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Monastery of Draca
Kragujevac and surrounding
Architecture,  Temples, Churches
Architecture, 
Temples, Churches

How many active medieval monasteries have remained to this day? And how difficult is it to find a female one among them? They were looted, destroyed, and burned. The monastery in the vicinity of Kragujevac has also experienced full of sad events but has preserved its greatness thanks to the monks, brothers and sisters.

The nunnery of the Serbian Orthodox Church called Draca is located just a few kilometers from the city and is one of the few active monasteries of our time. It was founded in the 15th century in honor of the great Orthodox feast of the translation of the relics of Saint Nicholas to Bari and was first mentioned in written Turkish sources in 1572-1573.

In 1690, the monks left this place and took all the valuable church utensils to the Novo Hopovo Monastery. Draca was empty for many years until the chief captain Stanisa Markovic built a new monastery church in 1734, as evidenced by the inscription above the main entrance. The new stone church had three arched entrances, narrow high windows and was crowned with an octagonal dome. Two Albanian artists, students of the great master David Selenica, painted its walls with traditional Byzantine frescoes for the next three years. They mainly painted Bible stories from the Old Testament. The iconostasis consisted of 36 icons and was crowned with a Crucifix.

Unfortunately, the monastery retained its appearance for only a few years. In 1788, it was burned down by Turkish soldiers. In 1793, it was restored by the returnee monks. Since then, the Orthodox monastery has become an important cultural center of the state. In the mid-19th century, thanks to the Serbian politician and major landowner Toma Vucic Perisic, the church was supplemented with a Baroque bell tower and two new premises, intended for a library and archive. In 1958, the building was transformed into a nunnery. Today, it is home to 10 nuns.

Address: Draca

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Praskovia Ko

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