Divša monastery, Orthodox monastery in Fruška Gora, Serbia
Divša monastery is an Orthodox monastery on a forested hillside in Fruška Gora, Serbia, built around a church dedicated to Saint Nicholas, residential quarters, and the remains of a bell tower foundation. The buildings are arranged close together in the typical layout of a Serbian Orthodox monastic site, with spaces for worship and communal living side by side.
Tradition attributes the monastery's founding to Despot Jovan Branković in the late 15th century, not 1401. The first reliable records appear in Turkish sources of 1566/1567, and the church was most likely built in the 16th century. From 1706 to 1923 Divša was administered by Kuveždin Monastery, about 5 km to the east; the old cross-shaped church was renewed in 1744 under Petar Jovanović of Novi Sad, and a new narthex with bell tower and an upper chapel was added in 1764. Ustaše forces burned the monastery in 1944 and mined the bell tower; it was re-established as a women's monastery in 1980.
The monastery keeps a Four Gospels manuscript written in the late 15th or early 16th century. The iconostasis was carved in Novi Sad in 1751 and painted by Teodor Stefanov Gologlavac in 1753–1754; parts of it were moved to the Kuveždin monastery and later to the Museum of Srem.
It is a good idea to call ahead before visiting, as the monastery is an active religious site and may not always be open to visitors. The location is on a forested hillside, so sturdy footwear is helpful, and visitors should bring clothing that covers shoulders and knees.
The iconostasis was carved in Novi Sad in 1751 and painted by Teodor Stefanov Gologlavac in 1753–1754. During the Second World War the Ustaše blew up the bell tower and set the monastery on fire in 1944; the dismantled iconostasis was partly saved, moved first to Kuveždin and later to the Museum of Srem.
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