Ljubostinja

Ljubostinja monastery
Манастир Љубостиња

The outer facade of Ljubostinja church
Monastery information
Full name	Манастир - Љубостиња
Order	Serbian Orthodox
Established	1388
Dedicated to	HolyVirgin
People
Founder(s)	Milica of Serbia
Site
Location	Trstenik, Serbia
Visible remains	Princess Milica of Serbia Jefimija
Public access	Yes

TheLjubostinja Monastery(Serbian:Манастир Љубостиња/Manastir Ljubostinja,pronounced[ʎubǒːstiɲa]) is aSerbian OrthodoxmonasterynearTrstenik,Serbia.Located in the small mountain valley of the Ljubostinja river, the monastery is dedicated to the HolyVirgin.

History

Princess Milica of Serbia,founder of monastery

The monastery was built from 1388 to 1405.In Ljubostinja were buriedPrincess Milica,Lazar Hrebeljanović'swife andNun Jefimija,which after theBattle of Kosovobecame a nun along with a number of other widows of Serbian noblemen, who lost their lives in the battles on the riverMaritsaandKosovo Polje.Today, Ljubostinja is a female monastery, which preserves and maintains about fifty nuns. During the rebellion of Kočine, the people were invited on rebellion from the Ljubostinje monastery. After the collapse of rebellion, Turksburnedthe monastery to revenge the Serbs, and most of the frescoes were destroyed. Also, when the monastery was set on fire, a secret treasure was discovered hidden in the monastery wall behind icons in which the Princess Milica hid their treasure. Among the stolen treasure was located Crown of Prince Lazar, which is now inIstanbul.

Architecture and painting

Entrance of the Ljubostinja monastery

Monastery Ljubostinja has one dome and narthex. It was built with trimmed stones, while the facade was re-plastered and painted to imitate masonry ofstoneandbricks.The monastery was built in theMorava Style.The builder is masterRade Borović,whose name is on the threshold of the passage from the narthex to nave. Paintings are only partially preserved, and it was built on two occasions. In the narthex are portraits of Prince Lazar and Princess Milica made byHieromonk Makarije.From the painting works are still preserved: "Great Holidays," "Passion," "Miracles"... The church also has a very valuableiconostasis,which was painted byNikola Markovićin 1822.

Ljubostinja was declared aMonument of Culture of Exceptional Importancein 1979, and it is protected byRepublic of Serbia.

See also

• Monument of Culture of Exceptional Importance
• Tourism in Serbia
• Cultural Monuments of Rasina District

External links

• Serbian unity congress