Most beautiful frescoes belonging to the Serbian Orthodox Church
One of the best-known monasteries in Serbia
Sopoćani Monastery is one of the best-known monasteries in Serbia. It was built in the 13th century by the successful Serbian King Uroš I Nemanjic, during whose reign intensive development of mining and trade in the country begun. The monastery was built as a resting place of the king Uroš I Nemanjić and his relatives. It was entered on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1979 and it is part of Transromanica Cultural Route.
What makes Sopoćani monastery particularly well known, are the frescoes that some experts believe are the highest achievement, not only of Serbian, but also of European painting of that time, which skillfully revives different characters from Christianity. The monastery was repeatedly burned by the Turks, destroyed and deserted. Today is a frequent target of tourists and pilgrims and is located near the source of the river Raška, in a pleasant natural environment, near present-day city of Novi Pazar in southwestern Serbia.