Stari Ras and Sopoćani

Stari Ras and Sopoćani is a serial property consisting of four separate components located in
the Raška region of southern Serbia: Sopoćani Monastery, Djurdjevi Stupovi Monastery, Holy
Apostles St Peter and St Paul Church (St Peter’s Church), and the archaeological site of the
Medieval Town of Ras. The impressive collection of three ecclesiastical monuments dating from
the 10th to the 13th centuries eminently illustrates the birth of artistic activity in medieval Serbia,
which attained the highest standards in the art and culture of the Byzantine Empire and the
regions of Central and Southeastern Europe. The frescoes in the Sopoćani Monastery church,
dating from about 1270-1276, are among the finest in Byzantine and Serbian medieval art.
These exceptional paintings represent the work of the best artists of that period who were
unable to work in the territory of the Byzantine Empire and found refuge at the court of the
Serbian king, so that the monastery at Sopoćani is a reminder of the contacts between Western
civilization and the Byzantine world. The state of conservation of all the components, including
the remains of the fortress of Gradina and the lower town of Trgovište, and especially the very
delicate wall paintings, is good, and their condition is constantly monitored by the relevant
experts.

HOW TO GET THERE

It is located near the city Novi Pazar.

MUST SEE

The Church of the Holy Apostles of Peter and Paul in Novi Pazar;
The Old Bazaar of Novi Pazar and the Fortress; The Altun-Alem Mosque and Isa-Bey’s Hammam;
City of Sjenica, Pešter and Uvac Lake