Novo Hopovo Monastery and St. Nicholas Church - Serbia

Novo Hopovo (novo meaning "new") is a Serbian Orthodox Monastery located in Fruska Gora National Park south of Novi Sad in Vojvodina, a province of Serbia. The yellow monastery buildings with red roofs are accented by a bell tower that was completed in 1760. The yellow monastery buildings surround the real gem, the beautiful old St. Nicholas church, which was built in 1576 . The frescoes around the altar and nave were frescoed in 1608 and the narthex in 1654. The wood iconostasis was built in 1776. The monastery was founded between 1496 and 1502 on the site of a previous church built in the 10th century. The church and iconostasis were heavily damaged in World War II and the treasury and its objects looted. Reconstruction took some 30 years. We visited on a Sunday and enjoyed watching a portion of a christening service for a young child. More detail about the monastery and church are found here. 

The yellow monastery building are built in the shape of a three-sided rectangle with St. Nicholas church inside the rectangle. 

St. Nicholas seen inside the rectangle of the monastery. Chopped firewood is on the ground. 

From the open end of the rectangle looking at St. Nicholas Church. 

The bell tower visible just beyond the church.

Upper part of the church with the bell tower just visible to the back left.

St. Nicholas is a combination of brick and stones.

What was formerly an entrance can be seen with a window and bricks filling in the space.

Beautiful wood outside door. 

Portion of a marble plaque inserted in the church wall. Look closely and you'll see engraved writing.

What looks like a marble tombstone inserted in the outside church wall. 

Arch over a doorway.

I love the mixture of materials and colors and this old looking church.

Beautiful old frescoes on the inside church walls. 

Colorful old frescoes.

A nativity scene. The angels look like they are flying in big lips.

A saint with what almost looks like tattoos on his thighs on the outside of what almost appears to be a large book.

Portions of the wall have not been preserved. 

Another saint.

Beautifully carved wood iconostasis.

The lighting is poor, but the majesty of almost every inch of the walls covered with icons, accented by the gold in the chandelier and in the iconostasis.

Mother and Child, a beautiful wood chair and the congregants for the christening service in the background.

Chandelier enhancing colors on the wall icons. 

Faded frescoes in the dome.

Through the chandelier, like an ornate wagon wheel, into the dome.

What appears to be a cushion for kneeling.