Ovčar-Kablar Gorge
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The Ovčar-Kablar Gorge ( sr-Cyrl-Latn, Овчарско-кабларска клисура, Ovčarsko-kablarska klisura) is a gorge in the western part of central
Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...
, in the part of the composite valley of the West Morava river, within the geographical region of Šumadija. With over 30
monasteries A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone ( hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer which m ...
built in the gorge since the 14th century, it is known as the "Serbian
Mount Athos Mount Athos (; ) is a mountain on the Athos peninsula in northeastern Greece directly on the Aegean Sea. It is an important center of Eastern Orthodoxy, Eastern Orthodox monasticism. The mountain and most of the Athos peninsula are governed ...
". In 2001, the area was declared a
natural monument A natural monument is a natural or cultural feature of outstanding or unique value because of its inherent rarity, representative of aesthetic qualities, or cultural significance. They can be natural geological and geographical features such as w ...
, and protected as the Ovčar-Kablar Gorge landscape of outstanding features.


Location and geography

The Ovčar-Kablar Gorge is in western part of central Serbia, halfway between the towns of
Čačak Čačak ( sr-Cyrl, Чачак, ) is a List of cities in Serbia, city and the administrative center of the Moravica District in central Serbia. It is located in the West Morava Valley. According to the 2022 census, the city itself has a population ...
(17 kilometers on the east) and Požega on the west, some 155 kilometers south-west of the capital
Belgrade Belgrade is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin, Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. T ...
. The gorge is a narrow of the West Morava's composite valley, a continuation of the Požega Depression on the west, while itself continuous into the Čačak-Kraljevo Depression on the east. The gorge is carved between the 985 meters high mountain of Ovčar on the south and 889 meters high Kablar on the north, thus gaining its name. The river meanders through the gorge for 15 kilometers.
Epigenetic In biology, epigenetics is the study of changes in gene expression that happen without changes to the DNA sequence. The Greek prefix ''epi-'' (ἐπι- "over, outside of, around") in ''epigenetics'' implies features that are "on top of" or "in ...
in nature, the Ovčar-Kablar Gorge was crucial for the genesis of the entire West Morava valley ( West Pomoravlje).
Hydrogeological Hydrogeology (''hydro-'' meaning water, and ''-geology'' meaning the study of the Earth) is the area of geology that deals with the distribution and movement of groundwater in the soil and rocks of the Earth's crust (commonly in aqui ...
researches were insufficient, though they were conducted in two periods, 1978–83 and 1989-92. It was concluded that the area represents a complex, discontinuous water-bearing terrain. The terrain itself is the tectonically damaged and
karst Karst () is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble carbonate rocks such as limestone and Dolomite (rock), dolomite. It is characterized by features like poljes above and drainage systems with sinkholes and caves underground. Ther ...
ified
limestone Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...
from the
Middle Triassic In the geologic timescale, the Middle Triassic is the second of three epoch (geology), epochs of the Triassic period (geology), period or the middle of three series (stratigraphy), series in which the Triassic system (stratigraphy), system is di ...
. The land was drilled up to , where the hot water of was discovered. There is also an unusual hot spring in the bed of the West Morava itself which noticeably warms the river's waters in the spring area.


Economy

The spa of Ovčar Banja is located in the gorge, at an altitude of 278 meters. It has a hot,
sulfur Sulfur ( American spelling and the preferred IUPAC name) or sulphur ( Commonwealth spelling) is a chemical element; it has symbol S and atomic number 16. It is abundant, multivalent and nonmetallic. Under normal conditions, sulfur atoms ...
ic water (37,5 Celsius), which is helpful for the treatment of rheumatism, nerve and skin diseases. In 1954, the West Morava was dammed in the gorge when two
hydroelectric dam Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is Electricity generation, electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies 15% of the world's electricity, almost 4,210 TWh in 2023, which is more than all other Renewable energ ...
s with artificial lakes were created. Dam "Ovčar Banja" created smaller Kablar Lake, which since then has been mudded by the
alluvial Alluvium (, ) is loose clay, silt, sand, or gravel that has been deposited by running water in a stream bed, on a floodplain, in an alluvial fan or beach, or in similar settings. Alluvium is also sometimes called alluvial deposit. Alluvium is ...
silt Silt is granular material of a size between sand and clay and composed mostly of broken grains of quartz. Silt may occur as a soil (often mixed with sand or clay) or as sediment mixed in suspension (chemistry), suspension with water. Silt usually ...
brought by the river. The other, 7
megawatt The watt (symbol: W) is the unit of Power (physics), power or radiant flux in the International System of Units (SI), equal to 1 joule per second or 1 kg⋅m2⋅s−3. It is used to quantification (science), quantify the rate of Work ...
strong dam "Međuvršje" created larger (1.5 square kilometers) Međuvršje Lake. The gorge is also a route to the railroad and a freeway which connect central and western Serbia.


Monasteries

First churches were built in the early 14th century, after the mercenaries from the
Catalan Company The Catalan Company or the Great Catalan Company (; , , , or ) was a company of mercenaries led by Roger de Flor in the early 14th century and hired by Byzantine Emperor Andronikos II Palaiologos to combat the increasing power of the Anatolian b ...
raided the
Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived the events that caused the fall of the Western Roman E ...
Mount Athos in 1307-1309.
Serbian Orthodox The Serbian Orthodox Church ( sr-Cyrl-Latn, Српска православна црква, Srpska pravoslavna crkva) is one of the autocephalous (ecclesiastically independent) Eastern Orthodox Christian churches. The majority of the populat ...
clergy fled the peninsula and began building first monasteries in the gorge. The next wave of the refugee priests came after the Turkish-Serbian
Battle of Maritsa The Battle of Maritsa or Battle of Chernomen (; in tr. ''Second Battle of Maritsa'') took place at the Maritsa River near the village of Chernomen (present-day Ormenio, Greece) on 26 September 1371 between Ottoman forces commanded by Lala S ...
in 1371. Since then, over 30 monasteries, churches or worship places were built in the gorge. Today only 10 monasteries, one church and one sacred cave remained, most of them from the period of Ottoman occupation in the 15th-18th century: * "Dormition of the Holy Mother of God" (''Uspenje''), the main monastery in the group, is on the north slopes of the Kablar mountain. It is dedicated to the Holy
Mother of God ''Theotokos'' (Greek: ) is a title of Mary, mother of Jesus, used especially in Eastern Christianity. The usual Latin translations are or (approximately "parent (fem.) of God"). Familiar English translations are "Mother of God" or "God-bearer ...
. Originally it was the site of the Jovanjska tower with a powerful bells ("Kulina bell tower") which could be heard in the town of Čačak, 16 kilometers away. A new monastery was built in the 1939 on the ruins of the old tower, as a replica of the "Church of the Saint Constantine the Great and Saint Helena" in
Ohrid Ohrid ( ) is a city in North Macedonia and is the seat of the Ohrid Municipality. It is the largest city on Lake Ohrid and the eighth-largest city in the country, with the municipality recording a population of over 42,000 inhabitants as of ...
. It is a female monastery, renovated in 2001. *
Presentation of Mary The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, known in the East as The Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple, is a liturgical feast celebrated on November 21 by the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and some Anglo-Catholic Churches. The fea ...
(''Vavedenje'') is on the right bank, in the ending section of the gorge. Though legend says it was built by the Serbian great
župan Župan is a noble and administrative title used in several states in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe between the 7th century and the 21st century. It was (and in Croatia still is) the leader of the administrat ...
Stefan Nemanja Stefan Nemanja (Serbian Cyrillic alphabet, Serbian Cyrillic: , ; – 13 February 1199) was the Grand Prince (Grand Župan#Serbia, Veliki Župan) of the Grand Principality of Serbia, Serbian Grand Principality (also known as Raška (region), Raš ...
and his son Saint Sava Nemanjić in the 12th century, the monastery was mentioned for the first time in 1452; it was renovated in 1797. The monastery keeps some rare old books, including the Belgrade quasi-gospel from 1552. * "
Saint John the Baptist John the Baptist ( – ) was a Jewish preacher active in the area of the Jordan River in the early first century AD. He is also known as Saint John the Forerunner in Eastern Orthodoxy and Oriental Orthodoxy, John the Immerser in some Baptist ...
" (''Jovanje'') is on the peninsula in the West Morava's
meander A meander is one of a series of regular sinuous curves in the Channel (geography), channel of a river or other watercourse. It is produced as a watercourse erosion, erodes the sediments of an outer, concave bank (cut bank, cut bank or river cl ...
, on the Čačak-Ovčar Banja road. Located on the left bank, six kilometers upstream from Vavedenje, the monastery is surrounded by the waters of the river from three sides. It was mentioned for the first time in 1536. It used to be
lavra A lavra or laura (; Cyrillic: Ла́вра) is a type of monastery consisting of a cluster of cells or caves for hermits, with a church and sometimes a refectory at the center. Lavra monasteries operate within the Orthodox and other Eastern Chri ...
, the main administrative center for all monasteries in the gorge. The old monastery was inundated when the artificial Međuvršje Dam was built in 1954 (it was finally flooded by the reservoir in 1959). It is known for its
icon An icon () is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, in the cultures of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Catholic Church, Catholic, and Lutheranism, Lutheran churches. The most common subjects include Jesus, Mary, mother of ...
of the Mother of God ''Brzopomoćnica''. It is a women's monastery. * "
Saint Nicholas Saint Nicholas of Myra (traditionally 15 March 270 – 6 December 343), also known as Nicholas of Bari, was an early Christian bishop of Greeks, Greek descent from the maritime city of Patara (Lycia), Patara in Anatolia (in modern-day Antalya ...
the Miracleworker" (''Nikolje'') is located on the left bank, two kilometers upstream from Jovanje, in the foothills of the Kablar mountain. Mentioned for the first time in 1476, its
parvis A parvis or parvise is the open space in front of and around a cathedral or Church (building) , church, especially when surrounded by either colonnades or porticoes, as at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. It is thus a church-specific type of forec ...
was painted in 1637 and
nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...
in 1697. It was formerly a large monsatery, with 300 monks in the 19th century. It was a hiding place for the rebellious prince
Miloš Obrenović Miloš Obrenović (; ; 18 March 1780 or 1783 – 26 September 1860) born Miloš Teodorović (; ), also known as Miloš the Great () was the Prince of Serbia twice, from 1815 to 1839, and from 1858 to 1860. He was an eminent figure of the Firs ...
in
Second Serbian Uprising The Second Serbian Uprising ( / ''Drugi srpski ustanak'', ) was the second phase of the Serbian Revolution against the Ottoman Empire, which erupted shortly after the re-annexation of the country to the Ottoman Empire in 1813. The occupation was ...
in 1815, who in 1817 built his personal konak here.
Frescoes Fresco ( or frescoes) is a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid ("wet") lime plaster. Water is used as the vehicle for the dry-powder pigment to merge with the plaster, and with the setting of the plaster, the painting become ...
were painted in 1587, while the
narthex The narthex is an architectural element typical of Early Christian art and architecture, early Christian and Byzantine architecture, Byzantine basilicas and Church architecture, churches consisting of the entrance or Vestibule (architecture), ve ...
was painted in 1637. This monastery is a location where the "Gospel of Nikolje" was written. The gospel disappeared from the National Museum in
Niš Niš (; sr-Cyrl, Ниш, ; names of European cities in different languages (M–P)#N, names in other languages), less often spelled in English as Nish, is the list of cities in Serbia, third largest city in Serbia and the administrative cente ...
and was later found in
Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...
,
Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
, where it remained until today. *
Annunciation The Annunciation (; ; also referred to as the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Annunciation of Our Lady, or the Annunciation of the Lord; ) is, according to the Gospel of Luke, the announcement made by the archangel Gabriel to Ma ...
(''Blagoveštenje'') is one of the oldest remaining monasteries, originally from the
medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...
period of the Nemanjić dynasty. On the left bank, above the village of Ovčar Banja and two kilometers away from ''Preobraženje'', the monastery was rebuilt in 1602 and was painted in the 1602-1632 period. Known for its school of transcribers, it also hosts the throne-icon of
Christ Jesus ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Christianity, central figure of Christianity, the M ...
, part of the surviving section of the
iconostasis In Eastern Christianity, an iconostasis () is a wall of icons and religious paintings, separating the nave from the sanctuary in a Church (building), church. ''Iconostasis'' also refers to a portable icon stand that can be placed anywhere withi ...
from the period of the monastery's original foundation, and the best known icon of the gorge, the Holy
Abraham Abraham (originally Abram) is the common Hebrews, Hebrew Patriarchs (Bible), patriarch of the Abrahamic religions, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In Judaism, he is the founding father who began the Covenant (biblical), covenanta ...
. Due to the negligence, the monastery was in a very bad shape, so in the early 20th century the iconostasis was transferred to Belgrade. When Blagoveštenje was reconstructed in the early 1990s, the iconostasis was returned. *
Ascension of Jesus The Ascension of Jesus (anglicized from the Vulgate ) is the Christianity, Christian and Islamic belief that Jesus entering heaven alive, ascended to Heaven. Christian doctrine, as reflected in the major Christian creeds and confessional stateme ...
(''Vaznesenje'') sits a few hundred meters from Jovanje, across the river, on the southern slopes of the Ovčar mountain. It was restored on the ruins of the older monastery which was supposed to be from the 16th century, because of the several ornaments surviving in the ruins, including two marble rosettes and floral ornaments in the parish and the central section. Quadri-gospel from 1570 has been preserved in the monastery. *
Transfiguration of Jesus The Transfiguration of Jesus is an event described in the New Testament where Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is Transfiguration (religion), transfigured and becomes radiant in Glory (religion), glory upon a mountain. The Synoptic Gospels (, , ) r ...
(''Preobraženje''), formerly upstream of Nikolje on the left bank, today it is on the right bank, across from its own old location. The original monastery was officially mentioned for the first time in 1528, but it is believed to be older, dating from c. 1400, when the group of Sinait monks settled in the area. The monastery was demolished in 1911 because of the railroad construction. A new monastery was built in 1938. It has a strict missionary and spiritual role, and it is internally administered by the rules of the Mount Athos, including the renouncing of all material wealth. Since July 2020, the partial relics of Saint Justin Popović are resting in the monastery, with the remaining relics staying in the Ćelije Monastery. * Sretenje, dedicated to the
Presentation of Jesus at the Temple The Presentation of Jesus is an early episode in the life of Jesus Christ, describing his presentation at the Temple in Jerusalem. It is celebrated by many churches 40 days after Christmas on Candlemas, or the "Feast of the Presentation of Jes ...
, lies close to Sveta Trojica, in the
foothills Foothills or piedmont are geography, geographically defined as gradual increases in elevation at the base of a mountain range, higher hill range or an highland, upland area. They are a transition zone between plains and low terrain, relief hill ...
of the Ovčar mountain, near the springs of the Koronjski stream. A gospel from 1571 mentions the monastery for the first time. It was re-painted in 1844. *
Holy Trinity The Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the Christian doctrine concerning the nature of God, which defines one God existing in three, , consubstantial divine persons: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ) and God the Holy Spirit, three ...
(''Sveta Trojica''), a secluded monastery on the hill across Blagoveštenje. It was mentioned for the first time in the Ottoman documents from 1572. Architectonically, Sveta Trojica is considered to be the most beautiful of all the Ovčar-Kablar monasteries. * Ilinje, a church dedicated to
Elijah Elijah ( ) or Elias was a prophet and miracle worker who lived in the northern kingdom of Israel during the reign of King Ahab (9th century BC), according to the Books of Kings in the Hebrew Bible. In 1 Kings 18, Elijah defended the worsh ...
, located on the hill above the Blagoveštenje tunnel, near Ovčar Banja. It was built in 1938 on the remains of an old monastery. It has many manuscripts in its vault and a konak built by prince Miloš Obrenović. * Savinje, a church dedicated to
Saint Sava Saint Sava (, ; Old Church Slavonic: ; Glagolitic: ; ; 1169 or 1174 – 14 January 1235/6), known as the Enlightener or the Illuminator, was a Serbs, Serbian prince and Eastern Orthodox Church, Orthodox monk, abbot of Studenica Monastery, Studeni ...
. It was built in 1938, near the spring which is actually a geological phenomenon. Water springs out of the rocks, but remains in the hollow niche and doesn't flow out of it. No matter how much water is taken from it, it always fills up to have 2-3 liters of water, which is why people considered it to be miraculous (the
holy water Holy water is water that has been blessed by a member of the clergy or a religious figure, or derived from a well or spring considered holy. The use for cleansing prior to a baptism and spiritual cleansing is common in several religions, from ...
of Saint Sava). *
Kađenica The Smoke Cave or Kađenica is a cave-church located in the village of Dljin near Čačak on the right bank of the Zapadna Morava, one kilometre upstream from Ovčar Banja, Serbia. During the Hadži Prodanova buna, Hadži Prodan's revolt in 1814 ...
or "Smoke Cave", a cave-church. During the anti-Ottoman revolt in 1814 (
Hadži Prodanova buna Hagi, Hadži, or Hadzhi (Хаджи) is a name derived from either hajji, an honorific title given to a Muslim person who has successfully completed the Hajj to Mecca, which was later adopted by Christian peoples as a word for ''pilgrim''. Or from t ...
), people found refuge in the cave. Turks discovered their hiding place and using straw and wood set it on fire, suffocating everyone inside. This incident gave the name to the cave. In 1940 the remains were retrieved, fully cremated and buried in two stone
sarcophagus A sarcophagus (: sarcophagi or sarcophaguses) is a coffin, most commonly carved in stone, and usually displayed above ground, though it may also be buried. The word ''sarcophagus'' comes from the Greek language, Greek wikt:σάρξ, σάρξ ...
es. They were placed in the cave's church altar
apse In architecture, an apse (: apses; from Latin , 'arch, vault'; from Ancient Greek , , 'arch'; sometimes written apsis; : apsides) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical Vault (architecture), vault or semi-dome, also known as an ' ...
, under the representation of the Jesus' crucifixion.


Protection

The landscape of outstanding features Ovčar-Kablar Gorge was declared in 2001, when the gorge was placed under protection as the natural monument. The protected area covers . Main basis for the protection include "West Morava's break through the massifs of the Ovčar and Kablar mountains, cutting a unique gorge". Principal characteristics of the gorge are prominent bends of the river bed, which form three "pinched meanders". Forests, wild life and monasteries are credited, with geographic features, for creating area's distinctive memorial and spiritual heritage. In April 2021 plans were announced for enlarging the protected zone, doubling its size. In September 2023 plans were announced for the construction of a glass,
cantilever A cantilever is a rigid structural element that extends horizontally and is unsupported at one end. Typically it extends from a flat vertical surface such as a wall, to which it must be firmly attached. Like other structural elements, a cantilev ...
skywalk The SkyWalk is an approximately 160 metre enclosed walkway connecting Union Station to the CN Tower and the Rogers Centre (SkyDome) in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Part of Toronto's PATH network, the SkyWalk passes above the York Street ' s ...
in the center of the gorge, and the assess road to it. It should replace the existing wooden
scenic viewpoint A scenic viewpoint—also called an observation point, viewpoint, viewing point, vista point, scenic overlook,These terms are more commonly used in North America. etc.—is an elevated location where people can view scenery (often with binocu ...
. While the politicians and investors pushed the idea which would place the location at "top 10 skywalk destinations", the environmentalists are against it, claiming it will disturb the biodiversity. Also, in the spatial plan for the protected area which the government adopted, there was no mention of a skywalk. They also blocked the construction of the access roads to the skywalk's construction site and stated that resident need sewage system rather than a skywalk. Local administration in Čačak replied that this would "revitalize this part of Serbia", that they didn't expect anyone would be "against the better future" for the residents, and that plans were made already in 2017. Mayor of Čačak, Milun Todorović, said that similar skywalk on the Biokovo mountain in
Croatia Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...
"pours millions of euros" into local budgets.


See also

*


References


External links

{{Authority control Canyons and gorges of Serbia Serbian Orthodox monasteries in Serbia