St Nicholas Church, Bogoševce

Sredačka Župa

The region of Sredačka župa, east of Prizren, consists of several mountain villages in the valley of the river of Prizren Bistrica. In addition to Sredska with its hamlets of Bogoševci, Krajći, Milačići, Račojći, Paličojći, Pejčići, and Stajkovce, the villages of this region are Drajčići, Živinjane, Lokvica, Mušnikovo, Planjane, Donje Ljubinje, Jablanica, Manastirica, Nebregošte, Pousko, Rečane, and Stružje. The oldest mention of Sredačka župa is found in the donation charter of King Dragutin to the monastery of HIlandar from 1276-1281, and later in 1348, Emperor Dušan donated the entire region with all its villages to his foundation, Monastery of Holy Archangels.

Since the beginning of the sixteenth century, economic prosperity can be observed in this region, noticeable also in the great number of churches built in every village and hamlet, from 1530 until the 1650s. The churches were built from cut rubble stone, mostly as single-aisled, barrel-vaulted structures with a three-sided apse on the east side and originally without a narthex. Through the efforts of local inhabitants who left their names in the inscriptions, churches were fresco-painted and given liturgical vessels and icons for icon screen. In the nineteenth century, before the liberation from Turkish rule, many new churches were built, and some of the old ones were renovated and expanded.

Note: All the churches below contain links to Google Maps with their correct locations, which are verifiable with a satellite map overlay. In some cases, Google Maps provide incorrect locations..
ST NICHOLAS CHURCH

The Church of Saint Nicholas was built in the sixteenth century. It was renovated and expanded in 1875, when it was also fresco painted.

ST GEORGE CHURCH

The Church of Saint George in Milačić, a hamlet of Sredska, is a small building rectangular in plan and barrel-vaulted. Its entrance is so small that it can be entered kneeling almost; that may have been the reason for its other name- Repentance church. In the church, there is a capital of a column from the church of the Holy Archangels monastery and fresco fragments whose features point to the first half of the sixteenth century as the time of their painting.

ASSUMPTION OF THE VIRGIN CHURCH

The Church of the Assumption of the Virgin in Pejčići, a hamlet of Sredska, is the largest in the group of churches of this region. From the fresco painted inscription, we learn that it was built through contributions of the inhabitants in 1646/7, and in 2017, it was restored through the efforts of Radivojević family from Milačić.

ST NICHOLAS CHURCH

The Church of Saint Nicholas is located at the village cemetery, it is rectangular in plan and barrel-vaulted. The fresco painting in the church is the work of a group of local painters active in the 1570s , working in a number of churches in the Prizren area. There are several icons in the church that are in poor condition, painted at the same time as the frescoes, and there is also a highly valuable fourteenth-century chain censor.

HOLY APOSTLES PETER AND PAUL CHURCH

The Church of the Holy Apostle Peter and Paul in Mušnikovo is a single-aisled building barrel-vaulted and with a narthex as a later addition. According to tradition, the church was built on the foundation of an older fourteenth-century church. On the west wall, there was a fresco inscription stating the church was built and painted in 1563/4. Wall painting was done by skilled painters active in Prizren and the surrounding area, whose work reveals the influence of the Italo-Cretan school of painting.

SAINT NICHOLAS CHURCH

The Church of Saint Nicholas is located at the village cemetery. It is a single-aisled building that was later given an addition of a large narthex. The church was built in the second half of the sixteenth century when it was also painted through the efforts of the villagers, as we learn from a fresco-painted prayer list on the wall of the proskomedia of the church.

SAINT GEORGE CHURCH

The Church of Saint George in Gornje Selo was built toward the middle of the seventeenth century when it was also painted. It is rectangular in plan, barrel-vaulted, with a narthex with a bell tower that was added in the middle of the nineteenth century. The fresco painting is in a relatively good state of preservation.

RUINS OF SAINT PETKA CHURCH

The Church of Saint Petka is mentioned in the charter of Holy Archangels from 1348 as a border point between the villages of Sredska and Planjani.

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