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February 19, 2026
Icons Were Hidden From Turks in Secret Passages: Many Don't Know About This Monastery, Here's Where It Is (PHOTO)
According to the basic architectural design, the Gornjak church belongs to the so-called Moravian style. More precisely, it is a structure built in the late Byzantine architectural manner with elements of local construction. The Church of the Presentation has a trikonhal plan with a dome. The narthex was added later, as was the bell tower with a porch. The frescoes are poorly preserved, and in 1847, they were repainted by Živko Pavlović, a painter from Požarevac. The remaining frescoes in the chapel of Saint Nicholas are better preserved.
TL;DR
- Manastir Gornjak is located in Eastern Serbia, built between 1376-1380 as an endowment of Prince Lazar.
- The monastery features architecture in the Moravian style, with the main church dedicated to the Presentation of the Theotokos and a preserved chapel in a cave dedicated to Saint Nicholas.
- Historically, the monastery has been used as a psychiatric hospital, a prison, and was occupied by the German army during WWII.
- Folk legends tell of Prince Lazar's encounter with hermit Gregory, the silencing of river waves by prayer, and the hiding of relics and icons in secret passages from the Turks.
- A spring near the monastery is believed to have miraculous healing properties and divine protection.
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