[Текст на српском] Tuesday, Aug 7, 2018, we are still in Serbia… There are too many interesting places on our route, and so little time. Despite that, we had to pay a short visit early in the morning to the Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, in the old Ras…

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^{Fujifilm X-T20, Canon EFs 18–135mm, f/3.5-5.6 IS STM, @18mm, ISO400, 1/2500 sec, f3.5}

Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, commonly known as Peter’s Church, is situated at the top of the Ras hill, the medieval capital of the Serbian Grand Principality (Rascia), in Novi Pazar, Serbia. The Church is among the oldest mediaeval religious properties in Serbia.

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^{Fujifilm X-T20, Canon EFs 18–135mm, f/3.5-5.6 IS STM, @18mm, ISO400, 1/6000 sec, f3.5}

Gates to the Church property

We do not have certain date it was built, and there are some archaeological data that says it is located over the remains of a 4th century Roman building. There are traces of an early Christian structure raised in the 6th century, while additions were made in the 7th and 9th centuries. Historical sources do mention it as an orthodox episcopal church as early as the 10th century.

^{Fujifilm X-T20, Canon EFs 18–135mm, f/3.5-5.6 IS STM, @18mm, ISO400, 1/3200 sec, f3.5}

In the year 2000, with the people’s contributions, this very old church got a new bell tower.

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^{Fujifilm X-T20, Canon EFs 18–135mm, f/3.5-5.6 IS STM, @18mm, ISO200, 1/2500 sec, f3.5}

These are the doors to the Bell Tower.

^{Fujifilm X-T20, Canon EFs 18–135mm, f/3.5-5.6 IS STM, @18mm, ISO200, 1/600 sec, f3.5}

The main, western enterance to the Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul has an inscription with the marked year 1728…

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^{Fujifilm X-T20, Canon EFs 18–135mm, f/3.5-5.6 IS STM, @18mm, ISO200, 1/350 sec, f3.5}

Here is the heavy edited inscription, so the text could be readable. It testifies to the renewal of the Church under patriarch Arsenius IV in 1728… if someone can translate it :)

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^{Fujifilm X-T20, Canon EFs 18–135mm, f/3.5-5.6 IS STM, @18mm, ISO200, 1/350 sec, f3.5}

And here are the old metal doors at the main enterance.

^{Fujifilm X-T20, Canon EFs 18–135mm, f/3.5-5.6 IS STM, @18mm, ISO200, 1/350 sec, f3.5}

South enterance

This church has particular importance for Serbian history as key events from the life of Stefan Nemanja are connected with it: his baptism, the council against the Bogomils and the transfer of his rule to son Stefan.

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. He was married in the church (to Ana); their two sons, Rastko (later known as Saint Sava; l. 1175-1235), and Stefan Nemanjić, were baptized in the church. At this church Stefan Nemanja held the council that outlawed the Bogumils. And he abdicated in 1195, crowning Stefan Nemanjić (r. 1196-1228) at the Church of Peter, then joined his son Sava on Mount Athos.

In 1996, a memorial plate was set up marking 800 anniversary — the text says: “At this place, Serbian national councils were held in the 12th century. 1196—1996”

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^{Fujifilm X-T20, Canon EFs 18–135mm, f/3.5-5.6 IS STM, @18mm, ISO200, 1/640 sec, f3.5}

The likelihood that Peter's Church has functioned as a Christian place of worship for more than ten centuries is affirmed by the numerous alterations carried out on the structure and frescoes, that we couldn’t see this time since it was too early for the visit.

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^{Fujifilm X-T20, Canon EFs 18–135mm, f/3.5-5.6 IS STM, @18mm, ISO400, 1/3800 sec, f3.5}

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^{Fujifilm X-T20, Canon EFs 18–135mm, f/3.5-5.6 IS STM, @29mm, ISO200, 1/400 sec, f4}

Another good indicator of age were three layers of preserved painting fragments that are dated according to their stylistic characteristics to the 9th-10th centuries, the late 12th and the last decade of the 13th century. The continued respect for this ancient cult site in the last two centuries is evidenced by the necropolis with its large number of imposing tomb memorials.

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^{Fujifilm X-T20, Canon EFs 18–135mm, f/3.5-5.6 IS STM, @29mm, ISO200, 1/2700 sec, f4}

Roman, Byzantine and medieval Slavic tombs surround the church.

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^{Fujifilm X-T20, Canon EFs 18–135mm, f/3.5-5.6 IS STM, @22mm, ISO200, 1/1700 sec, f3.5}

East side

In 1979 the church was entered into the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of the Old Ras and Sopoćani complex.

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^{Fujifilm X-T20, Canon EFs 10–22mm, f/3.5-4.5, @10mm, ISO200, 1/2900 sec, f3.5}

Back to the road. It’s 10 o’clock, and we are finally at the border crossing Špiljani from the Serbian side. In about a half an hour, we’ll be in Montenegro. Stay tuned… :)

^{XiaoMi Redmi 4A, 5mm, f/2.2, ISO100, 1/399 sec, f2.2}