Monasteries in Serbia have been part of the national, spiritual and cultural identity of the people for ten centuries.
These are not only religious buildings, but places where Serbs sought shelter and refuge in the most difficult days of their existence, where they were educated and where they copied the most valuable manuscripts of our history. They represent the endowments of the kings who ruled this region from the 11th century, where they were crowned, married and buried.
Sometimes they were erected near important travel routes, in populated regions, and sometimes on mountains or deep in forests, hidden from the eyes of sincere believers, as well as those who are not.
In the tumultuous Serbian history, there were many conflicts in these areas, and somehow the monasteries were the buildings that were most often demolished but also rebuilt. When I was walking through Valjevo, in order to reach the banks of the Gradac river, I wanted to visit the monastery near the village of Lelić, the famous and well-known Monastery of Ćelije. Built probably in the 15th century, this monastery, hidden deep in the forest, which is reached by a steep narrow road, was nevertheless destroyed several times. Now there is a large parking lot in front of the monastery, where we left the car and went on a tour, first of the monastery and then for a walk along the Gradac river.
In order to reach the courtyard of the old church, dedicated to the Assembly of the Archangels Michael and Gabriel, which until 10 years ago was the only church of the Ćelije Monastery, the Church of Saint Sava was built, a luxurious building that allowed the reception of many more believers who visit the Ćelije Monastery every day.
Although beautiful, the new part of the monastery is not what fascinates me here. In the Ćelije Monastery, I am attracted by the peace, tranquility and silence of the old church, the shade of the pines and the beautiful church home.
I have been to many monasteries, but this one, which has been under the management of nuns since 1928 (female monastery), is one of the most beautifully decorated.
During this tour, I took a closer look at the monuments located in the gate of the monastery, which interested me to recall some historical facts.
I know almost all the details of the participation of the Serbian army and people in the First World War, but I knew very little about the first and second Balkan wars, which were fought from 1912 to 1913 (immediately before the Great War), in which Serbia completely freed its territories from the remnants of the Ottoman Empire. In those Balkan wars, over 53,000 soldiers died on the Serbian side.
But what I probably heard in history lessons in elementary school, and forgot until these years, is that from 1876 to 1877 wars were fought in this area between the Serbs and the Ottomans. Those wars, initiated by the desire to be freed from Ottoman rule, led to the death of a total of 8,400 Serbian soldiers in the First and Second Serbo-Turkish Wars.
The monuments that I have photographed here were erected in memory of those who died in the first Serbo-Turkish war, in the battles near Veliki Izvor in the Timok region.
These wars were the trigger for the Berlin Congress held in 1878, at which Serbia received full autonomy and independence.
There are also monuments to soldiers who died during the Balkan wars and the First World War, the Great War.
And how did it all begin? From the 15th century, this area was ruled by the Ottomans. At the beginning of the 19th century, power was in the hands of the dahis, who, in their desire to suppress the people's desire for freedom, in February 1804, fraudulently gathered the Serbian princes and carried out their execution, which was remembered by the people as "The felling of the princes".
This had the opposite effect, and instead of fear, a rebellion was awakened in the people, which turned into the first Serbian uprising that lasted for 9 years, from 1804 to 1813.
This uprising was suppressed, and the total number of victims among the Serbian insurgents and the people was never correctly calculated. According to some sources, 100,000 victims are mentioned, according to other sources, 400,000 victims.
But no matter how many victims there were, it is known who were the first victims of the first Serbian uprising - Serbian princes: Aleksa Nenadovic, Ilija Bircanin, Stevan Andreić Palalija, Marko Čarapić, Prince Teofan and Prince Petar.
And among these monuments in the gate of the Ćelije monastery, there is a monument of one of them, Ilija Birčanin.
Buried in a tomb, in the shadow of the church walls, under the pine trees.
This is where the first victim of the first Serbian uprising found peace.
Thinking about all the wars in these areas and the number of lives that were lost in them, my thoughts went to the current war events around the world and to a famous Latin saying: Historia est Magistra Vitae / History is the teacher of life. which proves that humanity still hasn't learned anything and that maybe the one given by John F. Kennedy is better: The aim of history is not to make us wise for all time, but to make us wise for a time.
And whether we will be lucky enough to have wisdom for a while, again history will show...
I was very glad that I visited this monastery and that the monuments I came across prompted me to remember the past, so this post, in addition to being on my map on #Worldmappin, could also be found on #ThrowbackThursday tagged #TBT or #TombstoneTourism
I was wise enough, at least for that day, to take advantage of the beautiful sunny day and from the Ćelije monastery, I headed downhill to the Gradac riverbed where I enjoyed the exceptional landscapes and natural beauty.
Thank you for stopping by my post and I hope you enjoyed the photos and the story I shared with you
All photos are my property, taken with a mobile phone