vineyard is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice...
s, and oil-lamps) - IronIronIron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
MineMiningMining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
in Toplica - 467 Vlach familys
- 8 AlbanianAlbaniansAlbanians are a nation and ethnic group native to Albania and neighbouring countries. They speak the Albanian language. More than half of all Albanians live in Albania and Kosovo...
huts and - A range of craftsmen, including goldsmiths
Within the monastery was built, and Hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
, and in chrysobull states and the provision of compulsory treatment of sick. In addition, the monastery had a right to free oil
Oil
An oil is any substance that is liquid at ambient temperatures and does not mix with water but may mix with other oils and organic solvents. This general definition includes vegetable oils, volatile essential oils, petrochemical oils, and synthetic oils....
(from Bar
Bar, Montenegro
Bar is a coastal town in Montenegro. It has a population of 17,727...
), salt
Salt
In chemistry, salts are ionic compounds that result from the neutralization reaction of an acid and a base. They are composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...
, fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
(from Skadar and Lake Plav
Lake Plav
Lake Plav is a lake in Plav municipality, in northeastern Montenegro.It is a glacial lake located between the Prokletije and Visitor mountain ranges at an altitude of 906 m above sea level, and extends north-south for some 2,160 m...
), silk
Silk
Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The best-known type of silk is obtained from the cocoons of the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori reared in captivity...
, wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
, honey
Honey
Honey is a sweet food made by bees using nectar from flowers. The variety produced by honey bees is the one most commonly referred to and is the type of honey collected by beekeepers and consumed by humans...
and wax
Wax
thumb|right|[[Cetyl palmitate]], a typical wax ester.Wax refers to a class of chemical compounds that are plastic near ambient temperatures. Characteristically, they melt above 45 °C to give a low viscosity liquid. Waxes are insoluble in water but soluble in organic, nonpolar solvents...
, as well as income from Prizren square and customs.
After his death on 20. December 1355, the emperor Dušan was buried in a separate tomb, located in southwest part of the nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
of the Church of the Saint Archangels, which is the unique solution in the Serbian architecture. After collapse of Serbian Empire
Serbian Empire
The Serbian Empire was a short-lived medieval empire in the Balkans that emerged from the Serbian Kingdom. Stephen Uroš IV Dušan was crowned Emperor of Serbs and Greeks on 16 April, 1346, a title signifying a successorship to the Eastern Roman Empire...
, the monastery of the 1373 served as a refuge for Dubrovnik merchants from Prizren, who left town in fear of Nikola Altomanović
Nikola Altomanovic
Nikola Altomanović was Serbian župan from 14th century. He ruled vast areas from Rudnik, over Polimlje, Podrinje, east Herzegovina with Trebinje, till Konavle and Dračevica, neighboring the Republic of Dubrovnik...
(1366–1373), and two years later it came to the settlement of the Serbian and Ecumenical Patriarch
Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople
The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople , part of the wider Orthodox Church, is one of the fourteen autocephalous churches within the communion of Orthodox Christianity...
. Then the grave of Dušan Serbian and Greek priests performed a joint service and remove the Anathema
Anathema
Anathema originally meant something lifted up as an offering to the gods; it later evolved to mean:...
from the Dušan, and the monastery dwelt at one time and Serbian Patriarch Ephraim (1375–1380, 1389–1392). In one Chronicle
Chronicle
Generally a chronicle is a historical account of facts and events ranged in chronological order, as in a time line. Typically, equal weight is given for historically important events and local events, the purpose being the recording of events that occurred, seen from the perspective of the...
were mentioned fields from other quarters 15th century and, according to the monastery's church there under the sunstraight to her artistic process and the beauty beyond Church of Christ Pantocrator in Dečani, and especially emphasizes its covered under the mosaic
Mosaic
Mosaic is the art of creating images with an assemblage of small pieces of colored glass, stone, or other materials. It may be a technique of decorative art, an aspect of interior decoration, or of cultural and spiritual significance as in a cathedral...
s the highest reach of the Serbian medieval architecture in this field. The same record states that are then discussed to no longer anywhere to be found Pathos of Prizren, Dečani church, Peć
Patriarchate of Pec
The Patriarchate of Peć is a Serbian Orthodox monastery located near Peć. The complex of churches is the spiritual seat and mausoleum of the Serbian archbishops and patriarchs....
narthex, Banjska gold and Resava writings, which are symbolically represented the most significant limits of the Serbian state at the time.
Saint Archangels Monastery during the Ottoman rule
Sinan Pasha
Sinan Pasha or Sinan Pashë Kahremanliu was an Albanian Grand Vizier, Ottoman military commander and statesman.-Life:...
(1615) used for construction of Sinan Pasha Mosque in the center of Prizren
Prizren
Prizren is a historical city located in southern Kosovo. It is the administrative center of the eponymous municipality and district.The city has a population of around 131,247 , mostly Albanians...
, which is also now under the protection of Republic of Serbia, as Monument of Culture of Exceptional Importance
Monuments of Culture of Exceptional Importance (Serbia)
Cultural Monuments of Exceptional Importance are the monuments in the Republic of Serbia that have the highest level of the State protection, and some of them are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites....
, added in 1990. It is not known whether the time the monastery was still active, but it is certain to be abandoned after the 1542. During the following centuries I site was further destroyed the remaining delivery of construction materials for the building, as buildings in the Prizren, and ordinary houses and time are the remains of former buildings buried layers of the country. Nonetheless, the position remained famous monasteries in the surrounding people, so that the entire area to be hit occasionally found robbery
Robbery
Robbery is the crime of taking or attempting to take something of value by force or threat of force or by putting the victim in fear. At common law, robbery is defined as taking the property of another, with the intent to permanently deprive the person of that property, by means of force or fear....
from which ruins were dig up in search of hidden treasures of the monastery. Some of the folk traditions of the monastic treasures are crossing the border fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
and the other recorded the legend of gemstone
Gemstone
A gemstone or gem is a piece of mineral, which, in cut and polished form, is used to make jewelry or other adornments...
that decorated the top of cross
Cross
A cross is a geometrical figure consisting of two lines or bars perpendicular to each other, dividing one or two of the lines in half. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally; if they run obliquely, the design is technically termed a saltire, although the arms of a saltire need not meet...
and the central dome. According to her, he sparkled so great, that man could by dark night thirty kilometers to go to North but, to the Švanjski Bridge, which is located at old fort, as in the middle of broad daylight.
Local Serb population
Serbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
is gathered twice a year in the monastery ruins in summer (26.07.) and winter (21.11.) on monastery Slava
Slava
The Slava , also called Krsna Slava and Krsno ime , is the Serbian Orthodox tradition of the ritual celebration and veneration of a family's own patron saint. The family celebrates the Slava annually on the patron saint's feast day...
day (Holy Archangels). According to one travel writers, the service began during the night
Night
Night or nighttime is the period of time when the sun is below the horizon. This occurs after dusk. The opposite of night is day...
and so that only Light
Light
Light or visible light is electromagnetic radiation that is visible to the human eye, and is responsible for the sense of sight. Visible light has wavelength in a range from about 380 nanometres to about 740 nm, with a frequency range of about 405 THz to 790 THz...
provided the burning candle
Candle
A candle is a solid block or cylinder of wax with an embedded wick, which is lit to provide light, and sometimes heat.Today, most candles are made from paraffin. Candles can also be made from beeswax, soy, other plant waxes, and tallow...
s, while the people and clergy in the prayer
Prayer
Prayer is a form of religious practice that seeks to activate a volitional rapport to a deity through deliberate practice. Prayer may be either individual or communal and take place in public or in private. It may involve the use of words or song. When language is used, prayer may take the form of...
welcomed the dawn.
See also
- Monument of Culture of Exceptional ImportanceMonuments of Culture of Exceptional Importance (Serbia)Cultural Monuments of Exceptional Importance are the monuments in the Republic of Serbia that have the highest level of the State protection, and some of them are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites....
- Tourism in SerbiaTourism in SerbiaSerbia stretches across two geographic and cultural regions of Europe: Central Europe and Southeast Europe. This boundary splits Serbia roughly in a ratio of 1:2 alongside the Danube and Sava rivers. The northern parts of the country are Central-European lowlands while the southern and central...
- List of Serb Orthodox monasteries
- Serbian Orthodox ChurchSerbian Orthodox ChurchThe Serbian Orthodox Church is one of the autocephalous Orthodox Christian churches, ranking sixth in order of seniority after Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, and Russia...
- PrizrenPrizrenPrizren is a historical city located in southern Kosovo. It is the administrative center of the eponymous municipality and district.The city has a population of around 131,247 , mostly Albanians...
- Stefan Uroš IV Dušan of SerbiaStefan Uroš IV Dušan of SerbiaStephen Uroš IV Dušan the Mighty , was the King of Serbia and Emperor of the Serbs and Greeks until his death on 20 December 1355. Dušan managed to conquer a large part of Southeast Europe, becoming one of the most powerful monarchs in his time...