Moraca Monastery, Montenegro

2024 Author: Harold Hamphrey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:06

In our article we will talk about one of the most interesting places in Montenegro. The Moraca Monastery, although it does not keep significant Orthodox shrines within its walls, is still a significant place. Resting in Montenegro, you should definitely see the unique complex.

A unique monument of history

The Orthodox monastery of Moraca in Montenegro is one of the most significant monuments of the Middle Ages in the Balkans. It is subordinate to the Serbian Orthodox Church. Currently, it functions as a monastery of the Montenegrin-Primorsky diocese.

The unique historical complex is located in a picturesque place, on a hill near a high mountain canyon. The monastery is very popular not only among tourists who want to see the sights, but also among pilgrims.

Since the complex is located near the road, its visit is included in the program of almost every sightseeing tour.

Moraca Monastery: how to get there

Getting to the monastery is not difficult at all. You can buy a ticket for an excursion and go as part of a group. These tours are organized fromany resort in Montenegro. In addition, you can go to the temple complex on your own. The coordinates of the Moraca Monastery are indicated in every guidebook.

In general, travelers need to move along the highway that connects Kolasin and Podgoroditsa (route E 65). The distance from Podgoroditsa is about 60 kilometers. Buses run from this city six times a day to the temple complex. In addition, you can get to the monastery from Nova and Budva, Bar, Sutomore, Virpazar, Plevi. From each of them buses follow in the right direction. In general, there are no problems with transport. You can use any flight in the direction of Podgorica-Kolasin and ask to stop near the monastery.

History of the complex

Moraca Monastery in Montenegro is one of the most unusual medieval monuments. It was built in 1252 by Stefan, son of King Vukan. The complex is located on the right bank of the Moraca River of the same name.

The legend says that the monastery was built from a special yellow stone, which was mined far enough away. Local residents, lining up in a chain, passed stones to each other. Thus, the delivery of building material was organized. Of course, this is just a beautiful legend, since such a fact was hardly possible in real life.

At the end of the fourth century, the temple complex was partially destroyed by the Turks, but gradually by 1574 it was restored. In the eighteenth century, the Turks again attacked the monastery. The monks were forced to take up arms and fightwith the enemy. Archimandrite Pan Mitrofan skillfully led the battle and the monks managed to repel the attack of the Turks. Mitrofan was awarded a medal for his bravery, and later he became a metropolitan.

Description of Moraca Monastery

The complex consists of the cathedral church of the Assumption of the Holy Mother of God, several buildings with monastic cells, a small church of St. Nicholas. The spacious yard is surrounded by high walls with two gates.

The monastery is located in the canyon of the river Moraca, high in the mountains. Despite this, numerous tourists visit it daily. It is worth noting that the monks are very supportive of visitors. They are sincerely ready to share the spirituality and beauty of this place. In addition, Moraca Monastery is a place visited by numerous pilgrims. The monks always help them in any way they can.

The mountain complex strikes with silence and tranquility. The peace that reigns here literally penetrates inside and makes you look at the world differently, admiring the surrounding beauty.

Local shrines

In the Moraca monastery in Montenegro (photos are given in the article) there are no significant shrines that are usually revered by people. But nevertheless, there are values here, which include:

1. Frescoes and icons. There are a lot of them, and they are really beautiful. One of them, for example, is dedicated to the prophet Elijah, it dates from the thirteenth century and includes eleven fragments. The fresco is very well preserved. It is worth noting that most of the icons and monastery paintings date back to the seventeenth-eighteenthcentury.
2. The hand of the Holy Great Martyr Kharlampy is perhaps the most important shrine of the complex. Hand-sanctified oil is taken home by all pilgrims from different countries.
3. Oktoih is the very first printed book of the South Slavs. It was created in 1493, and the book is printed in Cyrillic. But the Apostle, published by Ivan Fedorov (this is the first printed book in Russia), was published only seventy years later.
4. The handwritten Gospel and other ancient documents are in the library of the monastery.

Assumption Church

The Assumption Church of the Moraca Monastery is considered one of the oldest buildings in the Balkans. Most of the temples in Montenegro in that era were built as the tombs of the great rulers. The Church of the Assumption of the Mother of God was no exception. It was built in the thirteenth century. The temple is famous for its ancient icons and equally unique frescoes. The most important relic located within the walls of the church is the icon of the painter Cosmas St. Simeon and St. Savva.

As we have already mentioned, the monastery was repeatedly captured by the Turks, who fought in every possible way with Orthodoxy. They removed the roof of the church and forbade the locals from keeping frescoes and icons. For many years, the temple stood in the open without a roof, so snow and rain fell into it. All this caused significant damage to the frescoes, so not so many of them have survived to this day.

The church was restored only at the end of the sixteenth century thanks to the local elder Vuchetich, whosubsequently canonized as saints. In the temple of the Moracha monastery, only frescoes with the faces of Christ and the Virgin have been preserved. Here you can also see illustrations from the life of the prophet Elijah.

The church is quite large and consists of one hall with a barrel vault. It has a semicircular gallery and a dome. The main entrance is Romanesque in gray marble. The whole temple is lined with the same gray marble. In the middle part of the church hall there is a stone sarcophagus, which is a tomb in which Prince Stefan was buried. The pearl of the temple is its double door, located at the entrance to the middle part. It is adorned with ivory. Also decorated are a table, a cane and an armchair, which, according to ancient legends, belonged to Saint Sava. These unique items are considered very valuable because they are decorated with sophisticated techniques.

For many centuries the temple has played a huge role in people's lives. It made the most important decisions, taught literacy, passed sentences and rewrote books.

Church of Saint Nicholas

In the monastery on the river Moraca there is also the Church of St. Nicholas. It is not as big as the first temple, but boasts a very rich interior painting. The church was erected in 1635. According to legend, during the period of Ottoman domination, temples were built that outwardly did not differ from ordinary residential buildings. Well, inside the building they made out as it should be. In this way, the residents tried to keep their faith.

It is worth noting that the Church of St. Nicholas is an older building,than the Church of the Assumption. The architecture of the building is not at all similar to the temple. The length and width of the building is five meters, and the height of the building reaches eight meters.

Monastic cells

On the territory of the monastery in the city of Moraca (Montenegro) there are monastic buildings, in which there are cells. Currently, these buildings have a very modern look. However, getting into them is simply impossible. The monks keep everything that happens there behind seven seals, although otherwise they are very sociable and willing to make contact.

In addition, along the wall of the fence is a small hotel for pilgrims. It was built for those who come here with good intentions to venerate the shrines.

Local Attractions

There are very beautiful places near the monastery that are worth seeing. An ancient stone bridge built by Prince Danilo still stands on the Mrtvitsa River near the Green Whirlpool, thus honoring the memory of his mother.

And near Kolasin, the ruins of a building that served as a powder warehouse for the Turks have been preserved. According to legend, it was built by a local architect, who was Orthodox, and therefore he built the structure in the form of a cross. When the Turks realized his plan, they immediately killed him. Since then, the building has been well preserved, but it was never used for its intended purpose.

Reviews about visiting the monastery

Reviews of the Moraca monastery add to the desire to visit this beautiful and quiet place. According to the guests, the complex is amazingly beautiful, well-groomed andclean He even looks like a puppet. Ancient relics and icons are what many pilgrims come here for. Both churches are very beautiful inside and amaze with their decoration. However, photography is not allowed inside.

The whole courtyard of the complex and auxiliary buildings are buried in greenery and flowers, everything is covered with flowering plants. For a second it may seem that this is not a monastery, but a garden. The apiary in the yard with multi-colored evidence looks very unusual and bright. One gets the impression that they were painted by the hand of an artist. The local landscape is complemented by turkeys, ducks and sheep, which are in the subsidiary farm of the monks.

The inhabitants of the monastery themselves are very calm and treat annoying guests very well, showing maximum patience. The temple complex is visited by many tourists every day, so it is better to arrive early. By eleven o'clock in the morning, the car park at the monastery is already filled with cars. In general, the Moraca monastery is located in a very picturesque place, which seems just fabulous. Resting in Montenegro, be sure to visit this wonderful place. Moreover, there are many more attractions nearby, which are usually visited by tourists.

Tips for visitors

Going to the monastery, it is worth remembering the proper appearance. No short shorts, skirts above the knee and open dresses are not allowed here. Shoulders and knees should be covered. You can take pictures of sights only in the courtyard, but shooting inside the temples themselves is prohibited. In general, this is nota problem, because on many resources you can find the most detailed pictures of relics and frescoes.

The monastery receives guests from eight in the morning until five in the evening. Entrance to its territory is completely free, but if you wish, you can leave donations. As a rule, many leave two euros. In the middle of the courtyard there is a holy spring, around which benches are placed. Tired tourists here can relax and drink water, which has healing powers. In the courtyard there is also a beautiful bell tower with a whole set of cute bells from small to large. Oddly enough, but every second tourist strives to pull one of the strings to hear the sound.

Another vivid impression is a bright apiary of colorful beehives, one of which is made in the form of a church. In general, on the territory of the monastery you can take stunningly beautiful pictures as a keepsake of the excursion.

And right behind the wall of the complex flows a mountain stream, through which the monks built a small stone bridge. There is a cafe nearby. Here you can relax and have a bite to eat. In general, visiting the monastery is not just a dull contemplation of relics, but quite an interesting and vibrant excursion filled with pleasant emotions.