World Heritage Identification Number: 96
World Heritage since: 1979
Category: Cultural Heritage
WHE Type: Historic Cities & Urban Areas
Transboundary Heritage: No
Endangered Heritage: No
Country: 🇷🇸 Serbia
Continent: Europe
UNESCO World Region: Europe and North America
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Medieval Monuments of Stari Ras and Sopoćani: A Testimony to Serbia's Early History
Stari Ras and Sopoćani, inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979, offer a unique glimpse into the early history of Serbia. Situated on the outskirts of Stari Ras, the first capital of Serbia, this collection of medieval monuments includes fortresses, churches, and monasteries that have survived the test of time.
More to come…UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site
On the outskirts of Stari Ras, the first capital of Serbia, there is an impressive group of medieval monuments consisting of fortresses, churches and monasteries. The monastery at Sopoćani is a reminder of the contacts between Western civilization and the Byzantine world.
UNESCO Justification of the World Heritage Site
Criterion (i): Sopoćani Monastery is renowned for the exceptional quality of its decorative frescoes. The frescoes in the narthex, which opens to two projecting chapels, provide a valuable historical record of the family of the founder of this monastery. The plastic quality of these compositions, mostly carried out in the 13th century, testifies to the vitality of Byzantine art at a time when Constantinople was in the hands of the Crusaders. The composition of the frescoes that adorn St George’s Church in the Djurdjevi Stupovi Monastery is original in the treatment of the figures in the manner of icons and draws its inspiration from ancient art. St Peter’s Church, the seat of the Bishop of Raška, was also decorated with frescoes mainly in the 13th century.
Criterion (iii): The ancient town of Ras drew its strength from its location at a crossroads and was enriched through its contact with both eastern and western influences. Its numerous monuments form a unique architectural complex that testifies to the period when the capital of the Serbian state was located in Stari Ras. These buildings, erected for the most part between the 9th and 11th centuries, express in their plan and pictorial decoration an architectural interest that is characteristic of the Raška School.
Encyclopedia Record: Stari Ras
Ras, known in modern Serbian historiography as Stari Ras, is a medieval fortress and area located in the vicinity of former market-place of Staro Trgovište, some 10–11 kilometers (6.2–6.8 mi) west of modern-day city of Novi Pazar in Serbia.Additional Site Details
Area: 198.72 hectares
Number of Components: 4
(iii) — Unique or exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition
Coordinates: 43.11889 , 20.42278
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