Kumanica Monastery, Orthodox monastery in Vrbnica, Serbia

Kumanica Monastery is a stone church complex with a gray stone facade and several steep, dark gray shingled roofs. Its central tower is round with a conical shingled roof and a narrow arched window; to the left stands an open wooden structure with a sloped shingled roof, and a rounded apse with reddish-brown tiles sits in front. A smaller domed section with reddish-brown tiles is visible on the far left, and a rough stone and concrete wall with a cross runs across the foreground.

The earliest written mention of the monastery dates to 1514, though stone slabs discovered in the ruins suggest construction occurred between the 13th and 15th centuries. This long span indicates that the site served as a spiritual center for the local Orthodox community across many generations.

The monastery is dedicated to the Synaxis of the Archangel Gabriel, and its name most likely comes from kumanica, an old word for blackberry. It keeps the relics of St. Gregory of Kumanica, said in one record to be a Serbian enlightener and former archbishop, though this cannot be confirmed. On 26 July, the monastery's slava, tens of thousands of pilgrims gather, including believers of other confessions.

The monastery hosts an annual celebration around July 26th when thousands of believers gather for religious services that begin in the early morning hours. Visitors should expect uneven terrain and basic facilities, as this is an active sanctuary in a rural setting.

In the second half of the 18th century the monastery was abandoned and the relics of St Gregory and St Charalambos were taken away. The Pržići family of Bijelo Polje demanded half the offerings made to the saints; when the monks refused, they cut the relics into pieces and sold them. Another account says the already broken relics were given to Antun Simonović of Bijelo Polje for safekeeping in 1700.