Description of the attraction
Stari Ras is a medieval fortress city that stood along the Raska River, along which the entire Serbian state was called Raska, and its citizens - Rashans.
This city was founded, presumably, in the 8th century, but the first mention of it dates back to the 9th century and dates back to the reign of the Byzantine emperor Constantine VII. The entry about the city in the chronicles was made in connection with the battle between Serbs and Bulgarians, which took place here at the end of the 9th century. However, settlements on the site of Stari Ras existed before, as evidenced by the remains of Roman structures found on the territory of the medieval city.
In the IX-XII centuries, the fortress city was under the rule of the Bulgarians, and then passed to the Serbs. At the end of the 12th century and in the following century, Stari Ras was the cultural and political center of Raska, which was ruled by the Nemanich dynasty. Stari Ras began to decline in the middle of the 15th century after it was captured by the Turks.
In 1979, the fortress was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, an outstanding historical monument in Serbia. There are several other monuments on the territory of the ancient capital, among which are Gradina in Pazarishta, Trgovishte, Reljina gradina, Gradina in Postenje, a couple of old churches. One of them is the Petrova Church (or the Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul), which was founded in the 8th century and is the oldest church in Serbia.
Another of the attractions located on the outskirts of the ancient city is the Sopochany Monastery. It was founded in the 13th century by King Urosh the First as his own tomb. The interiors of this monastery were lavishly decorated with exquisite frescoes, which have been well preserved to our time.
