Bođani monastery, Serbian Orthodox monastery in Bač, Serbia

Bođani Monastery consists of the Church of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a Baroque building erected in 1722, surrounded on three sides by konaks arranged in the shape of the Cyrillic letter П. The complex also includes a garden and an estate with auxiliary buildings. A glass plate in front of the altar reveals archaeological remains of earlier churches.

Founded in 1478 by Bogdan, a merchant from Dalmatia, who according to legend regained his sight at a spring here and built the monastery in thanks, naming it after himself. The church was destroyed and rebuilt several times; the present one dates from 1722. In the 1730s Hristofor Žefarović painted the interior with oil on dry plaster.

The name comes from the founder Bogdan, a Dalmatian merchant. The frescoes were painted in the 1730s by Hristofor Žefarović, who translated Leonardo da Vinci's treatise on painting into Greek. He used oil paint on dry plaster rather than wet plaster, and his non-canonical interpretation of biblical themes is considered by some the spark of modern Serbian painting.

The monastery is located in the Bačka region and welcomes visitors interested in its architecture and artistic interior. Visitors should wear modest clothing and be aware that religious services take place regularly, affecting access to certain areas.

A glass plate set before the altar reveals the archaeological remains of the earlier churches built on this spot. The garden holds over 150 plants from around the world, including an Egyptian cedar; a project to plant sequoias failed because of the climate.