Monastère de Smilovci, Orthodox monastery in Dimitrovgrad, Serbia.
The Monastery of Saints Cyricus and Julitta is a religious complex built with traditional stone structures and decorated with religious ornaments and artistic elements. The site displays characteristic features of Serbian Orthodox architecture, including fortified walls and carefully designed spaces for worship and monastic life.
The Serbian government designated this monastery as a protected cultural monument, granting it official status as a site of national importance. This recognition reflects the monastery's long-standing role in the religious and cultural life of the region.
The monastery's patronal feast, or slava, is celebrated on 28 July. Since 2006 it has been a women's monastery, home to two nuns; the first female community here was formed in 1925 by about 40 Russian nuns from Bessarabia, making it the first convent in the Niš eparchy. The church's icons and iconostasis were made by Samokov masters, with the icons painted by Yoan Nikolov.
The monastery lies about 4 km north of Smilovci and 3 km north of the village on the southern slope of Triput Peak, in a spot called Manastirski Dol, at 1,004 m, one of Serbia's highest monasteries. The church stands on the slope below the peak, with the restored bishop's residence, monks' quarters and spring catchment on the hillside beneath it. The last stretch is a mountain track, so check access before setting out.
At 1,004 m on the slopes of Mount Vidlič, it ranks among Serbia's highest monasteries. In 1925 about 40 Russian nuns arrived from Bessarabia, forming the first women's monastery in the Niš eparchy; they left in 1930 over fears about the new Yugoslav-Bulgarian border. Two nuns live here today.
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