| Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul Црква Светих апостола Петра и Павла Crkva Svetih apostola Petra i Pavla | |
|---|---|
 The Church and gravestones | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Serbian Orthodox |
| Rite | Byzantine Rite |
| Location | |
| Location | Novi Pazar,Serbia |
| Architecture | |
| Style | Early Byzantine |
| Completed | 9th century (4th century foundation) |
| Dome | 1 |
| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | i, iii |
| Designated | 1979 (3rd) |
| Parent listing | Stari Ras andSopoćani |
| Reference no. | 96 |
| Region | Europe and North America |
| Official name: Petrova crkva | |
| Type | Monument of Culture of Exceptional Importance |
| Designated | 1979 |
| Reference no. | SK 182 |
TheChurch of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul (Serbian:Црква Светих апостола Петра и Павла /Crkva Svetih apostola Petra i Pavla), commonly known asChurch of St Peter (Црква Светог Петра /Crkva Svetog Petra) or simplyPeter's Church (Петрова црква /Petrova crkva) is aSerbian Orthodox church, the oldest intact church in Serbia and one of the oldest ones in the region, situated on a hill ofRas, the medieval capital of theSerbian Grand Principality (Rascia), inNovi Pazar,Serbia. It is part of theStari Ras complex, an UNESCOWorld Heritage Site.[1]
It was founded in the 4th centuryduring Roman rule,[citation needed] while additions were made in the 7th and 9th centuries, after which it served as the ecclesiastical seat of the Serbian church, and as the baptismal church and state council site of theNemanjić dynasty, until the last years of the 12th century. It is dedicated toSaints Peter andPaul.
The exact date of founding is unknown; it is mentioned in the 9th century as the seat of the eparchy of Serbia (seeEparchy of Ras). Excavations on the site have unearthed Greek sculptures andBlack-figure pottery dating to 7th and 6th century BC, as well as a 5th-century BC princely grave (withregalia, robes, gold-silverjewelry,masks,beads and Attic pottery), underneath the floor of the church in 1957–58.[2][3] The findings are presently at theNational Museum of Serbia, inBelgrade. Roman, Byzantine and medieval Slavic tombs surround the church.[3]
The present church has been built on several earlier churches of which remains have been well preserved. The foundation of the church, the massive columns, ground-plan and the octagonal tower which conceals an inner cupola are examples of the circular mausoleal architectural type used afterEmperor Constantine (306–312).[1]
Archaeological findings point that the church has been rebuilt several times in history, beginning in the 4th century, with notable additions made in the 7th century. The architectural style resembles that of early churches inPomorje,Armenia,Georgia, andItaly, dated to between the 7th and 9th centuries.[citation needed] Whether there was a Byzantine sanctuary on the site of the church is a matter of scholarly dispute and that "traces of Early Byzantine architecture or traces from that epoch in general, were not recorded around Petrova crkva".[4]
TheEparchy of Ras was founded near the political center atRas, today near city ofNovi Pazar on theIbar river.[5] Ras itself originates from LatinArsa viametathesis.[6][7]
The foundation of the episcopy which centre was this church can be dated to the first half of the 10th century.[8] The imperial charter ofBasil II from 1020 to theArchbishopric of Ohrid, in which the rights and jurisdictions were established, mentions that the Episcopy of Ras belonged to theBulgarian autocephal church during the time ofPeter I (927–969) andSamuel of Bulgaria (977–1014).[9][10] The episcopy was of a small size.[8] It is considered that it was possibly founded by the Bulgarian emperor,[11][12] or it is the latest date when could have been integrated to the Bulgarian Church.[13] If previously existed, it probably was part of the Bulgarian metropolis of Morava, but certainly not ofDurrës.[14] If it was on the Serbian territory, seems that the Church in Serbia or part of the territory of Serbia became linked and influenced by the Bulgarian Church between 870 and 924.[15][16][17] Anyway, the church would have been protected by Bulgarian controlled forts.[18]
By the mid-12th century, after constant conflicts between the Bulgarians, Byzantines and Serbs, the area of Ras was finally conquered and controlled by the Serbs, who greatly renovated it hence becoming centre of defence and residency for theSerbian Principality.[19] Sometime before 1163,Stefan Nemanja, then only aŽupan, was baptized in the church. In 1166, Stefan Nemanja acquired the throne of Serbia with the title ofGrand Župan. He was married in the church (toAna); their two sons,Rastko (later known as Saint Sava; l. 1175–1235), andStefan Nemanjić, were baptized in the church. Stefan Nemanja held the council that outlawed theBogumils at the church.[1]
Rastko left Serbia in 1192 forMount Athos, where he took monastic vows and was given the nameSava.[20][21] Stefan Nemanja abdicated in 1195, crowning Stefan Nemanjić (r. 1196–1228) at the Church of Peter, then joined his son Sava on Mount Athos. The father and son soon asked the Holy Community for the establishment of the Serbian religious base at the abandonedHilandar, which they renovated, marking the beginning of cultural prospering (inarts;literature, andreligion).[citation needed]
The ancient cell ofHelandaris was donated by EmperorAlexios III Angelos (1195-1203) "to the Serbs as an eternal gift..." and Stefan Nemanja establishes and endows the monastery in 1198 (before 13 February 1199).[22]
Nemanja died at Hilandar in 1199, while Sava continued his work in establishing the Serbian church.[20] Henceforth, the Church of Peter ends its service as the seat of the Serbian church. Sava crowned his brother Stefan as "King of Serbia" in 1217. Upon returning to Mount Athos, Sava is consecrated as the first Archbishop of the Serbian church, given autocephaly byPatriarch Manuel I of Constantinople, in 1219, the same year he published the firstconstitution inSerbia –St. Sava's Nomocanon (Zakonopravilo in Serbian).[23][24] After the Nemanjić era, not much is mentioned about the church. The church frescoes date to the 10th, 12th and 13th centuries, while some frescoes were repainted in the mid-13th century.[3]
Afterthe Ottoman conquest in 1455, the church was not abandoned and is referenced throughout the 16th and 17th centuries. In 1690, the Church is abandoned and the region is largely depopulated amid Ottoman atrocities in Kosovo, amid theGreat Turkish War in which Serb rebels fought on the side of theHoly League. PatriarchArsenije III Čarnojevićleads tens of thousands of Serb families to the Christian north.[citation needed]
MetropolitanArsenije IV Jovanović Šakabenta restored the church in 1728. During the 18th century, the church had the rank of Metropolitanate, and after 1784, theEparchy of Raška is organized into the Eparchy of Prizren. In the 1830s, the church is built on and restored. Shortly thereafter, the Ottomans took over the church and use it as anammunition magazine. Since theFirst Balkan War (1912), it has been a functioning church.[citation needed]
Conservatory work was done in the late 1950s and early 1960s. TheStari Ras-complex, including the church andSopoćani, was designated a UNESCOWorld Heritage Site in 1979, the church itself was included due to its uniqueness as one of the oldest churches in the region. It is designated aCultural Heritage Site of Serbia (the national heritage list), of theMonument of Culture of Exceptional Importance type.[citation needed]
The church's walls were defaced with graffiti on 6 April 2008. The police have not officially concluded who perpetrated the act or why.[25]
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