Prohor Pčinjski Monastery

Prohor Pčinjski is an Orthodox monastery on the forested slopes of Mount Kozjak, about 30 kilometers (19 miles) south of Vranje. The complex sits near the Pčinja River and consists of a main church, monk cells, and several outbuildings surrounded by stone walls.

Emperor Roman IV Diogenes founded the monastery in 1067 as thanks to Saint Prohor, who had predicted his rise to the Byzantine throne. Over the centuries it experienced several destructions and reconstructions, particularly during Ottoman rule and the Serbian wars of liberation.

The complex trains theologians and houses a workshop where monks copy old manuscripts and paint icons. Icon painting techniques are taught here through formal courses to young artists who often stay for months to learn the craft.

The complex is open daily from sunrise to sunset, and guided tours of the main church and grounds are offered. Access is via a narrow road through the forest, passable for most vehicles but it can become slippery in wet weather.

The relics of Saint Prohor have continuously streamed myrrh for over a millennium, making him the only myrrh-streaming saint in Serbia. Pilgrims collect the fragrant oil in small bottles that they take home as a blessing.