Ovčar–kablar monasteries – part one

Serbia does not have just one, but two of its own “Holy Mountains.” One is the pride of Fruška Gora, the other of the country’s rugged west. In the gorge once carved by the West Morava River, which parted two companions – Ovčar from Kablar – there arose fewer Orthodox shrines than on the Vojvodina mountain, yet ones no less monumental.

In dense forests, on steep slopes and rocky peaks of what were once nearly impassable lands, monks sought refuge – and found inspiration. Most likely this happened after the Battle of Maritsa in 1371. There are, however, no reliable written records of the time of their founding or their patrons. Those were centuries of suffering and deprivation, marked by raids and oppression. By the eve of the Second World War most of the monasteries had fallen into neglect, until many were revived by Bishop Nikolaj Velimirović of Žiča. Today they are all linked by the road through the Ovčar–Kablar Gorge. The river’s left bank has strung together five pearls.

BLAGOVEŠTENJE (ANNUNCIATION)

Nestled just above Ovčar Banja, at the foot of wooded Kablar, this is one of the few monasteries in the gorge whose date of origin is reliably known. It was erected in the early seventeenth century on existing foundations, in the spirit of the Raška school, and is considered one of the most beautiful in the area.

Its frescoes date from the first half of the seventeenth century. They are the work of the renowned iconographer Mitrofan. Painted in a time of great poverty for the Serbs under the Ottomans – “sorrowful and needy,” as one chronicle puts it – ochre and red predominate, while blue is scarcely present. Yet thanks to the masterful hand of the painter, the ensemble ranks among the finest examples of Serbian wall painting from the first half of the seventeenth century. Especially noteworthy are the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos Hodegetria, believed to be wonder–working, and the magnificent gilded iconostasis, restored in the late twentieth century.

Patriarch Pavle spent several years at Blagoveštenje, where he took monastic vows. It is as if he bequeathed to it his gentleness, modesty, serenity, and above all his closeness to the people – earthly, yet prayerful and dignified. Simple, with omnipresent beauty.

ILINJE

On a nearby little hill, tucked away in untouched, picturesque nature, lies Ilinje, dedicated to the Prophet Elijah. There are no records of the founder or the time the church was built. ecause of its proximity to Blagoveštenje, it is assumed to have been raised as its metochion (dependency) and to have housed a monastic manuscript school. Next to the tiny single–nave stone church, restored in 1939, a wooden bell tower was erected. Ilinje still has no monastic quarters, so the church is kept locked – yet it is very much worth a visit.

JOVANJE

Jovanje graces the largest meander of the West Morava, at the foot of Jovanje Hill. It is first mentioned in an Ottoman tax register around 1540. Tradition, however, says it was founded by monks from Mount Athos “before Kosovo.” According to the notes of Vuk Karadžić, it was a lavra and, in size and beauty, the foremost of the Kablar monasteries. It was plundered and destroyed several times, and in the mid–twentieth century it was relocated due to the construction of the Međuvršje hydroelectric plant. The nuns moved the monastic cemetery, as well as the stones and columns of the old church. The new church was consecrated in 1959. The interior is frescoed, and the iconostasis and certain icons are adorned with flowers – somewhat unusual.

It is known for the wonder–working icon of the Mother of God of Jovanje. The “Brzopomoćnica” (Mother of God, Quick to Hear) icon was gifted to the church by the monastery’s spiritual father, Seraphim the Russian, in 1917. It has comforted many in misfortune and healed the sick.

NIKOLJE

Right on the bank of the West Morava, not far from Ovčar Banja, rises one of the oldest monasteries in the gorge. The exact date of its founding is unknown; the earliest written trace found so far dates to 1489. One distinctive feature of the single–nave stone church is its entrance on the south side. The interior is adorned with magnificent frescoes from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, along with several later ones from the nineteenth century.

Beside the church stands Miloš’s konak, which Prince Miloš Obrenović built and where he sheltered his family after the collapse of the First Serbian Uprising. In the courtyard, like a holy relic, a sacred pine withstands the passage of time. According to folk belief, the two–hundred–year–old giant has healing power. Tradition also holds that Miloš’s son Petar, who died in childhood, is buried there.

Although it has often been a target for the ill–intentioned, it has never fallen into neglect. The candle in Nikolje has always been burning.

USPENJE (DORMITION)

Visible from every side of the gorge, the monastery is dedicated to the Mother of God. The church was built before the Second World War. Its architecture is unusual, modeled on medieval endowments of high–ranking ecclesiastical dignitaries of Ohrid. The interior was never fresco–painted; the altar screen is enriched with icons. For nearly half a century it stood empty and neglected as a metochion (dependency) of Jovanje, until the early twentieth century when work began on restoring and furnishing the church, the residence, and the entire monastery complex.

At the time of writing (September–October 2025) it is closed to visitors due to new works. The faithful may attend the Divine Liturgy, celebrated on Sunday mornings.

KAĐENICA – THE CAVE SANCTUARY

It is named for the smoke (from incensing), for in the spring of 1815 the Turks suffocated within it a group of villagers who had fled there from the surrounding area. When, in those days of reprisals and harsh oppression, their hiding place was discovered, brushwood and straw were heaped at the cave entrance and set alight. Bones lay scattered throughout the cave until arrangements for its restoration began through the efforts of Bishop Nikolaj of Žiča in the mid-1930s. The remains were laid in two stone sarcophagi, between which an altar apse was built. In it, small icons and vigil lamps are left for the repose of innocent souls. It is presumed that between 500 and 600 people perished, among them many children and the elderly. Bones of domestic animals were also found.

The cave lies not far from the Monastery of Blagoveštenje, on the right bank of the West Morava. The approach is a dirt path through wooded countryside. The site is well marked, maintained, and clean. Steep stone steps lead up to one of the most historically significant underground chambers. At the top, beside rocks where traces of soot can still be seen in places, a tall cross was placed. There are wooden doors at the entrance.

Inside it is cramped, cold – at moments eerie. Less from fear of what lurks in the depths of the dark, and more from the thought of the last moments of hundreds of unarmed souls. They sought a hiding place and found an eternal resting place.

It holds the status of a church and memorial ossuary. Monks from the nearby Monastery of Preobraženje serve a commemoration there every year on Vidovdan (St. Vitus Day).

A PIT STOP AT THE PS ČAČAK 1

What a day! A walk through history; enchantment with art; the coexistence of fairy-tale nature and the spirituality of heritage sites. The warmth of the faithful and the blessings of nuns and monks. Our four-wheeled companion guided us faithfully through steep climbs, bends, and many challenges of the canyon landscape. It deserves a reward. We give it top-quality fuel at the NIS petrol station in Čačak – so it can eagerly hasten on to visit the Serbian holy places on the right bank of the West Morava.