Novi Pazar, Medieval market town in southwestern Serbia.
Novi Pazar is a town in southwestern Serbia located in the Raška River valley and surrounded by forested hills. Stone mosques with slender minarets stand beside medieval churches and traditional residential quarters from Ottoman times.
The settlement arose in the 15th century as an Ottoman fortress town on an old trade route between coast and interior. Earlier Christian sites from medieval times remained in the surrounding area and testify to the region's shifting past.
The name comes from Serbian and means new marketplace, reflecting its former role as a trading center. Old town quarters show Ottoman-style houses with wooden balconies and narrow lanes lined by small shops and workshops.
Most buildings and monuments concentrate in the compact center, which can be explored on foot. Shops and cafés open in the morning and close in the evening, while religious sites are often accessible outside prayer times.
The nearby monastery of Đurđevi Stupovi from the 12th century sits on a hill above the town and offers wide views over the valley. Its frescoes show depictions of saints and scenes from the lives of local rulers of medieval Serbian dynasties.
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