Zavala Monastery

The monastery of the Presentation of the Virgin at Zavala is set against the rock at the southwestern edge of Popovo Polje, with the cliff forming one side of the church so that the building is half cut into the mountain, an arrangement found at a handful of Orthodox houses in the karst. The church holds frescoes painted in 1619 by Georgije Mitrofanovic, a Hilandar-trained painter, which survive substantially. The monastery is first recorded in 1514, and Basil of Ostrog took his monastic vows here. Vjetrenica cave, now a World Heritage site, opens a short distance away at the same edge of the polje.

History

The monastery is first mentioned in 1514, when abbot Serafion bought a vineyard at Orahov Do, and its nearness drew many Catholics of the Popovo Polje area to Orthodoxy after the Ottomans ordered the destruction of Catholic churches in 1516; in 1587 it received the Sultan's approval to be renovated to its original dimensions. Basil of Ostrog took his monastic vows here, the northern wall of the church lies within a cave, and in the early 21st century the frescoes were restored and the church and dormitories renovated (Wikipedia, Zavala Monastery).

What you'll find

• The cliff church - the building set against and into the rock.
• The 1619 frescoes - the painted programme by Mitrofanovic.
• Popovo Polje - the karst field the monastery stands at the edge of.
• The monastic buildings - the conventual ranges around the church.

When to go

April to October for the roads and the polje; the field floods in winter, which changes the landscape completely. The church is open around service times. Feast days bring visitors.

Practical notes

This is a working monastery with dress and behaviour expectations, and photography inside may be restricted. Access depends on someone being present. The visit takes about an hour. Roads across the polje are narrow.

Nearby

Vjetrenica cave is close; Trebinje lies southeast.

Key facts