”The emperor built the monastery of the Holy Archangels,
On the water of Bistrica a thousand catches long;
Strong white albastra stairs,
Foundations of silver, walls of gold. ”
This is how Jovan Dučić wrote in the poem “Monastery” as part of his “Imperial Sonnets” about the construction of the monastery of the Holy Archangels near Prizren, the endowment of Emperor Dušan.
In the verses of this beautiful song, we can see how strong the Serbian medieval state was and how much the Serbian rulers from the holy lineage of Nemanjić helped the church, knowing that it is one of the strongest pillars of Serbian identity.
Indeed, monasteries, wherever they were, were gathering places for the Serbian people and places where revolts were raised against the occupiers, where Serbian literature was born and nurtured, and where every Serb found peace, protection and salvation.
And as such, unfortunately, they have always been the target of all conquerors from the time of the Turkish conquests until the last terrorist attacks by Albanians in Kosovo and Metohija. They suffered a lot, they were burned and demolished to the ground. They made sacrifices and great sufferings, but they protected the Serbian people and were the strongest support for the preservation of the Serbian national identity.
Today, in addition to their spiritual role, they are testimonies of one of the most glorious periods in the long history of Serbian statehood. They remind us where our borders used to be, where Serbian blood for freedom was shed.
They also remind us that our glorious rulers, no matter how strong, were always humble before God, building churches to the glory of God and praying before every battle and decision important for the Serbian people.
Serbian monasteries, endowments of the holy lineage of Nemanjić to the Serbian people should be guides on the path of renewal, salvation and resurrection of the Serbian state in holy Kosovo and Metohija.
With faith in God. Next year in Imperial Prizren!
