St. Mark church, Lajkovac (September 2020) The village of St. Mark Church is located 8 km west of Lajkovac. The monastery is dedicated to St. Dimitrija, and it was most likely built by monks who escaped from Mark’s monastery near Skopje during the first half of the 15th century.
According to folk tradition, the three brothers Marko, Petko and Stepan agreed that before going to battle in Kosovo, they would leave treasures to Petka and that she would build three churches for each brother, one in Petka, Stepanje and Marko’s church.
After the Battle of Kosovo and the collapse of the Serbian state, the church suffered and was in ruins until 1827. It is written on a stone tablet that the church was rebuilt during the reign of Prince Miloš Obrenović. According to the style of construction, the monastery church is very similar to the church in the Pustinja monastery (masonry iconostasis, slender tambour dome, couches on the facades).
According to the upper parts of the temple, the church is also reminiscent of the Moravian style of construction without side choirs. The fresco painting is partially preserved in the under-dome area. Less than an hour’s drive from Belgrade, this old monastery is located in a beautiful natural environment, so you can visit the sanctuary in one day and enjoy the peace and quiet that surrounds it.
