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Vratna monastery

Location: Negotin
The Timok Diocese of the Serbian Orthodox Church
http://eparhija-timocka.org/manastiri/manastir-vratna/

Vratna Monastery is located about 40 kilometres away from Negotin at the foot of famous Vratna Gates. It was founded in 14th century, and one part of the monastery was built in 1415. Voivode Šarban from Struza near Bucarest left a note about the reconstruction of the monastery which faded with time but later on elder Genady made a note about it.

In the second half of 18th century the monastery became deserted. It was restored by Stanko Frajkor, later obor-knez of Negotin. The Turks burnt it in 1813 after the first Serbian uprising was crushed. It was restored again by Jon Tajkulica in 1837. The last time the monastery was restored was in 1937 through a donation from Milan Ðordević and his wife Perka from Metriš. Both benefactors entered a monastic order and Milan was buried next to the foundations of the monastery as a monk Varnava.

Above the monastery, at the very entrance to the cave, in an almost inaccessible rock, lie the ruins of the cell of St. Nicodemus, the founder of the monastery. The church itself is a low nave with small windows. It was destroyed and restored several times and did not preserve its original appearance. Most icons in the monastery are of Russian origin of which the imperial doors from the 19th century deserve attention. Today it is an active female monastery. The Church of the Vratna Monastery is dedicated to the Ascension of the Lord (Ascension Day).