Sopoćani
Coordinates: 43°7′5″N 20°22′26″E / 43.11806°N 20.37389°E / 43.11806; 20.37389
Sopoćani
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Monastery information |
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Full name |
Сопоћани |
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Order |
Serbian Orthodox |
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Established |
13th century |
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Disestablished |
1689 |
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Reestablished |
1926 |
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Dedicated to |
Holy Trinity |
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People |
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Founder(s) |
King Stefan Uroš I |
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Site |
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Location |
In Raška, Serbia, near the source of the Raška River in the region of Ras, the centre of the Serbian medieval state. |
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Public access |
Yes |
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Official name |
Stari Ras and Sopoćani |
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Type |
Cultural |
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Criteria |
i, iii |
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Designated |
1979 (3rd session) |
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Reference no. |
96 |
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Region |
Europe and North America |
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The Sopoćani monastery (Serbian Cyrillic: Сопоћани) (pronounced [sǒpotɕani]), an endowment of King Stefan Uroš I of Serbia, was built in the second half of the 13th century, near the source of the Raška River in the region of Ras, the centre of the Serbian medieval state. It is a designated World Heritage Site, added in 1979 with Stari Ras.
History
The church was dedicated to the Holy Trinity and completed around 1265, with interior decorated shortly thereafter. Archbishop Sava II, who became the head of the Serbian Orthodox Church in 1263, is represented in the procession of archbishops in the area of the altar. The frescoes of Sopoćani are considered by some experts on Serbian medieval art as the most beautiful of that period. On the western wall of the nave is a famous fresco of the Dormition of the Virgin.
In the 16th century the monks had to temporarily leave the monastery on several occasions due to the Ottoman threat. Finally, during one of the raids in 1689 the Ottoman Turks set fire to the monastery and carried off the lead from the church roof. The brotherhood escaped with some important relics to Kosovo - but did not return to Sopoćani; it remained deserted for over two hundred years, until the 20th century. The church slowly decayed: its vaults caved in, its dome fell down, and the remains of the surrounding buildings were covered with rubble and earth.
Finally, during the 20th century the monastery was restored and today it is settled by a thriving brotherhood of dedicated monks. The fact that most of the Sopoćani frescoes still shine with radiant beauty - surviving more than two centuries of extreme exposure to the elements - many consider nothing less than a divine miracle.
Sopoćani was declared Monument of Culture of Exceptional Importance in 1979, and it is protected by Republic of Serbia.
Fresco from Sopoćani
Burials
See also
References
- Sopoćani, Vojislav Đurić, Prosveta, Beograd, 1991.
External links
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| Archaeological sites | | |
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| Monuments of Culture |
- Exceptional Importance
- Great Importance
- Protected
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| Historic Landmarks | |
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| Spatial Cultural-Historical Units | |
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National symbols of Serbia |
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| Constitutional | |
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| Cultural icons | |
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| Monuments | |
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| People | |
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| Fauna and flora | |
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| Names and codes | |
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| Unofficial | |
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| Category |
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| Metropolitanates | |
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| Traditional dioceses | |
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| Diaspora dioceses | |
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| Ohrid Archbishopric |
- Metropolitanate of Skopje
- Eparchy of Prespa and Pelagonija
- Bregalnica
- Debar and Kičevo
- Polog and Kumanovo
- Veles and Povardarie
- Strumica
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| Defunct | |
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| | | Patriarchs (since 1346) |
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| 1346–1463 |
- St. Joanikije II
- Sava IV
- St. Jefrem
- St. Spiridon
- Danilo III, Patriarch of Serbia
- Sava V
- Danilo IV
- St. Kirilo
- St. Nikon
- Teofan
- Nikodim II
- Arsenije II
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| 1557–1766 | |
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| since 1920 | |
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- Leontije Lambrović
- Agatanel
- Antim
- Melentije Pavlović
- Petar Jovanović
- Mihailo Jovanović
- Teodosije Mraović
- Inokentije Pavlović
- Dimitrije Pavlović
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| | | | Zahumlje and Herzegovina (1508–1854) |
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| Serbia | | |
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| Montenegro | |
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| Bosnia and Herzegovina |
- Cathedral Church of the Nativity of the Theotokos
- Church of the Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel
- Church of the Holy Transfiguration
- Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, Banja Luka
- Church of Saint George, Sopotnica
- Old St. Nicholas Church, Javorani
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| Croatia |
- St. Petka's Church, Banovci
- Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord, Trpinja
- Church of St. Nicholas, Vukovar
- Church of Pentecost, Vinkovci
- Church of St. George, Kneževo
- Church of Assumption of Blessed Virgin, Negoslavci
- Church of Pentecost, Markušica
- Church of St. George, Bobota
- Church of St. Stephen, Borovo
- Church of the Nativity of the Virgin, Srijemske Laze
- Church of St. Peter and Paul, Bolman
- Church of St. Stefan Štiljanović, Karanac
- Church of St. Nicholas, Mirkovci
- Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, Gaboš
- Church of St. Nicholas, Jagodnjak
- Church of St. Demetrius, Dalj
- Serbian Orthodox Cathedral in Zagreb
- Church of St. George, Grubišno Polje
- Church of St. Nicholas, Karlovac
- Church of Nativity of the Virgin, Drežnica
- Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, Štikada
- Orthodox church of st. George, Varaždin
- Holy Annunciation Orthodox church, Dubrovnik
- Orthodox Church in Knin
- Church of St. Peter and Paul, Tepljuh
- San Spirodine Church, Peroj
- Church of St. Nicholas, Rijeka
- Church of St. Nicholas, Vrlika
- Orthodox church of Holy Salvation, Cetina
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| Other countries |
- Saints Constantine and Helen Serbian Orthodox Church, USA
- Trinity Chapel Complex, USA
- Saint Sava Serbian Orthodox Church, Jackson, USA
- Sts. Cyril and Methodius Church, Slovenia
- Serbian Church (Arad), Romania
- St. Sava Church, Paris, France
- Church of the Holy Prince Lazar, United Kingdom
- Serbian Orthodox Church, Halifax, United Kingdom
- St. Nicholas, West Wycombe, United Kingdom
- Saint Spyridon Church, Trieste, Italy
- Annunciation Church, Szentendre, Hungary
- Transfiguration Church, Szentendre, Hungary
- Church of Our Lady, Göteborg, Sweden
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| Notes | * indicate churches in Kosovo, which is the subject of a territorial dispute between the Republic of Serbia and the Republic of Kosovo. |
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| Nature parks | |
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| Landscapes of outstanding features | |
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| Natural monuments (selection) | |
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