Divljana Monastery

Divljana Monastery, also known as the Monastery of St. Demetrius, is a Serbian Orthodox monastery located near the village of Divljana and Divljana Lake, 5 km (3.1 mi) south of Bela Palanka, in the foothills of Suva Planina, 450 m (1,480 ft) above sea level. It is dedicated to St. Demetrius, who is celebrated on 8 November. The monastery was first built in 394 at this location, which became the property of the Mrnjavčević brothers at the end of the 13th century after the destruction of the monastery. In the monastery complex, there are records of ancient burials from the 4th century, some of which can be seen two of the capitals. Around 880, with the revival of Christianization, there were also new eparchies. Based on physical evidence and the Charter of the Byzantine emperor Basil II, archaeologists believe that the site also included an early Christian building from the 9th century related to a renewal of church life in Middle Ponišavlje.