November 28, 2010

Manasija Monastery in Serbia to be Included in World Heritage List


November 18, 2010
Blic

Serbian Minister of culture Nebojsa Bradic is expected to meet these days at the UNESCO Principal Office in Paris with Irina Bokova, the President to discuss including of the Manasija Monastery in the list of World heritage. The endowment of Despot Stefan Lazarevic has been in the preliminary list of objects for registration as the World heritage since last summer.

The monastery is under reconstruction. Until so far nine of total eleven towers have been reconstructed as well as has the conservation of frescoes and the holly door. The whole interior of the monastery is practically under reconstruction as well as the residential cells for the sisterhood.

It shall certainly take another two or three years for the works to be completed to make the monastery look as it had at the beginning of the 15th century when it was built.

Construction of the Manasija Monastery lasted eleven years and it belongs to Serbian medieval architecture. It is completely unique building and there is no similar one in the whole Byzantine Empire. The fortress was both a monastery and a fortification.

ID of Manasija Monastery
•Fundament placed in 1407
•Construction completed in 1418
•Founder Despot Stefan Lazarevic
•The most famous fresco: the one of the founder
•Destroyed and renewed several times
•Renewal of towers began 10 years ago
•Monument of special significance
•In preliminary list of world heritage since last summer