The Zavala Monastery ( sr, Манастир Завала, Manastir Zavala) is a

Serbian Orthodox The Serbian Orthodox Church ( sr-Cyrl, Српска православна црква, Srpska pravoslavna crkva) is one of the autocephalous ( ecclesiastically independent) Eastern Orthodox Christian churches. The majority of the population ...

monastery 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 whic ...

located in the village of Zavala on the southwestern edge of

Popovo Polje Popovo field ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Popovo polje, Попово поље, , ) is a ''polje'' ( karstic field) in Bosnia and Herzegovina, located in a southernmost region of the country, near the Adriatic coast. Its size is . Popovo polj ...

, in

Ravno, Bosnia and Herzegovina Ravno is a village and municipality located in Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Ravno was a separate municipality until 1963, when it became a part of the Trebinje muni ...

municipality, in southernmost part of

Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and ...

Location and history

Some 55 kilometers to the east lies the town of

Trebinje Trebinje ( sr-Cyrl, Требиње, ) is a city and municipality located in the Republika Srpska entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is the southernmost city in Bosnia and Herzegovina and is situated on the banks of Trebišnjica river in the r ...

. The monastery is dedicated to the

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 feast ...

. The northern wall of the monastery's church is situated within a cave. This monastery is also known as a place where Basil of Ostrog entered into monasticism. Along with

Žitomislić The Žitomislić Monastery ( sr, Манастир Житомислић, Manastir Žitomislić, ) is а Serbian Orthodox monastery dedicated to the Annunciation and located near Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina. History Building In 1566 the Ottoma ...

and Tvrdoš, Zavala is one of the most important monasteries in

East Herzegovina East Herzegovina ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, Istočna Hercegovina, Источна Херцеговина) is the eastern part of the historical Herzegovina region in Bosnia and Herzegovina, east of the Neretva river, part of the Republika Srpska entity. Major ...

. The first written record of the monastery dates back to sixteenth century. During the Second World War, the monastery suffered major damage, and in the

Bosnian War The Bosnian War ( sh, Rat u Bosni i Hercegovini / Рат у Босни и Херцеговини) was an international armed conflict that took place in Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1992 and 1995. The war is commonly seen as having started ...

it was further damaged and abandoned.

Zavala and Vjetrenica

After the war the monastery was restored, and together with Zavala village with its old architecture and stone masonry, and Vjetrenica cave constitute cultural-historic, architectural and natural assemble, protected by KONS as an important

national monument A national monument is a monument constructed in order to commemorate something of importance to national heritage, such as a country's founding, independence, war, or the life and death of a historical figure. The term may also refer to a spe ...

of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Because of its importance as national heritage, as well as tourist and ambiental attraction, site is also placed on the UNESCO Tentative list for inscription into UNESCO

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...

list A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to: People * List (surname) Organizations * List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America * SC Germania List, German rugby unio ...

References

External links

{{Coord, 42.850, N, 17.980, E, type:landmark, display=title Tourist attractions in Bosnia and Herzegovina World Heritage Tentative List for Bosnia and Herzegovina Protected areas of Bosnia and Herzegovina National Monuments of Bosnia and Herzegovina 16th-century Serbian Orthodox church buildings Christian monasteries established in the 16th century 16th-century establishments in Bosnia and Herzegovina Serbian Orthodox monasteries in Bosnia and Herzegovina Attacks on religious buildings and structures during the Bosnian War Attacks on religious buildings and structures during World War II Popovo Polje

Location and history

Zavala and Vjetrenica

See also

References

Further reading

External links