Dobricevo Monastery

The Dobrićevo Monastery is a Serbian Orthodox monastery built in the first half of the 13th century in the Kingdom of Serbia (modern-day Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina). The building was originally built by the river Trebišnjica and moved in 1964 to the village Orah in the municipality of Bileća because its original location was flooded after hydro power plant near Bileća was completed in 1965.

The monastery was built on the foundations of earlier Christian basilica which was, according to the local legend, built by Constantine the Great and Helena. Slava of Dobrićevo Monastery is Presentation of Mary. The legend says that narthex was built after the main church building by members of the Aleksić family whose descendants still lived in nearby Oputna Rudina village at the beginning of the 20th century.

During its history the monastery was destroyed or damaged many times. In 1672 it was burnt by the Ottomans. Ottomans again razed this monastery in 1687, after they were defeated and expelled from Herceg Novi. During the Herzegovina Uprising (1875–78) the monastery was again destroyed and robbed.

On 5 August 1914 the monastery was seriously damaged by the soldiers of Austria-Hungary who put straw inside the church and burned it in order to destroy the frescoes. On that occasion many books and relics in the church were destroyed too, while only a part was saved by the monks.

Address

Orah, Bileća, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Details

Founded: 13th century
Category: Religious sites in Bosnia and Herzegovina