Churches, Monasteries, and Mosques
“The Bar Trichonch Church“: The establishment of this church is related to the period of Justinian’s reign (6th century). The height of the preserved church walls amounts to one metre. While carrying out research on the church, fragments of decorative stone plastics and a necropolis were found.
“St Tekla Church“ {Orthodox, with a Catholic altar}: It was constructed of broken stone in the 13th century. At first it was an Orthodox church, while later, after becoming a Uniate church, it was also provided with another, Catholic, altar. This church has two altars even today. It is visited by people of both confessions and people of both confessions are buried in its cemetery.
“St Roko Church“ {Orthodox}: The remains of St. Roko’s Church are located near Sutomore. The church dates from the 14th century. Although the church only used to have one altar, it served both the Orthodox and Catholic populations. Today, it is in ruins.
“St Atanasije Church“ {Orthodox}: This dates from the end of 14th century. Around the church, there are several tombs covered with stone slabs.
“St Petka Church“ {Orthodox}: This church was built in the Middle Ages and is constructed of roughly hewn stone.
“St Nikola Church“ {Catholic} The Archbishopric of the City of Bar is situated in this church. The archbishopric was founded in 1089, which was confirmed by Pope Clement III by sending the Pallium (mantle) to the Archbishop of Duklja. Thus, three bishoprics were subjugated to his power (comprising Bar, Kotor, Ulcinj, Svač, Skadar, Drivostu, Pilot), as well as the countries of Serbia, Bosnia and Travunija. The Archbishop was given the title of Primas Serbiae.
“Ribnjak Monastery“: Ribnjak Monastery is located in the village of Zupci. Ruins of the church, which was, according to legend, founded by Jelena Anžujska (d‘Anjou) Nemanjić were found at the location of the current Ribnjak Monastery. The monastery consists of the church dedicated to the St. Vasilije Ostroški, a baptistry and accommodation building. The upper church, located above Ribnjak Monastery, on the hill called Gradac is dedicated to the Holy Cross. It was constructed after battles for liberation from 1877 to 1878. It is said that King Nikola used to come here in order to follow “operations for the liberation of Bar”. The church, which is located on the hill, was built by two sirdars and a senator of the Principality of Montenegro, at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th, as a legacy of the liberation wars. The long tradition of going to Ribnjak on St. Vasilije Ostroški’s Day on May 12, is very interesting for many tourists.
“Monastery of the Mother of God of Ratac“: Ruins of the Benedictine monastery of the Mother of God of Ratac” date from the 11th century. It is located on the coast at the end of the Cape of Ratac, between Bar and Sutomore. It consisted of three churches and several buildings protected by defence walls and towers. From 1443, it was under Venetian authority. It was destroyed and burnt down by Turks in 1571.
“Starcevo Monastery“ is located on the island of Starčevo on Skadar Lake. It dates from the period of Đurđe Balšić. It was founded in 1377 by Father Makarije, who lived as an ascetic on the island, so it was called Starčevo (The Old Man’s Monastery) after him. The monastery complex consists of the Church of the Assumption of the Mother of God, an accommodation building, supporting structures and a surrounding wall with a gate and several underpinned terraces. The monastery was a centre of literacy, where many manuscripts were rewritten and many books were bound and decorated. The crypt of the printer Božidar Vuković from Podgorica is located in this monastery. After the reconstruction of a part of the accommodation building and after making it fit for dwelling, Starčevo has become an inhabited and active monastery.
“Moracnik Monastery“ is located on the island of Moračnik on Skadar Lake. It was first mentioned in 1417, in the Charter of Balša III. The monastery complex consists of a church dedicated to the Holy Mother of God, an accommodation building, dining room and high tower with four floors, surrounded by a stone wall with a monumental gate.
“Beska Monastery“: It is located in the middle of the island of Beška on Skadar Lake. The monastery consists of two churches: a larger one, dedicated to St. Đorđe (14th century), the endowment of Đurđe II Stracimirović-Balšić and a smaller one dedicated to the Holy Mother of God (1440), the endowment of Jelena Balšić.Beška Monastery, as well as Starčevo Monastery, was famous for its intensive transcription activities. The Gorička Anthology was written in this monastery. It is a religious, edifying transcript composed by Nikon Jerusalimac.
“Monastery of The Virgin of Krajina“ is one of the most significant monuments in Montenegro. Ruins of the monastery with the church dedicated to the Assumption of the Mother of God, are located near Ostros, on the shores of Skadar Lake. The church was first mentioned at the end of the 10th century, in “The Chronicle of Priest Dukljan”. The monastery was founded by Duke Vladimir, well known from the legend about his tragic love with the beautiful Kosara, daughter of the Macedonian Tsar Samuilo. For a while, the monastery was the residence of the archbishop of Zeta. At the end of the 16th century, it was completely destroyed. In its vicinity, in the place called Ostros, there is a well from the year 1001, which is still used for supplying water to the inhabitants of local villages.
“Gornji Brceli Monastery“: The monastery is located in the village of Brčeli, which is named after the monastery. It was founded at the beginning of the 18th century by Bishop Danilo, as his winter residence. Within the monastery there is the church dedicated to the Shroud of the Mother of God with an iconostasis, the handiwork of Petar Čolanović that dates from 1928. The monastery building and church are encompassed by a high stone wall with a main gate on the southern side. A one-sided belfry with a spinning-wheel mechanism was built on the wall beside the gate, on its eastern side. The old accommodation building was constructed as a typical house in Crmnica, with distinctive arched doorways and terraces. In 1863, a school was established within the monastery, which was later moved to the adjacent monastery of Donji Brčeli.
“Donji Brceli Monastery“: It is located in the village called Donji Brčeli, with a church dedicated to St. Nikola. The monastery was constructed in the 15th century. An arched room was constructed under the floor of the chapel and you can enter it through the hole made in the floor of the altar area. It is believed that this room was used as a dungeon during the reign of Šćepan Mali,. Later, Šćepan Mali was murdered and buried in this church. Within the monastery was a school, which had previously been in the Gornji Brčeli Monastery.
“Mosque Omerbasica:“ is located in the Old Town of Bar. It was constructed in 1662. Its structure is rather simple, with rectangular base, and minaret built next to the south-west wall. At the beginning of the 17th century, Derviš Hasan’s domed burial site was built beside the mosque, at the entrance to the complex. The smaller ground floor building was built next to it and was used as a residential building. A public fountain was constructed near the entrance and later, a mosque house for a Muslim priest or imam was built as well. The whole area is surrounded by a stone wall. Of the significant cultural and historical monuments in this area, the following are especially valuable: the Holy Mother`s Church (village of Gluhi Do), the Church of St. Jovan and St. Archangel (village of Donja Seoca on the shore of Skadar Lake), the Church of St. Jovan and St. Mihailo (a two-nave church at the community cemetery in the village of Sotonići), the Church of St. Nikola and St. Jovan (a two-nave church next to the road Virpazar-Bar at the village of Boljevići), the Orahovo Monastery (at the village of Orahovo), Grmožur Fortress (an island in Godinje bay at Skadar Lake), the Church of St. Marija (swell Gretva, 300m from Old Bar), the Church of St. Marko (3 km (2 mi) north of Old Bar).
“Podgradska Mosque“ was built in 1714 / 1135 AH Built by several prominent citizens, among which was the dervish-Hasan said. In the famous explosion of Barutana 1881., it was demolished and the mosque was rebuilt in the 20th century. Minaret was built in 1971st, and it was rebuilt in 1991, contributions of local people.The imams were: Kadija Hussein Sabic, Kadija Hussein Spica, hfz. Karađuzović Hussein, Ibrahim Petović, Mujdin Milaimi. Now the imam is Adem Mustafić.
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