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.
Unique historical monument
The Orthodox monastery of Moraca in Montenegro is one of the most significant monuments of the Middle Ages in the Balkans. He 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 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 a snap. You can buy a ticket for the tour and go as part of a group. Such tours are organized from any resort in Montenegro. In addition, you can go to the temple complex on your own. The coordinates of Moraca Monastery are indicated in each guidebook.
In general, travelers need to move along the highway that connects Kolasin and Podgoroditsa (highway E 65). The distance from the Undercity is about 60 kilometers. Buses to the temple complex go from this city six times a day. In addition, you can get to the monastery from Nova and Budva, Bar, Sutomore, Virpazar, Plevi. From each of them follow buses in the right direction. In general, there are no problems with transport. You can take any flight following the direction of Podgorica-Kolasin and ask to stop near the monastery.
History of the complex
The Moraca Monastery in Montenegro is one of the most unusual medieval monuments. It was built in 1252 by Stephen, the son of King Wucan. The complex is located on the right coast of the Moraca river of the same name.
Legend has it that the monastery was built from a special yellow stone, which was mined far enough. Locals, having built a chain, passed stones to each other. Thus, the delivery of building material was organized. Of course, this is just a beautiful legend, since in real life such a fact was hardly possible.
At the end of the fourth century, the temple complex was partially destroyed by the Turks, but gradually it was restored by 1574. In the eighteenth century the Turks again attacked the monastery. The monks were forced to take up arms and fight the enemy. Archimandrite Pan Mitrofan skillfully led the battle and the monks managed to repel the Turks attack. For courage, Mitrofan was awarded a medal, and later he became Metropolitan.
Description of Moraca Monastery
The complex consists of the Cathedral Church of the Assumption of the Holy Virgin, several buildings with monastic cells, a small church of St. Nicholas. The spacious courtyard is surrounded by high walls with two gates.
The monastery is located in the canyon of the Moraca River, 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, the Moraca Monastery is a place visited by many pilgrims. Monks always help them than they can.
The mountain complex amazes with silence and tranquility. The peace that reigns here literally penetrates the inside and makes you look differently at the world, admiring the surrounding beauty.
Local shrines
In the monastery of Moraca in Montenegro (photos are given in the article) there are no significant shrines that are usually revered by people. But nevertheless, here there are their own values, which include:
- Murals 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 painting dates from the seventeenth to eighteenth century.
- The hand of St. Martyr Harlampia is perhaps the most important shrine of the complex. Blessed hand oil is taken home by all the pilgrims from different countries.
- Oktoikh - the very first printed book of the southern 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.
- The handwritten gospel and other ancient documents are in the monastery’s library.
Assumption Church
The Assumption Church of the Moraca Monastery is considered one of the oldest buildings in the Balkans. Most of the churches in Montenegro in that era were built as tombs of 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 the same unique frescoes. The most important relic inside 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 struggled in every way with Orthodoxy. They removed the roof of the church and forbade local residents to keep murals and icons. For many years, the temple stood in the open air without a roof, so snow and rain fell in it. All this caused significant harm 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 headman Vuchetich, who was later ranked as a saint. In the temple of the Moraca monastery, only frescoes with the faces of Christ and the Virgin were 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 cylindrical arch. It has a semicircular gallery and a dome. The main entrance is made in the Romanesque style of gray marble. The entire temple is faced with the same gray marble. In the middle part of the church hall is a stone sarcophagus, which is a tomb in which Prince Stephen was buried. The pearl of the temple is its double door, located at the entrance to the middle part. It is decorated with ivory. The table, cane and chair are also decorated, which, according to ancient legends, belonged to Saint Sava. These unique items are considered very valuable because they are decorated with sophisticated technique.
For many centuries, the temple played a huge role in people's lives. It made the most important decisions, taught literacy, passed sentences and rewrote books.
Church of St. Nicholas
In the monastery on the Moraca River there is also the Church of St. Nicholas. It is not as big as the first temple, but it boasts a very rich interior painting. The church was erected in 1635. According to legend, during the Ottoman rule, temples were built that outwardly did not differ from ordinary residential buildings. Well, inside the building, they made out as it should. In this way, residents tried to maintain 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 completely different from the temple. The length and width of the building are 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 the cells are located. Currently, these buildings have a very modernized look. However, getting into them is simply impossible. The monks keep everything that happens there, for seven seals, although otherwise they are very sociable and willingly make contact.
In addition, along the wall of the fence is a small hotel for pilgrims. It is built for those who come here with good intentions to venerate the shrines.
Local Attractions
Near the monastery there are very beautiful places worth seeing. On the river Mrtvitsa near the Green Whirlpool there is still an ancient stone bridge, which was built by Prince Danilo, thus respecting the memory of his mother.
And near Kolasin, the ruins of the building, which served as a powder warehouse for the Turks, were preserved. According to legend, it was built by a local architect who was Orthodox, and therefore he completed the structure in the form of a cross. When the Turks understood his plan, they immediately killed him. Since then, the building has been well preserved, but has never been used for its intended purpose.
Reviews on visiting the monastery
Reviews of the Moraca Monastery add a desire to visit this beautiful and quiet place. According to guests, the complex is surprisingly beautiful, neat and clean. It even seems like some kind of puppetry. Long-standing relics and icons are what many pilgrims come here for. Both churches are very beautiful inside and amaze with their decoration. However, taking pictures inside is not permitted.
The entire courtyard of the complex and utility buildings are buried in greenery and flowers, everything is surrounded by flowering plants. For a second, it might seem that this is not a monastery, but a garden. The apiary in the courtyard with colorful evidence looks very unusual and bright. One gets the impression that they were also drawn by the artist’s hand. The local landscape is complemented by turkeys, ducks and sheep, which are in the household of monks.
The inhabitants of the monastery themselves are very calm and are very nice to annoying guests, showing maximum patience. Many tourists visit the temple complex daily, so it is better to arrive early. By eleven in the morning, the monastery’s car park was already full of cars. In general, the Moraca Monastery is located in a very picturesque place, which seems simply fabulous. Resting in Montenegro, be sure to visit this wonderful place. Moreover, there are many more attractions nearby, which, as a rule, are visited by tourists.
Tips for visitors
Going to the monastery, it is worth remembering the appropriate appearance. No short shorts, skirts above the knee or open dresses should be worn here. Shoulders and knees should be closed. Photographing sights is possible only in the courtyard, but shooting inside the temples themselves is prohibited. In general, this is not a problem, since you can find detailed pictures of relics and frescoes on many resources.
The monastery welcomes guests from eight in the morning until five in the evening. Entrance to its territory is completely free, but you can leave donations if you wish. As a rule, many leave two euros. In the middle of the courtyard there is a holy spring, near which benches are placed. Tired tourists here can relax and drink water, which has healing power. 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 tries to pull one of the strings in order to hear the sound.
Another vivid experience is a bright apiary made 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 in memory of the tour.
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, a visit to the monastery is not just a dull contemplation of relics, but quite an interesting and vivid excursion filled with pleasant emotions.