Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Serbia Dvorine
AO Edited

Dvorine

The remains of a luxurious 14th-century church built by the last despot of Serbia.

Banja, Serbia

Added By
Lana Velkov
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Ruins of the church in Dvorine from above.   Facebook page of the Municipality of Arandjelovac
Archeological site.   Dejan Kovacevic (Vidi Arandjelovac)
Ruins of Dvorine.   National Museum of Arandjelovac
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

In the village of Banja near Aranđelovac, on the northeastern slopes of Mount Venčac, Dvorine, also known as the "Hungarian Cemetery," is an archaeological site of a once-luxurious 14th-century medieval church, a necropolis, and a brick building with both ground and upper floors. Largely unknown to those both within and outside Serbia, this church is believed to have been an endowment of the last despot of Serbia, Pavle Bakić, which makes this site of extreme cultural importance.

Based on the archeological findings, it is believed that the church that once stood at Dvorine was an endowment from Pavle Bakić’s despotism, built in the Serbian-Byzantine style in the latter half of the 14th century. General Jovan Mišković documented the presence of a church in 1871 when he wrote about this area.The church had a triaxial design, featuring one central pentagonal apse. The diaconicon and table of oblation were likely three-sided, but due to their poor condition, this has not been able to be fully discerned. The building measured 14 meters in width and over 22 meters in length. The large number of high-quality fresco fragments found at the site indicate that the paintings within the church—spanning 27 meters long and 14 meters wide—were of exceptional quality, comparable to those in Dečani Monastery as well as the Monastery of the Holy Archangels near Prizren.

Featuring an inscribed cross in the Serbian-Byzantine style typical of Northern Kosovo and Metohija, the church was systematically destroyed by the Ottoman Empire, due to the valuable limestone and marble used in its construction.

Related Tags

Ruins Fresco Necropolis History & Culture Archaeology Churches
Atlas Obscura Adventures

Balkans Road Trip: Serbia, Croatia & Bosnia and Herzegovina

Traverse the beauty and history of the Balkans through locals' stories.

Book Now

Community Contributors

Added By

Lana Velkov

Published

November 29, 2024

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://web.archive.org/web/20160621144228/http://muzejarandjelovac.rs/arheoloska-zbirka
  • https://www.academia.edu/12615856/%D0%A0%D0%B5%D0%B7%D1%83%D0%BB%D1%82%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%B8_%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%85%D0%B5%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%BE%D1%88%D0%BA%D0%B8%D1%85_%D0%B8%D1%81%D1%82%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B6%D0%B8%D0%B2%D0%B0%D1%9A%D0%B0_%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%BA%D0%B0%D0%BB%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%B5%D1%82%D0%B0_%D0%94%D0%B2%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B5_%D0%9C%D0%B0%D1%9F%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%BE_%D0%B3%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B1%D1%99%D0%B5_%D1%83_%D1%81%D0%B5%D0%BB%D1%83_%D0%91%D0%B0%D1%9A%D0%B8_Results_of_a_Archaeological_Research_of_the_Site_Dvorine_Mad%C5%BEarsko_groblje_in_the_Village_Banja_%D0%A8%D1%83%D0%BC%D0%B0%D0%B4%D0%B8%D1%98%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8_%D0%B7%D0%B0%D0%BF%D0%B8%D1%81%D0%B8_6_%D0%90%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%BD%D1%92%D0%B5%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B0%D1%86_2012_87-104
  • https://www.srbija.gov.rs/vest/808891/utvrdjene-mere-zastite-spomenika-kulture-i-arheoloskih-nalazista.php
  • https://srpskasrednjovekovnaistorija.com/rts-arheoloski-lokalitet-dvorine-kod-arandjelovca-otkriva-nove-stranice-srpske-srednjovekovne-istorije/
  • https://srpskasrednjovekovnaistorija.com/rts-arheoloski-lokalitet-dvorine-kod-arandjelovca-otkriva-nove-stranice-srpske-srednjovekovne-istorije/
  • https://srpskasrednjovekovnaistorija.com/u-toku-radovi-na-delimicnoj-obnovi-istocnog-bedema-unutrasnjeg-utvrdjenja-manastira-manasije/
Dvorine
Banja
Serbia
44.273271, 20.599012

Nearby Places

Bukovička Banja Park

Aranđelovac, Serbia

miles away

Staro Zdanje

Aranđelovac, Serbia

miles away

St. George's Church

Topola, Serbia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Serbia

Serbia

Europe

Places 126
Stories 3

Nearby Places

Bukovička Banja Park

Aranđelovac, Serbia

miles away

Staro Zdanje

Aranđelovac, Serbia

miles away

St. George's Church

Topola, Serbia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Serbia

Serbia

Europe

Places 126
Stories 3

Related Stories and Lists

Dear Atlas: How Do I Safely Explore Abandoned Places?

abandoned

By Sarah Durn

Related Places

  • Basilica of Panagia Limeniotissa 

    Paphos, Cyprus

    Basilica of Panagia Limeniotissa

    The ruins of a fifth-century church dedicated to Our Lady of the Harbor.

  • The remains of Lennel Kirk.

    Lennel, Scotland

    Lennel Kirk

    This Norman church survived the Reformation before suffering 300 years of neglect.

  • DOMUnder

    Utrecht, Netherlands

    DOMunder Subterranean Ruins

    Underground attraction offering tours of the foundational ruins of a church nave that collapsed in 1674.

  • Royal Palace of King Maha Parakramabahu.

    Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka

    Ancient City of Polonnaruwa

    This site was once the religious, cultural, and trade center of Sri Lanka.

  • Dhamnihawa Stupas

    Kapilvastu, Nepal

    Dhamnihawa Stupas

    A pair of stupas that archaeologists believe were built to honor the parents of Siddhartha Gautama (aka Lord Buddha).

  • Birkenhead Priory

    Birkenhead, England

    Birkenhead Priory

    The oldest standing building on Merseyside is special for its rich history as a Benedictine monastery and its unique connection to the origins of the Mersey Ferry.

  • Sortino, Italy

    Necropolis of Pantalica

    Thousands of rock-cut tombs fill the cliffs of this Sicilian nature preserve.

  • Sarcophagus of Chrodoara

    Amay, Belgium

    Sarcophagus of Chrodoara

    Since its accidental discovery in 1977, this sarcophagus has been described as "the greatest masterpiece of Merovingian sculpture north of the Alps."

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.