KULINA (USPENJE MONASTERY)

Guardian of Monastic Dwellings

Situated in the heart of the Ovčar-Kablar Gorge, the Kulina site occupies a steep, conical hill almost entirely encircled by the meandering West Morava River. This prominent and strategically significant location, which offers sweeping views of the surrounding landscape, is home to the remains of a fortified medieval settlement dating back to the 10^th and 11^th centuries. In the 14^th century, a smaller fortification with a donjon tower was constructed on its foundations. Today, the only surviving element of this complex is the crumbled watchtower, located just outside the entrance to the Uspenje Monastery (the Monastery of Assumption of the Holy Theotokos), from which the entire site takes its name.

Archaeological findings from the Ovčar-Kablar Gorge reveal traces of human habitation dating back to prehistory, continuing through antiquity, and extending into the Middle Ages. The Kulina site, situated on the southwestern slopes of Mount Kablar, near the village of Rošci, was the location of a fortified Serbian settlement as early as the 10^th and 11^th centuries. In the vicinity of modern-day Čačak, only two other sites have revealed evidence of habitation from this era: Gradina on Mount Jelica and the Sokolica fortress in Ostra. All these sites are positioned on prominent, hard-to-reach peaks that dominate the surrounding landscape, making them ideal for fortification and defense. Archaeological excavations at the Kulina site were conducted in 1977 and 1978. Trenches near the defensive tower revealed an older medieval layer, which, based on movable artefacts, primarily pottery, was dated to the 10^th and 11^th centuries. The presence of an ash layer indicates that this fortified settlement likely perished in a fire.

ABOVE: Map of the site

ABOVE: View from Ovčar Mountain overlooking the Uspenje Monastery and the remnants of the tower

In the late 14^th century, as the Ottomans advanced through the southern Balkans, monks from Mount Athos and other monastic centres sought refuge in the Ovčar-Kablar Gorge. The gorge’s natural isolation and rugged terrain suited their ascetic lifestyle, particularly for the Sinaitic monks, who settled in the numerous, hard-to-reach caves on the cliffs of Kablar. At the same time, they established the Preobraženje Monastery (the Monastery of the Transfiguration) at the foot of the mountain, followed by several other communal monasteries hidden deep within the wilderness and dense forests of the gorge. This unique cluster of monastic dwellings was safeguarded by two watchtowers positioned on elevated points overlooking the entrances to the gorge. The western tower rose above the Blagoveštenje Monastery (the Monastery of the Annunciation) on a conical hill, while the eastern tower stood on a long ridge above the Jovanje Monastery. From these high vantage points, the monks kept a constant watch over the surroundings and provided shelter for fellow monks, as well as safe storage for monastic treasures during times of danger and enemy attacks.

ABOVE: View of the gorge from Kablar Mountain

According to local tradition, the watchtower at the present-day Kulina site once featured a belfry that announced the hours of prayer to the surrounding monasteries in the gorge. Monks’ notes in handwritten liturgical books indicate that the watchtower also contained a scriptorium with a dungeon beneath it. Within the tower was the Church of the Dormition of the Mother of God, just as the fortification above the Blagoveštenje Monastery housed a temple dedicated to the Old Testament prophet Elijah. Even after the destruction of both fortifications, their remnants endured for centuries, keeping the memory of these sanctuaries to persist among the people. It was not until the years leading up to World War II that Bishop Nikolaj Velimirović of Žiča rebuilt a church dedicated to the Feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God near the ruins of the Kulina watchtower, using its scattered stones. Today, this church belongs to the Uspenje Monastery.

List of References

Vukadin, O. “Archaeological Excavations at the Site of “Kulina” Below Kablar.” Raška Heritage 2 (1980): 167–171. Kraljevo.
Marković, O. “Pottery from the 10^th–11^th Centuries at the Medieval Site of “Kulina” in Rošci.” ZRNM 22/23 (1992–1993): 27–32. Čačak.
Radičević, D. “Archaeological Sites from the 10th–11th Centuries in Čačak and Surroundings.” Bulletin of the Serbian Archaeological Society 19 (2003): 57–69. Belgrade.
Monastery Uspenje, Informative Portal of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Netherlands.

ABOVE: The Kulina site with the Uspenje Monastery, embraced by the West Morava River

Vuk Karadžić’s Description of Kulina

When Vuk Karadžić visited the gorge in 1820, he described the state of the tower ruins on the hill and recounted the legend associated with it: “Above the monastery, on the hill, lie the walls of what was once a tower, now called Gradina. It is said that Jovanje was once a lavra, from which all the surrounding monasteries of Kablar and Ovčar were governed and judged, and that this tower served as their common bell tower. Below the belfry was a scriptorium, where books were written, and beneath that, a dungeon.”