DJURDJEVI STUBOVI
Djurdjevi Stubovi, another endowment of Stefan Nemanja, was built thirty
years before Studenica (around 1176). Today it is only a ruin, topping a
hill four kilometres from the Church of St. Peter in Novi Pazar. The remains
of the frescoes on the few existing portions of the church indicate that the
paintings once embellishing its walls were the work of a master's hand. A
monumental fresco of St. George on horseback, still discernible above the
ruins of the main entrance to the church, is striking even today. The name
of the church is a reminder of its having been dedicated to St. George, and
of the two bell-towers (Serbian: stubovi) which once stood in front of it.
In order to save the monastery from complete dilapidation, comprehensive
restoration has been under way in recent years
Near the ruins of the church, there is a small chapel, built towards
the end of the 13th century by King Dragutin (1276-1315) and
intended to be his burial place. In the vaults, the frescoes include a
number
of Serbian assemblies symbolically represented and portraits of some of
the first Nemanjics. |