Petrova church
Encyclopedia
The Church of St. Apostles Peter and Paul , also known as Church of Peter is a Serbian Orthodox church, the oldest intact church in Serbia and one of the oldest ones in the region, situated on a hill of Ras, the medieval capital of the Serbian Grand Principality
(Rascia), near Novi Pazar
, Serbia
. It is part of the Stari Ras complex, an UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was founded in the 4th century during Roman rule
, while additions were made in the 7th and 9th centuries, after which it served as the ecclessiastical seat of the Serbian church, and as the baptismal church and state council site of the Nemanjić dynasty, until the last years of the 12th century. It is dedicated to Saint Peter
and Paul.
dating to 7th and 6th century BC, as well as a 5th century BC princely grave (with regalia
, robes, gold-silver jewelry, masks, beads and Attic pottery), underneath the floor of the church, in 1957-1958. The findings are presently at the National Museum of Serbia
, in Belgrade
. Roman, Byzantine and medieval Slavic tombs surround the church.
The present church has been built on several earlier churches of which remains have been well preserved. The foundation of the church, the massive columns, ground-plan and the octagonal tower which conceals a inner cupola are examples of the circular mausoleal architectural type used after Emperor Constantine (306-312). Archaeological findings point that the church has been rebuilt several times in history, beginning in the 4th century, with notable additions made in the 7th century. The architectural style resembles that of early churches in Pomorje
, Armenia
, Georgia
, and Italy
, dated to between the 7th and 9th centuries.
on the Ibar river
. Ras itself originates from ancient Arsa, and it is mentioned as a Serbian town in Constantine VII
's De Administrando Imperio
(r. 913–959). The initial ecclessiastical affiliation is uncertain, it was subordinate to either Split
or Durazzo, both then Byzantine (Patriarchate of Constantinople). The church served as seat of the Serbian eparchy, as the rotunda plan is characteristic of first court chapels. The bishopric was established shortly after 871, during the rule of Prince Mutimir
(r. 850-891), and was part of the general plan of establishing bishoprics in the Slav lands of the Empire, confirmed by the Council of Constantinople in 879-880. Similarly, the Eparchy of Braničevo
was founded in 878 (as continuation of Viminacium
and Horreum Margi).
Prince Petar (r. 892-917), was entombed in the church. Christianity was spreading in his time. Prince Časlav (r. 927–960) may have added the frescoes, which are dated to the 10th century. Byzantine Emperor John I Tzimiskes
(r. 969-976) recognized the Ras region as being the "focus of the Serbian lands", amid his annexation of the region (organizing it into a Catepanate)
. The Eparchy of Ras was organized into the newly established Archbishopric of Ohrid (1018), amid the renewed annexation of the region (organizing it into a Theme), as part of a wider Byzantine-Slavic Orthodox area. In the chrysobulls of Emperor Basil II
, dated 1020, the Eparchy of Ras is mentioned as serving the whole of Serbia
, confirming the church as ecclesiastical seat.
Sometime before 1163, Stefan Nemanja
, then only a Prince, was baptized in the church. In 1166, Stefan Nemanja acquired the throne of Serbia with the title of Grand Prince, and he and his spouse Ana
were married in the church, and his two sons, Rastko (later known as Saint Sava; l. 1175-1235)
, and Stefan Nemanjić, were also baptized in the church. Stefan Nemanja held the council that outlawed the Bogumils at the church. Rastko left Serbia in 1192, for Mount Athos
, where he took monastic vows and was given the name Sava. Stefan Nemanja abdicated in 1195, crowning Stefan Nemanjić (r. 1196-1228) at the Church of Peter, then joined his son Sava on Mount Athos. The father and son soon asked the Holy Community for the establishment of the Serbian religious base at the abandoned Hilandar
, which they renovated, marking the beginning of cultural prospering (in arts; literature
, and religion
). The ancient cell of Helandaris was donated by Emperor Alexios III Angelos
(1195-1203) "to the Serbs as an eternal gift..." and Stefan Nemanja establishes and endows the monastery in 1198 (before 13th february 1199). Nemanja dies at Hilandar in 1199, while Sava continues his work in establishing the Serbian church. Henceforth, the Church of Peter ends its service as the seat of the Serbian church. Sava crowns his brother Stefan, "King of Serbia" in 1217, and upon returning to Mount Athos, Sava is consecrated as the first Archbishop of the Serbian church, given autocephaly by Patriarch Manuel I of Constantinople
, in 1219. In the same year he published the first constitution
in Serbia
– St. Sava's Nomocanon (Zakonopravilo in Serbian). After the Nemanjić era, not much is mentioned about the church. The church frescoes date to the 10th, 12th and 13th centuries, while some frescoes were repainted in the mid-13th century.
, the church was not abandoned, and it is mentioned throughout the 16th and 17th centuries. In 1690, the Church is abandoned and the region is largely depopulated amid Ottoman atrocities in Kosovo, amid the Great Turkish War
in which Serb rebels fought on the side of the Holy League
. Patriarch Arsenije III Čarnojević
leads tens of thousands of Serb families to the Christian north. Metropolitan Arsenije IV Jovanović Šakabenta restores the church in 1728. During the 18th century, the church had the rank of Metropolitanate, and after 1784, the Eparchy of Raška is organized into the Eparchy of Prizren
. In the 1830s, the church is built on and restored. Shortly thereafter, the Ottomans overtake the church and use it as an ammunition magazine
. Since the First Balkan War
(1912), it is used for its original purpose [as a church].
, was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979, the church itself was included due to its uniqueness, as it is one of the oldest churches in the region. It is designated a Cultural Heritage Site of Serbia (the national heritage list), of the Monument of Culture of Exceptional Importance type.
Other oldest churches:
Serbian Grand Principality
The Serbian Grand Principality or Rascia was a medieval state that was founded in 1090, and ended with the elevation to Kingdom in 1217. During the reign of Constantine Bodin, the King of Duklja, Vukan was appointed to rule Rascia as a vassal, and when Bodin was captured by the Byzantines, Vukan...
(Rascia), near Novi Pazar
Novi Pazar
Novi Pazar is a city and municipality located in southwest Serbia, in the Raška District. According to the official census in 2011, number of inhabitants of municipality is 92,776, while the city itself has a population of 60,638...
, Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
. It is part of the Stari Ras complex, an UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was founded in the 4th century during Roman rule
Roman Serbia
The territory of what is today the Republic of Serbia was under Roman rule for about 600 years, from the 1st century BC until the Slavic invasions of the 6th century....
, while additions were made in the 7th and 9th centuries, after which it served as the ecclessiastical seat of the Serbian church, and as the baptismal church and state council site of the Nemanjić dynasty, until the last years of the 12th century. It is dedicated to Saint Peter
Saint Peter
Saint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...
and Paul.
Early
The exact date of founding is unknown; it is mentioned in the 9th century as the seat of the eparchy of Serbia (see Eparchy of Ras). Excavations on the site have unearthed Greek sculptures and Black-figure potteryBlack-figure pottery
Black-figure pottery painting, also known as the black-figure style or black-figure ceramic is one of the most modern styles for adorning antique Greek vases. It was especially common between the 7th and 5th centuries BC, although there are specimens dating as late as the 2nd century BC...
dating to 7th and 6th century BC, as well as a 5th century BC princely grave (with regalia
Regalia
Regalia is Latin plurale tantum for the privileges and the insignia characteristic of a Sovereign.The word stems from the Latin substantivation of the adjective regalis, 'regal', itself from Rex, 'king'...
, robes, gold-silver jewelry, masks, beads and Attic pottery), underneath the floor of the church, in 1957-1958. The findings are presently at the National Museum of Serbia
National Museum of Serbia
The National Museum is the largest and oldest museum in Serbia. It is located in Republic Square, Belgrade, Serbia. The museum was established on May 10, 1844. Since it was founded, its collections have to over 400,000 objects including many foreign masterpieces...
, in Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
. Roman, Byzantine and medieval Slavic tombs surround the church.
The present church has been built on several earlier churches of which remains have been well preserved. The foundation of the church, the massive columns, ground-plan and the octagonal tower which conceals a inner cupola are examples of the circular mausoleal architectural type used after Emperor Constantine (306-312). Archaeological findings point that the church has been rebuilt several times in history, beginning in the 4th century, with notable additions made in the 7th century. The architectural style resembles that of early churches in Pomorje
Pomorje
Pomorje or Primorje is a term used in historical contexts to describe one of the two geographical divisions that constituted Serbia in the Middle Ages...
, Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
, Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
, and Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, dated to between the 7th and 9th centuries.
Middle Ages
The first Serbian bishopric (Eparchy of Ras) was founded at the political center at Ras, near modern Novi PazarNovi Pazar
Novi Pazar is a city and municipality located in southwest Serbia, in the Raška District. According to the official census in 2011, number of inhabitants of municipality is 92,776, while the city itself has a population of 60,638...
on the Ibar river
Ibar River
The Ibar is a river that flows through eastern Montenegro and Serbia, with a total length of . The river begins in the Hajla mountain, eastern Montenegro, passes through Kosovo and flows into the West Morava river, Central Serbia, near Kraljevo....
. Ras itself originates from ancient Arsa, and it is mentioned as a Serbian town in Constantine VII
Constantine VII
Constantine VII Porphyrogennetos or Porphyrogenitus, "the Purple-born" was the fourth Emperor of the Macedonian dynasty of the Byzantine Empire, reigning from 913 to 959...
's De Administrando Imperio
De Administrando Imperio
De Administrando Imperio is the Latin title of a Greek work written by the 10th-century Eastern Roman Emperor Constantine VII. The Greek title of the work is...
(r. 913–959). The initial ecclessiastical affiliation is uncertain, it was subordinate to either Split
Archbishopric of Split (early medieval)
Archbishopric of Spalathon or Spalatum was a Christian archbishopric with seat in Salona , Dalmatia in the early Middle Ages.Eastern Roman Emperor Leo I Archbishopric of Spalathon or Spalatum (also Salona) was a Christian archbishopric with seat in Salona (modern Split), Dalmatia (modern...
or Durazzo, both then Byzantine (Patriarchate of Constantinople). The church served as seat of the Serbian eparchy, as the rotunda plan is characteristic of first court chapels. The bishopric was established shortly after 871, during the rule of Prince Mutimir
Mutimir of Serbia
Mutimir of Serbia was Prince of the Serbs from ca 850 until 891. He defeated the Bulgar Army, allied himself with the Byzantine Emperor and ruled the First Serbian Principality when the Christianization of the Serbs took place and the Eparchy of Ras was established.He was the eldest son of Knez...
(r. 850-891), and was part of the general plan of establishing bishoprics in the Slav lands of the Empire, confirmed by the Council of Constantinople in 879-880. Similarly, the Eparchy of Braničevo
Eparchy of Braničevo
Eparchy of Braničevo is one of the eparchies of the Serbian Orthodox Church, with the seat at Braničevo, Serbia.-History:It is mentioned for the first time in 878 as a bishopric...
was founded in 878 (as continuation of Viminacium
Viminacium
Viminacium was a major city and military camp of the Roman province of Moesia , and the capital of Moesia Superior. The archeological site occupies a total of 450 hectares. Viminacium is located 12 km from Kostolac, was devastated by Huns in the 5th century, but rebuilt by Justinian...
and Horreum Margi).
Prince Petar (r. 892-917), was entombed in the church. Christianity was spreading in his time. Prince Časlav (r. 927–960) may have added the frescoes, which are dated to the 10th century. Byzantine Emperor John I Tzimiskes
John I Tzimiskes
John I Tzimiskes or Tzimisces, was Byzantine Emperor from December 11, 969 to January 10, 976. A brilliant and intuitive general, John's short reign saw the expansion of the empire's borders and the strengthening of Byzantium itself.- Background :...
(r. 969-976) recognized the Ras region as being the "focus of the Serbian lands", amid his annexation of the region (organizing it into a Catepanate)
Catepanate of Serbia
Catepanate of Ras or Serbia was a Byzantine province established between 971–976, during the rule of John Tzimiskes...
. The Eparchy of Ras was organized into the newly established Archbishopric of Ohrid (1018), amid the renewed annexation of the region (organizing it into a Theme), as part of a wider Byzantine-Slavic Orthodox area. In the chrysobulls of Emperor Basil II
Basil II
Basil II , known in his time as Basil the Porphyrogenitus and Basil the Young to distinguish him from his ancestor Basil I the Macedonian, was a Byzantine emperor from the Macedonian dynasty who reigned from 10 January 976 to 15 December 1025.The first part of his long reign was dominated...
, dated 1020, the Eparchy of Ras is mentioned as serving the whole of Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
, confirming the church as ecclesiastical seat.
Sometime before 1163, Stefan Nemanja
Stefan Nemanja
Stefan Nemanja was the Grand Prince of the Grand Principality of Serbia from 1166 to 1196, a heir of the Vukanović dynasty that marked the beginning of a greater Serbian realm .He is remembered for his contributions to Serbian culture and...
, then only a Prince, was baptized in the church. In 1166, Stefan Nemanja acquired the throne of Serbia with the title of Grand Prince, and he and his spouse Ana
Saint Anastasija
Ana Nemanjić, also known as Saint Anastasija was the princess consort of the Serbian Principality as the wife of Stefan Nemanja . She was of noble descent. Ana took monastic vows in 1196 and was baptized Anastasia, after Anastasia of Sirmium. Her feast day is June 22 .Her origins have never been...
were married in the church, and his two sons, Rastko (later known as Saint Sava; l. 1175-1235)
Saint Sava
Saint Sava was a Serbian Prince and Orthodox monk, the first Archbishop of the autocephalous Serbian Church, the founder of Serbian law and literature, and a diplomat. Sava was born Rastko Nemanjić , the youngest son of Serbian Grand Župan Stefan Nemanja , and ruled the appanage of Hum briefly in...
, and Stefan Nemanjić, were also baptized in the church. Stefan Nemanja held the council that outlawed the Bogumils at the church. Rastko left Serbia in 1192, for Mount Athos
Mount Athos
Mount Athos is a mountain and peninsula in Macedonia, Greece. A World Heritage Site, it is home to 20 Eastern Orthodox monasteries and forms a self-governed monastic state within the sovereignty of the Hellenic Republic. Spiritually, Mount Athos comes under the direct jurisdiction of the...
, where he took monastic vows and was given the name Sava. Stefan Nemanja abdicated in 1195, crowning Stefan Nemanjić (r. 1196-1228) at the Church of Peter, then joined his son Sava on Mount Athos. The father and son soon asked the Holy Community for the establishment of the Serbian religious base at the abandoned Hilandar
Hilandar
Hilandar Monastery is a Serbian Orthodox monastery on Mount Athos in Greece. It was founded in 1198 by the first Serbian Archbishop Saint Sava and his father, Grand Prince Stefan Nemanja of the medieval Serbian principality of Raška...
, which they renovated, marking the beginning of cultural prospering (in arts; literature
Serbian literature
Serbian literature refers to literature written in Serbian and/or in Serbia.The history of Serbian literature begins with theological works from the 10th- and 11th centuries, developing in the 13th century by Saint Sava and his disciples...
, and religion
Religion in Serbia
Serbia is a multi-religious country. The dominant religion is Orthodox Christianity , but there are also some adherents of Islam , and Catholic Christianity , as well as adherents of other...
). The ancient cell of Helandaris was donated by Emperor Alexios III Angelos
Alexios III Angelos
Alexios III Angelos was Byzantine Emperor from 1195 to 1203.- Early life:Alexios III Angelos was the second son of Andronikos Angelos and Euphrosyne Kastamonitissa. Andronicus was himself a son of Theodora Komnene, the youngest daughter of Emperor Alexios I Komnenos and Irene Doukaina. Thus...
(1195-1203) "to the Serbs as an eternal gift..." and Stefan Nemanja establishes and endows the monastery in 1198 (before 13th february 1199). Nemanja dies at Hilandar in 1199, while Sava continues his work in establishing the Serbian church. Henceforth, the Church of Peter ends its service as the seat of the Serbian church. Sava crowns his brother Stefan, "King of Serbia" in 1217, and upon returning to Mount Athos, Sava is consecrated as the first Archbishop of the Serbian church, given autocephaly by Patriarch Manuel I of Constantinople
Patriarch Manuel I of Constantinople
Manuel I, surnamed Sarantenos or Charitopoulos , was Patriarch of Constantinople from December 1216 or January [1217] to [1222. He seems to have been called "the Philosopher": George Akropolites says he was "a philosopher, it seems, in deed, and so named by the people." Manuel was...
, in 1219. In the same year he published the first constitution
Constitution
A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...
in Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
– St. Sava's Nomocanon (Zakonopravilo in Serbian). After the Nemanjić era, not much is mentioned about the church. The church frescoes date to the 10th, 12th and 13th centuries, while some frescoes were repainted in the mid-13th century.
Early modern
After the Ottoman conquest in 1455History of Ottoman Serbia
The territory of what is now the Republic of Serbia was part of the Ottoman Empire throughout the Early Modern period.Ottoman culture significantly influenced the region, in architecture, cuisine, linguistics, and dress, especially in arts, and Islam....
, the church was not abandoned, and it is mentioned throughout the 16th and 17th centuries. In 1690, the Church is abandoned and the region is largely depopulated amid Ottoman atrocities in Kosovo, amid the Great Turkish War
Great Turkish War
The Great Turkish War refers to a series of conflicts between the Ottoman Empire and contemporary European powers, then joined into a Holy League, during the second half of the 17th century.-1667–1683:...
in which Serb rebels fought on the side of the Holy League
Holy League
Holy League may refer to:* Holy League , AKA "League of Venice", alliance of several opponents of French hegemony in Italy, arranged by Pope Alexander VI...
. Patriarch Arsenije III Čarnojević
Arsenije III Carnojevic
Arsenije III Čarnojević was the Archbishop of Peć and Patriarch of Serbs from 1674 to 1691 and Metropolitan of Szentendre from 1691 to his death in 1706.-Family:Arsenije was born to the Cetinje clan of Old Montenegro...
leads tens of thousands of Serb families to the Christian north. Metropolitan Arsenije IV Jovanović Šakabenta restores the church in 1728. During the 18th century, the church had the rank of Metropolitanate, and after 1784, the Eparchy of Raška is organized into the Eparchy of Prizren
Eparchy of Raška and Prizren
Eparchy of Raška and Prizren or Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Raška-Prizren and Kosovo-Metohija is one of the oldest eparchies of the Serbian Orthodox Church, featuring the seat of the Serbian Orthodox Church; the Patriarchate of Peć, as well as Visoki Dečani, which together are part of the UNESCO...
. In the 1830s, the church is built on and restored. Shortly thereafter, the Ottomans overtake the church and use it as an ammunition magazine
Magazine (artillery)
Magazine is the name for an item or place within which ammunition is stored. It is taken from the Arabic word "makahazin" meaning "warehouse".-Ammunition storage areas:...
. Since the First Balkan War
First Balkan War
The First Balkan War, which lasted from October 1912 to May 1913, pitted the Balkan League against the Ottoman Empire. The combined armies of the Balkan states overcame the numerically inferior and strategically disadvantaged Ottoman armies and achieved rapid success...
(1912), it is used for its original purpose [as a church].
Modern
Conservatorial work was done in the late 1950s and early 1960s. The Stari Ras-complex, including the church and SopoćaniSopocani
The Sopoćani monastery , an endowment of King Stefan Uroš I of Serbia, was built in the second half of the 13th century, near the source of the Raška River in the region of Ras, the centre of the Serbian medieval state. It is World Heritage Site, added in 1979 with Stari Ras...
, was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979, the church itself was included due to its uniqueness, as it is one of the oldest churches in the region. It is designated a Cultural Heritage Site of Serbia (the national heritage list), of the Monument of Culture of Exceptional Importance type.
See also
- List of Serbian Orthodox monasteries
Other oldest churches:
- Church of St. George, Sofia, the oldest church in Bulgaria
- Church of Holy Cross, Nin, the oldest church in Croatia
- Panagia EkatontapilianiPanagia EkatontapilianiPanagia Ekatontapyliani is a historic Byzantine church complex in Parikia town, on the island of Paros in Greece. The church complex contains a main chapel surrounded by two more chapels and a baptistery with a cruciform font.The origin of the church's name is obscure, as it does not have one...
, the oldest church in Greece - Densuş ChurchDensus ChurchThe Densuş Church in the village of Densuş, Hunedoara County, Romania is one of the oldest Romanian churches still standing....
, the oldest church in Romania - Tkhaba-Yerdy ChurchTkhaba-Yerdy ChurchTkhaba-Yerdy is the ruins of the largest medieval Christian church in Ingushetia, Russian Federation. It is located deep in the Assin Gorge between the auls of Khairakh and Puy, Dzheyrakhsky District, near the border with Georgia...
, the oldest church in Russia - Etchmiadzin Cathedral, the oldest church in Armenia, and the world (UNESCO)
Sources
- Mrkobrad, D. 1997, "Ras-Postenje, researches of the space north from the central gate on the northeastern wall", Glasnik Srpskog arheološkog društva, no. 13, pp. 183-189.
- Александар Дероко, „Монументална и декоративна архитектура у средњовековној Србији“ Београд 1985.
- Јован Деретић, „Културна историја Срба“, Крагујевац 2001. -{ISBN}- 86-7247-009-5
- Више аутора, "Нови Пазар и околина", Београд, 1969.