Banjska Monastery

History and Architecture

Banjska Monastery, with its church dedicated to Saint Stefan, was built between 1313 and 1317 as the endowment of the Serbian king Stefan Uroš II Milutin, one of the most powerful rulers of the Nemanjić dynasty and the greatest builder among them.

Banjska was built with the clear intention of being the king’s burial church. Modelled on Studenica, it was built in the Raška style, but with a splendour meant to testify to the power of King Milutin. The façade of the church was clad in polished stone of three colours – white, red and blue-grey – arranged in a chessboard pattern. The brilliance and beauty of the façade were so striking that the church remained in popular memory as “Banjska Gold”.

A Turbulent History and Restoration

The history of the monastery is turbulent and tragic. After the Battle of Kosovo in 1389, the monastery was laid waste by the Turks. King Milutin’s body was then transferred to Trepča, and later to Sofia, where it remains to this day (in the Church of Saint Nedelya).

Over the centuries, the church was converted into a mosque, the narthex was demolished, and the valuable material was carried away. Only in the 20th century did research and conservation begin, and the monastery came to life again in 2004, when monastic life was restored. Today Banjska is one of the most important spiritual centres and a symbol of the survival of Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija.