Exploring Novi Pazar & Its Surrounding Monasteries

Last Updated on: 5th August 2024, 02:38 pm

In the following Novi Pazar guide, we’ll be covering one of Serbia’s least-visited but most unique destinations. A rare majority Muslim town in a mostly Christian country, Novi Pazar more closely resembles Bosnia & Herzegovina or Kosovo than it does the rest of Serbia.

And if you’ve already been to those places, you’ll largely know what to expect. But before the Ottomans arrived and established Novi Pazar, the general area was home to the mighty medieval state of Raška. As we’ll cover below, they were responsible for many of Serbia’s most important historical monasteries.

For general transportation and accommodation information, be sure to check the very end of the article. 

Central Novi Pazar Guide

Central Novi Pazar is quite compact and all of the main landmarks can be seen within a few hours. Unfortunately, my stay coincided with a long spell of gloomy weather, and I’m sure that the town is normally much prettier than the following photographs make it appear.

Novi Pazar Guide

In the town center, at the start of the main pedestrian shopping street, is an Ottoman fountain that may look familiar. It’s a replica of the Sebilj fountain in Sarajevo – one of the Bosnian capital’s most iconic landmarks.

Just nearby is the Amir Agin Han, an old Ottoman-era caravanserai, or inn, that has since been converted to a dining and shopping complex.

The central part of town was once home to a bustling bazaar that was sadly destroyed in a fire. Remnants of the old bazaar can still be found to the south, however.

Novi Pazar Guide

A short walk away is the Museum of Ras. Ordinarily, local museums are the best way to learn about local history before going off to explore the surrounding area. 

But disappointingly, this museum merely displays artifacts within glass cases while providing little context. With that being said, it’s still worth a visit, as it’s situated within a beautiful 19th-century Ottoman house.

Novi Pazar Guide

In addition to items from the prehistoric era, you’ll find interesting artifacts from locations mentioned further below in this Novi Pazar guide, such as Sopoćani Monastery.

Novi Pazar Guide

The upper floor doubles as an ethnology museum, containing costumes, furniture and artifacts from the Ottoman era. While quite similar to many other ethnographic museums throughout the region, this house is noteworthy for its size.

Regarding the schedule, the official hours state that the museum is only closed on Sundays. But I arrived on a Saturday to find it closed, while it was also unsurprisingly closed the next day. It wasn’t until Monday morning that I was finally able to enter.

Entry to the museum costs a couple hundred RSD.

Novi Pazar Guide
Novi Pazar Guide

On the other side of the Raška River is what remains of the local fortress

Aside from the Stari Ras fortress outside of town (more below) which was established prior to the Ottoman takeover, the Turks would later create a fortress of their own upon founding what we now call Novi Pazar.

Novi Pazar Guide
Novi Pazar Guide
Novi Pazar Guide

Established in the 15th century, it’s located on a small hill in the center of town. In addition to its walls, the fortress’s main landmark is its old watchtower, which happened to be under reconstruction at the time of my visit. Much of the fortress’s interior now functions as a public park.

Also in the southern half of town is the Isa Beg Hammam, a 15th-century Turkish bathhouse. While surely once an impressive structure, it now stands abandoned and in a dilapidated state, but is at least surrounded by some popular coffee shops.

Novi Pazar Guide
Novi Pazar Guide

Further south still is the Altun Alem Mosque, completed in 1528 after a dozen years of construction.

It was situated on an old route called Constantinople Road, which connected the Ottoman capital with Thessaloniki, Greece.

Interestingly, the mosque’s founder was a muezzin, or person who performs the call to prayer, who once worked directly under Mehmed the Conqueror.

Another thing to do in central Novi Pazar is to try the delicious local delicacy known as mantije. It consists of meat baked inside small squares of dough and covered in yogurt. You can find numerous mantije restaurants in the town center, especially nearby the fountain.

Hiking Between Two Monasteries

In the outskirts of town, but still within walking distance, are two important historical monasteries that are connected by a hiking path. Or at least they once were.

While by no means a steep or even long hike, the trail just disappears at some point, and you’ll likely find yourself lost and confused. Keep reading to determine if this hike is for you.

Things to Do in Novi Pazar Monasteries

Not many people realize that Novi Pazar, despite being predominantly Muslim today, is home to Serbia’s oldest intact church. 

Located 3 km north of central Novi Pazar, the Church of St. Peter is pretty easy and straightforward to get to. For those traveling on foot, simply walk along the main road.

Things to Do in Novi Pazar Monasteries

Established in the 6th century, most of what we see today was reconstructed in the 9th century. But as you’ll observe inside, some of the earliest foundations can still be seen.

But first, you’ll pass through an impressive cemetery established in the 1800s.

Things to Do in Novi Pazar Monasteries
Things to Do in Novi Pazar Monasteries
Things to Do in Novi Pazar Monasteries

Visiting on a Sunday morning, I wasn’t sure if I’d be intruding on a church service. But upon stepping inside, I found myself to be the only person there.

Things to Do in Novi Pazar Monasteries

In addition to well-preserved frescoes, the church also contains a small display of artifacts from its earlier incarnations. 

Even if you’re not up for the hike, a visit to the Church of St. Peter is well worth the walk from town.

Things to Do in Novi Pazar Monasteries
Things to Do in Novi Pazar Monasteries
Things to Do in Novi Pazar Monasteries

Leaving the church, be sure to open up the Maps.me app for guidance on how to reach our next destination, the Monastery of St. George. But even with the app, this walk is far from simple.

The two churches are about three kilometers apart and the walk should take about an hour, provided you know where you’re going.

Things to Do in Novi Pazar Monasteries

Things started out easy enough, and the trails I was seeing mostly correlated to the marked trails on the app. 

Even on this gloomy day, the fall colors visible in the distance were gorgeous. But due to it having rained the previous day, the trail was terribly muddy, and I repeatedly had to scrape the mud off my shoes with sticks.

Things to Do in Novi Pazar Monasteries
Things to Do in Novi Pazar Monasteries

As I got to the top of one of the hills, the trail began to fade. And to follow the Maps.me route, I had to step over some barbed wire. I saw another hill in the distance that I thought might be my destination, but I wasn’t so sure. 

Things to Do in Novi Pazar Monasteries
The hill on which the Monastery of St. George stands

With no trails in sight and certain that I was wandering around on someone’s private property, I attempted to head over to the roads I saw in the distance and take it from there. But as I made my way further, I could tell that there was no easy way to get there.

And so I decided to backtrack a bit, stepping over yet another barbed wire fence. While I was still off the Maps.me trail, I soon realized the building faintly visible through the trees on the hill was indeed the monastery I was seeking, and I let out a sigh of relief.

But this was premature, as there was no semblance of a trail leading to the top. Ascending the hill, I had to fight my way through thick overgrowth and protect my eyes from the branches. 

While I only had to struggle for several minutes, the situation was far from ideal. Finally reaching a proper road, I used it to walk nonchalantly up to the church in my mud-stained jeans.

Things to Do in Novi Pazar Monasteries
Things to Do in Novi Pazar Monasteries

From the outside, the Monastery of St. George is the more impressive of the two. But it doesn’t have a whole lot to see within besides a few old frescoes.

Known locally as Đurđevi Stupovi, the church was erected in 1170 and commissioned by Stefan Nemanja, 12th-century Serbian prince and founder of the Nemanjić dynasty.

Things to Do in Novi Pazar Monasteries
Things to Do in Novi Pazar Monasteries

Built in the Byzantine architectural style, the church originally had two bell towers, but it was heavily damaged by the Turks during the Ottoman period.

Now containing the remains 13th-century king Stefan Dragutin (r. 1276-1282), the church has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site along with several others in the region.

Things to Do in Novi Pazar Monasteries

Finished with my visit, I simply walked along the road to make it back to central Novi Pazar. It was a peaceful journey and much less confusing (and muddy) than the hike between the monasteries.

Sopoćani Monastery

Aside from the two churches mentioned above, the Novi Pazar region is home to an even more famous structure. Easily one of the top things to do in this Novi Pazar guide is a visit to Sopoćani Monastery. 

Located about 15 km west of town, it can be visited in tandem with Stari Ras fortress, though you’ll need some kind of private transport. Be sure to check below for more information.

Sopoćani Monastery Novi Pazar Guide

Best known for its vivid frescoes, Sopoćani Monastery was founded in the 13th century by King Stefan Uroš I. Uroš was the grandson of Stefan Nemanja who commissioned the Monastery of St. George mentioned above.

Sopoćani Monastery Novi Pazar Guide
Sopoćani Monastery Novi Pazar Guide
Sopoćani Monastery Novi Pazar Guide
Sopoćani Monastery Novi Pazar Guide

Amazingly, the frescoes date back to the time of the church’s original construction. In addition to scenes from both the Old and New Testaments, members of the Nemanjić dynasty in addition Sveti Sava, the founder of the Serbian Orthodox Church, are depicted as well.

The frescoes are in an excellent state of preservation, especially considering that they’re nearly 800 years old! I was advised not to use my DSLR inside, but I couldn’t resist snapping a few images with my cellphone.

There’s a whole lot more that I couldn’t capture, so be sure to go and see for yourself.

Sopoćani Monastery Novi Pazar Guide
Sopoćani Monastery Novi Pazar Guide
Sopoćani Monastery Novi Pazar Guide

Sopoćani Monastery was later expanded and renovated in the mid-1300s. It was later damaged by the Ottomans in the 17th century, and the ruins of the surrounding structures can be seen outside.

Sopoćani would remain abandoned until restorations in the 20th century, and it now functions as an active church after a very long hiatus. It’s also a UNESCO World Heritage Site together with nearby Stari Ras.

Sopoćani Monastery Novi Pazar Guide

Stari Ras

Located 11 km west of Novi Pazar on the same road leading to Sopoćani, these unassuming ruins were once the center of a mighty medieval kingdom.

Just by the road are some foundations of an old bazaar. But the main fortress is at the top of the steep hill on the other side.

You’ll find numerous modern restaurants and guest houses at the base of the hill, and the area seems to be a popular place for domestic tourists.

Beyond the shops, you should be able to find the start of the hiking trail.

Sopoćani Monastery Novi Pazar Guide

The climb up is about 550 m long and rather steep and slippery. Thankfully, officials have placed rope along one side of the trail, which is especially helpful on the way down. 

Having already done the hike mentioned above that morning, I was feeling pretty tired by this point but was determined to make it to the top.

Sopoćani Monastery Novi Pazar Guide

Finally arriving, I was a bit disappointed to find that almost nothing of this once-significant fortress remains. Admittedly, I was under the impression there would be an interesting church inside. This was based on looking at the images on Google Maps reviews. 

But it turned out that someone merely inserted a picture of Sopoćani Monastery amongst the fortress pictures!

Things to Do in Novi Pazar Stari Ras
Things to Do in Novi Pazar Stari Ras

With that being said, the views of the surrounding area from the top are gorgeous. And the historical importance of the place for Serbia can’t be understated.

Previously held by the Byzantines, it was later part of a state known as the Grand Principality of Serbia which persisted from the 11th-13th centuries. 

The Raška region would then serve as the center of Serbia for a time, and it remained an important region throughout subsequent iterations of the Serbian Empire. It wasn’t until the Ottoman takeover that this hill would eventually lose its significance.

Things to Do in Novi Pazar Stari Ras
Things to Do in Novi Pazar Stari Ras

Additional Info

Supposedly, there is a bus that leaves for Sopoćani Monastery from Novi Pazar’s bus station. But no details seem to exist online, nor at the bus station itself. And even if you manage to find it, you’ll have to worry about getting back to town.Therefore, those without a car will need to hire a taxi. While my hotel had given me some phone numbers of some local taxi companies, I first decided to stop by the bus station to see what prices I could get from the drivers there.I happened to encounter a friendly driver who spoke a bit of English, and he agreed on a price of around 20 euros. This was an interesting outing, as drivers usually always wait in the car. But this driver wanted to come and see the sites along with me.Note that if you tell most drivers ‘Stari Ras,’ they may just think you’re only talking about the foundations by the road. You have to make it clear you want to go to the top of the fortress when negotiating a price, or they may try to charge you for extra waiting time.Fortunately, while my driver was surprised, he didn’t charge me anything extra. He even decided to hike up with me! Despite being a local, he said it was his first time up there.Alternatively, you could also book a tour like this one, which also include Studenica Monastery, one of the most important monasteries in all of Serbia.

If you are mainly interested in Novi Pazar for its Ottoman atmosphere, you might want to consider heading just a bit further south to Kosovo instead. In terms of Islamic landmarks and overall beauty, Novi Pazar can’t compete with the city of Prizren.

But Novi Pazar is indeed worth visiting if you also enjoy visiting medieval monasteries. In addition to the ones mentioned in the Novi Pazar guide above, you can also take a day trip to the stunning cave monastery of Crna Reka which we’ll cover in a separate guide.

Novi Pazar is directly accessible from major cities in Serbia like Belgrade, Novi Sad and Kragujevac. There are also direct links with cities in Kosovo, while there’s even a direct bus from Sarajevo.

In my case, I was coming from Niš. Despite looking somewhat close to Novi Pazar on the map, there are no direct buses and I had to transfer in a city called Kraljevo.

The bus from Kraljevo to Novi Pazar turned out to be a minibus, and it was fully packed, forcing many people to stand for most of the ride. At least it wasn’t too long of a journey.

The website polazak.com is very reliable when it comes to long-distance transport in Serbia, and it’s a great way to work out the logistics of your trip.

Given its small size, you could base yourself just about anywhere in town and be within walking distance to many of the landmarks in the Novi Pazar guide above.

I stayed at a place called Old Town Apartments. It was a cold week when I arrived, and I was happy to find that the place was well heated with an interesting floor heating system.

I had my own room and bathroom, and for four nights I paid just €45 including tax.

Even being located in the south part of town (near the Altun Alem Mosque), it was still walkable from the bus station in 15-20 minutes.



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