UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Serbia
Serbia has 4 sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List (4 cultural), the first inscribed in 1979 (Stari Ras and Sopoćani). 1 site is on the List of World Heritage in Danger. The map below plots every one of them alongside the rest of the List, and each site is written up in full further down the page.
- World Heritage Sites
- 4
- Cultural
- 4
- Natural and Mixed
- 0
- First Inscribed
- 1979
Map of World Heritage Sites in Serbia
CulturalNaturalMixedIn DangerLarge dots are in Serbia. Click a dot to read about the site.
Stari Ras and Sopoćani
Serbia · 43.1189° N, 20.4228° E · 2 km² · 52 km from Pec
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.
Description from the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).
Why Stari Ras and Sopoćani Is Listed
- (i)
- A masterpiece of human creative genius.
- (iii)
- A unique testimony to a cultural tradition or civilisation.
Studenica monastery
Serbia · 43.4867° N, 20.5316° E · 48 km from Čačak
The Studenica Monastery (Serbian: Манастир Студеница / Manastir Studenica, pronounced [mânastiːr studɛ̌nit͡sa]) is a 12th-century Serbian Orthodox monastery situated 39 kilometres (24 mi) southwest of Kraljevo and 40.9 kilometres (25.4 mi) east of Ivanjica, in central Serbia. Studenica Monastery is a major monument of medieval architecture.
Studenica was declared a Monument of Culture of Exceptional Importance in 1979, and is protected by the state. In 1986 UNESCO included Studenica monastery on the list of World Heritage Sites, with the description:
The Studenica Monastery was established in the late 12th century by Stefan Nemanja, founder of the medieval Serb state, shortly after his abdication. It is the largest and richest of Serbia's Orthodox monasteries. Its two principal monuments, the Church of the Virgin and the Church of the King, both built of white marble, enshrine priceless collections of 13th- and 14th-century Byzantine painting.
Adapted from Wikipedia: Studenica Monastery (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Why Studenica monastery Is Listed
- (i)
- A masterpiece of human creative genius.
- (ii)
- An important interchange of human values.
- (iv)
- An outstanding example of a type of building or landscape.
- (vi)
- A direct association with events, ideas or beliefs of universal significance.
More about Studenica monastery
UNESCO's Description
The Studenica Monastery was established in the late 12th century by Stevan Nemanja, founder of the medieval Serb state, shortly after his abdication. It is the largest and richest of Serbia’s Orthodox monasteries. Its two principal monuments, the Church of the Virgin and the Church of the King, both built of white marble, enshrine priceless collections of 13th- and 14th-century Byzantine painting.
From the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).
History
The monastery Studenica, dedicated to the Presentation of the Holy Virgin, is the mother-church of all Serbian temples. It was constructed over a quite long period of time. The first stage of works were completed by the spring of 1196, when Stefan Nemanja abdicated and took monastic vows at the monastery. When he later left for Hilandar, his son and successor Stefan took over the care of Studenica. Nemanja died in Hilandar in 1199. Nemanja's third son Rastko (Saint Sava), after reconciling with his brothers Stefan and Vukan, moved Nemanja's relics to Studenica. Under guardianship of Sava, Studenica became the political, cultural and spiritual center of medieval Serbia.
Studenica enjoyed continual care by the members of the Nemanjić dynasty.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Studenica Monastery (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Key Facts
| Established | 1186 |
|---|---|
| Area | 0 km² |
| Architectural style | Rascian architecture |
Facts from Wikidata Q143042 (CC0).
Medieval Monuments in Kosovo
Serbia · 42.6611° N, 20.2656° E · 4 km from Pec
The Medieval Monuments in Kosovo (Serbian: Средњовековни споменици на Косову, Srednjovekovni spomenici na Kosovu, Albanian: Monumentet Mesjetare në Kosovë) are a World Heritage Site consisting of four Serbian Orthodox Christian churches and monasteries which represent the fusion of the eastern Orthodox Byzantine and the western Romanesque ecclesiastical architecture to form the Palaiologian Renaissance style. The construction was founded by members of Nemanjić dynasty, the most important dynasty of Serbia in the Middle Ages. The sites are located in Kosovo.
In 2004, UNESCO recognized the Dečani Monastery for its outstanding universal value. Two years later, the site of patrimony was extended as a serial nomination, to include three other religious monuments: Patriarchate of Peć Monastery, Our Lady of Ljeviš and Gračanica Monastery.
In 2006 the property was inscribed on the list of World Heritage in Danger due to difficulties in its management and conservation stemming from the region's political instability.
Adapted from Wikipedia: Medieval Monuments in Kosovo (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Why Medieval Monuments in Kosovo Is Listed
- (ii)
- An important interchange of human values.
- (iii)
- A unique testimony to a cultural tradition or civilisation.
- (iv)
- An outstanding example of a type of building or landscape.
More about Medieval Monuments in Kosovo
UNESCO's Description
The four edifices of the site reflect the high points of the Byzantine-Romanesque ecclesiastical culture, with its distinct style of wall painting, which developed in the Balkans between the 13th and 17th centuries. The Dečani Monastery was built in the mid-14th century for the Serbian king Stefan Dečanski and is also his mausoleum. The Patriarchate of Peć Monastery is a group of four domed churches featuring series of wall paintings. The 13th-century frescoes of the Church of Holy Apostles are painted in a unique, monumental style. Early 14th-century frescoes in the church of the Holy Virgin of Ljevisa represent the appearance of the new so-called Palaiologian Renaissance style, combining the influences of the eastern Orthodox Byzantine and the Western Romanesque traditions. The style played a decisive role in subsequent Balkan art.
From the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).
Key Facts
| Area | 0 km² |
|---|---|
| Architectural style | Byzantine architecture |
Facts from Wikidata Q1982106 (CC0).
Gamzigrad
Serbia · 43.8993° N, 22.1862° E · 2 km² · 67 km from Niš
Gamzigrad (Serbian Cyrillic: Гамзиград, pronounced [ɡǎmziɡraːd] ) is an archaeological site, spa resort, and UNESCO World Heritage Site of Serbia, located south of the Danube river, in the city of Zaječar. It is the location of the ancient Roman complex of palaces and temples Felix Romuliana (Serbian: Феликс Ромулијана / Feliks Romulijana), built by Emperor Galerius in Dacia Ripensis. The main area covers 10 acres (40,000 m2).
Adapted from Wikipedia: Gamzigrad (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Why Gamzigrad Is Listed
- (iii)
- A unique testimony to a cultural tradition or civilisation.
- (iv)
- An outstanding example of a type of building or landscape.
More about Gamzigrad
UNESCO's Description
The Late Roman fortified palace compound and memorial complex of Gamzigrad-Romuliana, Palace of Galerius, in the east of Serbia, was commissioned by Emperor Caius Valerius Galerius Maximianus, in the late 3rd and early 4th centuries. It was known as Felix Romuliana, named after the emperor’s mother. The site consists of fortifications, the palace in the north-western part of the complex, basilicas, temples, hot baths, memorial complex, and a tetrapylon. The group of buildings is also unique in its intertwining of ceremonial and memorial functions.
From the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).
History
In the vicinity of Gamzigrad lie the ruins of a huge Roman complex called Felix Romuliana, one of the most important late Roman sites in Europe. Early explorers believed the ancient ruins to have been a Roman military camp, because of their size and numerous towers. Systematic archaeological excavations conducted since 1953 revealed that the site was, in fact, an Imperial palace. It was conceived and built by one of the Tetrarchs, Emperor Galerius, a Roman emperor who had Dacian origins, the adopted son and son-in-law of the Roman Emperor Diocletian. Galerius started construction in 298 (after a victory over the Sasanian Empire that brought him admiration and glory) to mark the place of his birth.
Preservation and tourism
During the 31st Session of the Unesco World Heritage Committee in Christchurch, New Zealand, from the 23rd of June to the second of July 2007, The World Heritage Committee decided to place Gamzigrad-Romuliana, Palace of Galerius on the World Heritage List.
Felix Romuliana is a popular tourist stop on the Roman Emperors' trail which links the birthplaces of over 17 Roman Emperors born on the territory of modern Serbia.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Gamzigrad (CC BY-SA 4.0).
World Heritage in Serbia: Quick Answers
- How many UNESCO World Heritage Sites are in Serbia?
- Serbia has 4 World Heritage Sites: 4 cultural.
- What was the first World Heritage Site in Serbia?
- Stari Ras and Sopoćani, inscribed in 1979. The most recent is Gamzigrad, inscribed in 2007.
- Are any World Heritage Sites in Serbia in danger?
- Yes: Medieval Monuments in Kosovo is on UNESCO's List of World Heritage in Danger.