Gornjak Monastery

Gornjak Monastery
Gornjak Monastery
Religion
Affiliation	Serbian Orthodox Church
Location
Location	Petrovac na Mlavi
Architecture
Type	Byzantine
Style	Byzantine
Completed	1380
Materials	Stone

The Gornjak Monastery (Serbian: Горњак), formerly known as Ždrelo (Ждрело), is a 14th-century Serbian Orthodox monastery located in the vicinity of today's city of Petrovac na Mlavi, Serbia.

Gornjak monastery is located in Gornjacka gorge, between Žagubica and Petrovac na Mlavi. Construction of the monastery was finished in 1380 by Starats (Elder) Grigorije and his brethren, and the founder was king Lazar of Serbia.

It was rather early that the monastery was mentioned in Turkish documents—in the 1520s and 1530s. First six, and later eight monks were reported to live there. After the Treaty of Požarevac the place was found in ruins, but abbot Maksim immediately had the sanctuary reconstructed back to its original. Since the monastery was built, the monastic life went on uninterrupted (even in war) up to this day. The oldest preserved structures are a church dedicated to Ascension and the small cave chapel dedicated to St. Nicholas. Gornjak monastery belongs to the Moravska architectural school. The Vavedenjska Church has a trefoil basis with a dome. The bell tower and the parvis were added later.

The most interesting frescoes are the ones in the St. Nicholas chapel. The fresco-paintings were painted in 1847 and are of considerable quality. In the small cave chapel above the main church, the relics of the monastery's co-founder St. Grigorije are kept. Relics of Saint Gregor - Saint Grigorije are very respected by local population that consider them miracle and healing.

See also