NARTHEX

This monumental narthex (Нартекс/Narteks, Narteksi) constitutes the "vestibule" of the ecclesiastical complex of the Peć monastery. It was erected in two stages, in the 14th and 16th centuries. Facing west and 22 m long, it is almost unique in Christian architecture, since it connects three of the four churches of the complex: St. Demetrios (north), Holy Apostles (center) and Mother of God-Hodegetria (south). The building consists of two vaults oriented in the north-south direction. The entrance is either to the south (the most used, next to the church of St. Nicholas) or to the west (the main entrance opposite the nuns' buildings).

History

First phase. The narthex was built at the instigation of Archbishop Danilo II, between 1330 and 1337, almost at the same time as the church of the Mother of God-Hodegetria. It has three functions: 1) practical, ensuring the communication of the three churches between them in order to facilitate the conduct of religious services; 2) symbolic, as a transition between the exterior/the profane and the interior/the sacred; 3) edifying for its dimensions and the luxury of its original decoration. Danilo II in fact designed it to impress visitors, telling the builders and painters, "It must be worth talking about." Initially conceived as a long porch open on three sides, the narthex dazzled with its frescoes, the richness of its materials and the lightness of its vaults simply reinforced by two columns and three pillars.

Second phase. Two centuries after its construction, the narthex was in danger of collapsing: the large open bays were not strong enough to support the building. In 1565, Patriarch Macaire (Makarije Sokolović, brother or cousin of the Ottoman Grand Vizier Mehmed Pasha Sokolović) initiated major rescue and beautification work. This second phase also occurred in the context of the re-establishment of the Patriarchate of Peć, whose autocephaly (independence) was again recognized by the Greek prelates and the Ottoman power in 1557. The main intervention was to have the openings condemned. This caused the loss of a large part of the original frescoes and the addition of new, less neat frescoes.

Visit

Inside the narthex, the most interesting frescoes are located on the eastern wall overlooking the portals of the three churches. The rest of the surfaces are occupied by portraits of great figures of the Serbian Orthodox Church and by the menologion. The latter is the calendar of the 365 days of the Orthodox liturgical year, where each day is illustrated by a saint (his portrait, a miracle attributed to him or a scene from his life).

Exterior. The narthex is the only part of the church complex whose exterior walls were not repainted red in 2006. This allowed the preservation of fragments of some frescoes dating from the 16th century. Portraits of saints and the outlines of some scenes, such as the birth of an undetermined saint on the south wall, can be guessed.

Tree of the Nemanjić. This fourteenth-century fresco is located immediately to the right as you enter the narthex through the south door, to the right of the portal of the Church of the Mother of God-Hodegetria. It is a family tree representing twenty members of the Serbian Nemanjić dynasty, some of whom were canonized by the Serbian Church. Formed in four successive horizontal rows and dominated by a Christ the Redeemer, this work highlights the most important rulers (central vertical axis) beginning (bottom) with Stefan Nemanja (reign 1166-1196), founder of the dynasty and father of Saint Sava. This is followed by the kings Stefan I (1196-1228), Uroš I (1243-1276) and Milutin (1282-1321). The series ends with the portrait of Dušan (1331-1355), who soon ruled over a vast territory as far as Greece. Note next door, on the south wall above the door, a rare depiction of the Mother of God Galaktotrophousa ("feeding with milk" in Greek). She appears nursing the Child on a golden throne and surrounded by the archangels Michael and Gabriel.

Baptismal font. Opposite the Nemanjić tree, on a marble platform (next to the stand where candles and postcards are sold and audio guides are offered), stands the baptismal font. This 16th century stone basin is used for religious ceremonies in the four churches of the complex.

Portal of the Church of the Mother of God-Hodegetria. Above the door, to the left of the Nemanjić tree, a large 14th-century fresco depicts the "Mother of God Source of Life" and the Christ Child, both with open arms. They are surrounded by the patron, Archbishop Danilo II (left) and St. Nicholas. They pay homage to the miracle of the "spring of life" that occurred in Constantinople in the fourth century: the Byzantine emperor Leo I is said to have restored sight to a blind man by washing his eyes with water from a spring indicated by the Mother of God. This is especially a reference to the miracle of Stefan Dečanski (1322-1331): the future king is said to have regained his sight while exiled in Constantinople thanks to the appearance of St. Nicholas who washed his eyes.

Throne of Saint Sava. To the left of the portal of the Church of the Mother of God is the marble seat of the patriarchs, known as the "throne of St. Sava". This is where the head of the Serbian Orthodox Church has been seated during his enthronement for over seven centuries. Above the throne, a fresco of St. Sava was added about forty years after the erection of the narthex, around 1370. The founder of the Serbian Church (1219) is depicted wearing the mitre and the liturgical ceremonial tunic. This is an anachronism, since St. Sava never wore this outfit, which was adopted by Serbian prelates almost a century after his death. But by adding these attributes, the painter is making a political act: reaffirming that the Patriarchate of Peć is autocephalous (independent), a quality that is then contested since the excommunication of the Emperor Dušan and the Serbian patriarch by the Patriarchate of Constantinople in 1350.

Portal of the Church of the Holy Apostles. In the center of the eastern wall, the door of the main church is surmounted by a huge portrait of Christ as the Ancient of Days. Christ has a white beard and white hair. He holds a manuscript in his left hand and makes the benedictio graeca (sign of blessing) with his right hand with his thumb crossing his ring finger. He is surrounded by two sets of Byzantine Greek letters. Around the face are Ⲱ (omega), Ο (omicron), and N (nude) meaning "I am he who is" and indicating Christ's divine nature. At the neck, on either side, appears the Christogram ΙϹ ΧϹ, an abbreviation of "Jesus Christ" in Greek and a symbol of Christ's human nature. In contrast, the two words EТХН ДУМН (Etchi Dumi) are in Serbian Slavonic, which developed as a liturgical language from the Patriarchate of Peć in the 13th century. They mean "Ancient of Days," a mysterious figure mentioned in chapter 7 of the book of Daniel (Old Testament). In the Christian tradition, it is an evocation of God the Father. But in Byzantine iconography, the Ancient of Days is often represented as an elderly Christ, evoking the eternal character of God and Christ.

Portal of the church of Saint Demetrios. Located to the north of the narthex, it is decorated with frescoes made around 1565. The patron, Patriarch Macarius, is shown on the pillar to the right, holding a model of the narthex as it was then, with a porch, now disappeared, which protected the southern entrance. Another fresco, above the door, shows three so-called "warrior saints" (from left to right): Saint George, Saint Procopius and Saint Demetrios, to whom the church is dedicated. It is on the shield of the latter that the only signature of a painter who worked in the narthex appears, a Greek named Andreas. But we know that another, more famous artist also worked here in the sixteenth century: the master Longin, a painter and monk from Peć renowned in the Balkans for his icons.