Basic info
The monastery of St Jovan (St. John)is located 10 kilometers northeast of the city of Nis, in the village of GornjiMatejevac.The present-day church was built on the ruins of the old one in 19th century. The Monastery of Saint John had a significant role during battles for the liberation of Niš from the Ottoman army.For the icon of St. John, which is located in a monastery is believed to have healing powers.
Location
Village Gornji Matejevac
GPS Coordinates
43o19’46”N 22o4’25” E
More info
During the First Serbian Uprising, the residential building of the monastery was the seat of the army commanding officers of the Serbian rebels. The church is a single-nave building in the shape of the cross. An archaic type of the cross places the church of Saint John away from the Morava school and closer to the Byzantine architecture. The façade of the western part is decorated in a similar fashion to the nearby Byzantine Latin church, and in the inside, special attention is drawn to the iconostasis from 1855, decorated with gilded woodcut.
