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156-509: Lazar was killed at the Battle of Kosovo in June 1389 while leading a Christian army assembled to confront the invading Ottoman Empire , led by Sultan Murad I . The battle ended without a clear victor, with both sides enduring heavy losses. Lazar's widow, Milica , who ruled as regent for their adolescent son Stefan Lazarević , Lazar's successor, accepted Ottoman suzerainty in the summer of 1390. Lazar

312-483: A cephalophore , holding his severed head in his hand. In 1697, the Ravanica monks left their wooden settlement at Szentendre and moved to the dilapidated Monastery of Vrdnik-Ravanica on Mount Fruška Gora in the region of Syrmia . They renovated it and placed Lazar's relics in its church, after which this monastery became the centre of Lazar's cult. It soon came to be more frequently referred to as Ravanica than Vrdnik. By

468-507: A 16th-century Ragusan historian, Pribac and Lazar's surname was Hrebeljanović. Though Orbin did not provide a source for this claim, it has been widely accepted in historiography. Pribac was awarded by Dušan in yet another way: his son Lazar was granted the position of stavilac at the ruler's court. The stavilac (literally "placer") had a role in the ceremony at the royal table, though he could be entrusted with jobs that had nothing to do with court ritual. The title of stavilac ranked as

624-463: A Latin translation of the Slavic title knez . The same document relates that Lazar held Rudnik at that time. In medieval Serbia, knez was not a precisely defined term, and the title had no fixed rank in the feudal hierarchy. Its rank was high in the 12th century, but somewhat lower in the 13th century and the first half of the 14th century. During the reign of Tsar Uroš, when the central authority declined,

780-585: A betrayer of the Christians. Lazarević's success as an Ottoman vassal was such that eventually his lands encompassed a territory bigger than his father's and matched the territories of the Nemanjic dynasty in the 13th century. After Mehmed 's death in 1421, Lazarević was one of the vassals who strongly supported the coalition against the future Mehmed the Conqueror who ultimately prevailed. This move led Mehmed to punish

936-466: A cephalophore in subsequent works, created in various artistic techniques. An isolated case among the images of Lazar is a 1773 copperplate by Zaharije Orfelin , in which the prince has a parading appearance, without saintly attributes except a halo. Lazar's relics remained in the Monastery of Vrdnik-Ravanica until 1941. Shortly before Nazi Germany attacked and overran Yugoslavia , the relics were taken to

1092-602: A civil war broke out in the Kingdom of Hungary. It seems that Lazar participated in the war as one of the opponents of Prince Sigismund of Luxemburg . Lazar may have sent some troops to fight in the regions of Belgrade and Syrmia . As the Ottoman threat increased and the support for Sigismund grew in Hungary, Lazar made peace with Sigismund, who was crowned Hungarian king in March 1387. The peace

1248-604: A decisive battle with the Ottomans was imminent. After he made peace with Sigismund, to avoid troubles on his northern borders, the prince secured military support from Vuk Branković and King Tvrtko. The King of the Serbs and Bosnia was also expecting a bigger Ottoman offensive since his army, commanded by Vlatko Vuković , wiped out a large Turkish raiding party in the Battle of Bileća in 1388. A massive Ottoman army led by Sultan Murad, estimated at between 27,000 and 30,000 men, advanced across

1404-520: A force of historical, political, military and artistic inspiration to date. The day of the battle, known in Serbian as Vidovdan (St. Vitus' day) and celebrated according to the Julian calendar (corresponding to 28 June Gregorian in the 20th and 21st centuries), is an important part of Serb ethnic and national identity, with notable events in Serbian history falling on that day: in 1876 Serbia declared war on

1560-542: A hidden dagger and killed the Sultan by slashing him. He was then killed by the Sultan's bodyguards. Information about the course and the outcome of the Battle of Kosovo is incomplete in the historical sources. It can be concluded that, tactically, the battle was a draw. However, the mutual heavy losses were devastating only for the Serbs, who had brought to Kosovo almost all of their fighting strength. Although Serbia under Prince Lazar

1716-430: A marble pillar that was erected at the site of the Battle of Kosovo. The pillar was destroyed by the Ottomans, but the text is preserved in a 16th-century manuscript. Patriarch Danilo III wrote Narration about Prince Lazar around the time of the translation of Lazar's relics. It is regarded as historically the most informative of the ten writings, though it is a synthesis of hagiography , eulogy , and homily . The prince

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1872-737: A regional lord. It is not clear how his territory developed, but its nucleus was certainly not at his patrimony, the Fortress of Prilepac, which had been taken by Vukašin. The nucleus of Lazar's territory was somewhere in the area bordered by the Mrnjavčevićs in the south, Nikola Altomanović in the west, and the Rastislalićs in the north. The book Il Regno de gli Slavi [The Realm of the Slavs] by Mavro Orbin, published in Pesaro in 1601, describes events in which Lazar

2028-577: A ruler than as a saint, except the icon with Đorđe Kratovac. During the Great Turkish War in the last decades of the 17th century, the Habsburg monarchy took some Serbian lands from the Ottomans. In 1690, a considerable proportion of the Serbian population living in these lands emigrated to the Habsburg Monarchy, as its army retreated from Serbia before the advancing Ottomans. This exodus, known as

2184-547: A temporary see of Patriarch Arsenije III. The Ravanica monks established contacts with Serbian monasteries in the Habsburg Monarchy, and with the Russian Orthodox Church , from which they received help. They considerably enlarged their library and treasury during their stay at Szentendre. In this period they started to use printing to spread the veneration of the Holy Prince: they made a woodcut representing Lazar as

2340-707: A writer and translator, encouraged Lazar to work on the reconciliation of the two patriarchates. Through efforts of Lazar and Isaija, an ecclesiastical delegation was sent to the Constantinopolitan Patriarch to negotiate the reconciliation. The delegation was successful, and in 1375 the Serbian Church was readmitted into communion with the Patriarchate of Constantinople. The last patriarch of the Serbian Church in schism, Sava IV, died in April 1375. In October of

2496-558: Is celebrated not only as a martyr, but also as a warrior. The patriarch wrote that the Battle of Kosovo ended when both sides became exhausted; both the Serbs and the Turks suffered heavy losses. The central part of Narration is the patriarch's version of Lazar's speech to Serbian warriors before the battle: You, O comrades and brothers, lords and nobles, soldiers and vojvodas —great and small. You yourselves are witnesses and observers of that great goodness God has given us in this life... But if

2652-412: Is considered to have the highest literary quality of the ten texts. Nun Jefimija (whose secular name was Jelena) was a relative of Princess Milica, and the widow of Jovan Uglješa Mrnjavčević. After his death she lived on with Milica and Lazar. Jefimija embroidered her Encomium with a gilded thread on the silken shroud covering Lazar's relics. Stefan Lazarević is regarded as the author of the text carved on

2808-401: Is fit to survive the earthquake of the 9.0 magnitude on Richter scale . In 2013 devices for early notification in case of a quake were installed and are directly connected to the state seismology institute. During the major 2014 Southeast Europe floods , the lake accumulated additional 860.000 cubic metres (30,370.6 cubic feet) of water, which would otherwise flood the town. The flood wave from

2964-559: Is in this Russian book that Prince Lazar was for the first time referred to as a tsar. Around 1700, Count Đorđe Branković would write his Slavo-Serbian Chronicles , in which he claimed that Lazar was crowned tsar. This would influence Serbian folk tradition, in which the prince is to this day known as Tsar Lazar. After the death of Ivan the Terrible, Lazar is rarely mentioned in Russian sources. Lazar's cult in his Ottoman-held homeland, reduced to

3120-468: Is less information about Lazar's preparations, he gathered his troops near Niš , on the right bank of the South Morava . His forces likely remained there until he learned that Murad had moved to Velbužd, whereupon he moved across Prokuplje to Kosovo. This was the best place he could choose as a battlefield, as it gave him control of all the routes that Murad could take. The historiographical examination of

3276-410: Is made of magmatic rocks, chiefly quartz latite and dacite ( andesite ), suitable for masonry and road building. The peak is today a barren rocky ground, partially covered with shrubs, thorny bushes and rare grassy patches. The remnants of the lava flows, which abruptly cooled and hardened, are still visible on the barren rocks. The top has two uneven peaks, or "teeth" ( zubi ). They are divided by

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3432-441: Is mentioned as " knez Lazar, of all Serbs and Podunavlje provinces" ( кнезь Лазарь всѣмь Срьблемь и подѹнавскимь странамь господинь ). In Hungary, he was known as the "Prince of the Kingdom of Rascia". In charters issued between 1379 and 1388, he named himself as Stefan Lazar. " Stefan " was the name borne by all Nemanjić rulers, leading the name to be regarded as a title of Serbian rulers. Tvrtko added "Stefan" to his name when he

3588-427: Is not open for public use. It is 1,000 m (3,300 ft) long, 300 m (980 ft) wide and covers an area of 30 ha (74 acres). The tailings is a result of 264,000 tons of ore which is being treated yearly in the mine: lead, zinc, copper and traces of silver. Considering the burst of the dam as a potential catastrophe, since the tailings would flood Gornji Milanovac, the dam has been upgraded in time. It

3744-528: Is presumed to originate from the Antiquity and that Romans reconstructed it. In the medieval Serbia , Ostrovica was one of the most important fortresses in this part of the state. It was recorded that when a 1321 civil war regarding succession of king Stefan Milutin broke out between his son Stefan Dečanski and nephew Stefan Vladislav II , the city accepted refugees from the surrounding areas, including miners and merchants from Dubrovnik. In this period, Ostrovica

3900-611: Is represented there with regal attributes, rather than saintly ones. His next image would not appear until 1594, when it was painted among images of numerous other personages in the Orahovica Monastery in Slavonia (then under Ottoman rule). For his cult, more important than iconography was the cultic literature. Despot Stefan Lazarević suddenly died in July 1427. He was succeeded by Despot Đurađ , Vuk Branković's son and Lazar's grandson. At

4056-419: Is the northwestern extension of Rudnik's massif. The 758 m (2,487 ft) tall extinct volcano sharply rises above the surrounding terrain, though the top is easily accessible, and has a specific morphological physiognomy compared to its surroundings. Being of volcanic origin, it is part of the wider eruptive region of Šumadija. With the surrounding ZagrađeTrudelj area, Ostrovica makes one volcanic massif. It

4212-569: Is venerated in the Orthodox Christian Church as a martyr and saint , and is highly regarded in Serbian history , culture and tradition. In Serbian epic poetry , he is referred to as Tsar Lazar ( Serbian : Цар Лазар / Car Lazar ). Lazar was born around 1329 in the Fortress of Prilepac ,13 kilometres (8.1 mi) southeast of Novo Brdo , then an important mining town. His family were

4368-617: Is why Serbs sometimes refer to themselves as the people of Heaven . Jefimija, the former wife of Uglješa Mrnjavčević and later a nun in the Ljubostinja monastery, embroidered the Praise to Prince Lazar , one of the most significant works of medieval Serbian literature. The Serbian Orthodox Church canonised Lazar as Saint Lazar . He is celebrated on June 28 [ O.S. June 15] ( Vidovdan ). Several towns and villages (like Lazarevac ), small Serbian Orthodox churches and missions throughout

4524-477: The Battle of Dubravnica , fought near the town of Paraćin . In 1386, the Ottoman Sultan Murad ;I himself led much larger forces that took Niš from Lazar. It is unclear whether the encounter between the armies of Lazar and Murad at Pločnik , a site southwest of Niš, happened shortly before or after the capture of Niš. Lazar rebuffed Murad at Pločnik. After the death of King Louis I in 1382,

4680-400: The Battle of Nicopolis , where Vuk Branković another Serbian magnate who ruled in parts of Kosovo had joined the anti-Ottoman coalition. As a reward for his contribution to the Ottoman victory, Lazarević was given a large part of Branković's lands. Branković himself died as an Ottoman prisoner, although in all later "Kosovo myth" narratives first created by Stefan Lazarević, he is portrayed as

4836-538: The Bešenovo Monastery , also on Mount Fruška Gora. Syrmia became part of the Nazi puppet state of Croatia , controlled by the fascist Ustaše movement, which conducted large-scale genocide campaigns against the Serbs. The Archimandrite of Vrdnik, Longin, who escaped to Belgrade in 1941, reported that Serbian sacred objects on Fruška Gora were in danger of total destruction. He proposed that they be taken to Belgrade, which

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4992-556: The Celts . The first Serbian dinar with Cyrillic inscription, the dinar of Stefan Dragutin of Serbia , was minted at Rudnik. The Saxons and the people of Dubrovnik had colonies in this region in the 14th century. After 1441, Rudnik gained special importance when the Ottoman Empire conquered mines of Novo Brdo further south. Đurađ Branković , the revered Serbian despot , had a mint and summer villa here. The rich mineral resources of

5148-500: The Great Serb Migration , was led by Arsenije III Čarnojević , the patriarch of the Serbian Church. The Ravanica monks joined the northward exodus, taking Lazar's relics and the monastery's valuables with them. They settled at the town of Szentendre , near which they built a wooden church and placed the relics in it. They built houses for themselves around the church, and named their new settlement Ravanica. Szentendre also became

5304-564: The Hungarian oak - Austrian oak zone. On the rocky slopes there are habitats of purple saxifrage , and some Balkan - Carpathian endemic plants, like Reichenbach's yellow iris and certain species of chickweed . After the motion of the Institute for Nature Conservation of Serbia, the Ostrovica was protected locally by the municipality Gornji Milanovac in 1980 as the "Viewpoint Ostrovica". After

5460-578: The Knights of Rhodes , led by John of Palisna , has been suggested as participants on Lazar's side by Croatian historian Neven Budak , who quotes in the Italian Chronicles Annales Forolivienses , " Domino Johanne Banno cum Crucesignatis " (Ban John with those marked by a cross). According to Budak, " Domine Johanne Bano " probably refers to John of Palisna the Ban of Croatia, but

5616-533: The Moscow Kremlin . The walls of the cathedral were painted in 1565 with frescoes showing all Russian rulers preceding Ivan the Terrible. Only four non-Russians were depicted: Byzantine Emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos and three Serbs—Saints Simeon, Sava, and Lazar. The prince is also represented in the Illustrated Chronicle of Ivan the Terrible , in its nine miniatures depicting the Battle of Kosovo. It

5772-533: The Serbian Empire . Epirus and Thessaly in its southwest broke away by 1359. The same happened with Braničevo and Kučevo , the empire's north-eastern regions controlled by the Rastislalić family , who recognized the suzerainty of King Louis of Hungary. The rest of the Serbian state remained loyal to young Tsar Uroš. Even within it, however, powerful Serbian nobles were asserting more and more independence from

5928-801: The Vidovdan Constitution ; in 1989, on the 600th anniversary of the battle, Serbian president Slobodan Milošević delivered the Gazimestan speech on the site of the historic battle. Mount Rudnik Rudnik ( Serbian Cyrillic : Рудник, pronounced [rûːdniːk] ) is a mountain in central Serbia , near the town of Gornji Milanovac . Its highest peak Cvijićev vrh , named after geologist and biologist Jovan Cvijić , has an elevation of 1,132 meters above sea level. It has several other peaks over 1000 m: Srednji Šturac, Mali Šturac, Molitve, Paljevine and Marijanac. Rudnik literally means ' mine ' in Serbian , apparently referring to

6084-410: The 10 m (33 ft) wide rift, which developed during the process of thick lava's corrugation, which created the neck . The same process formed the existing, spiked peak. First data on the petrography of Ostrovica's volcanic rocks were published in 1889 by Jovan Žujović , Serbian geology pioneer. In the past, volcanic activity in the area was intensive and covered much wider area. Volcanic activity

6240-629: The Battle of Kosovo, Prince Lazar was interred in the Church of the Ascension in Priština, the capital of Vuk Branković's domain. After a year or two, in 1390 or 1391, Lazar's relics were transferred to the Ravanica Monastery , which the prince had built and intended as his burial place. The translation was organized by the Serbian Church and Lazar's family. The ceremonial interment of the relics in Ravanica

6396-461: The Book of Life. We do not spare our bodies in fighting in order that we may accept the holy wreathes from that One who judges all accomplishments. Sufferings beget glory and labours lead to peace. With Lazar's death, Serbia lost its strongest regional ruler, who might have been seen as the last hope against the expanding Ottomans. This loss could have led to pessimism and a feeling of despair. The authors of

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6552-500: The Christian coalition which fought in the battle of Kosovo. The hypothesis about his participation is considered to be "almost entirely false" as he had become an Ottoman vassal; he was in hostility with Lazar's ally Tvrtko I; and at the time of the battle he was most likely in Ulcinj . Serbian forces assembled at Kosovo Field approximately 3 miles northwest of Priština . Prince Lazar led

6708-466: The Church associated with Lazar. The prince and Patriarch Spiridon had an excellent cooperation. The Church was obliged to Lazar for his role in ending the schism with Constantinople. Lazar also granted lands to monasteries and built churches. His greatest legacy as a church builder is the Monastery of Ravanica completed in 1381. Some time earlier, he built the Church of St Stephen in his capital, Kruševac ;

6864-599: The Fall of Shkodra (1468–1479) The Battle of Kosovo took place on 15 June 1389 between an army led by the Serbian Prince Lazar Hrebeljanović and an invading army of the Ottoman Empire under the command of Sultan Murad Hüdavendigâr . The battle was fought on the Kosovo field in the territory ruled by Serbian nobleman Vuk Branković , in what is today Kosovo , about 5 kilometers (3.1 mi) northwest of

7020-648: The Holy Prince Lazar was probably venerated throughout Moravian Serbia, as well as in two monasteries on Mount Athos , the Serbian Hilandar and the Russian St. Panteleimon , in which the prince had funded some construction works. During Despot Stefan's reign, only one image of Lazar is known to have been painted. It is in a fresco in the Ljubostinja Monastery, built around 1405 by Princess Milica. Lazar

7176-473: The Hungarian King Sigismund. When Turkish forces, moving toward Hungary, reached the borders of Moravian Serbia in the summer of 1390, Milica accepted Ottoman suzerainty. She sent her youngest daughter, Olivera, to join the harem of Sultan Bayezid I . Vuk Branković became an Ottoman vassal in 1392. Now all the Serbian lands were under Ottoman suzerainty, except Zahumlje under King Tvrtko. After

7332-470: The Hungarian vassal Radič Branković Rastislalić from these regions. King Louis had earlier granted to Lazar the region of Mačva , or at least a part of it, probably when the prince accepted the king's suzerainty. This suggests that Lazar, who was himself a vassal of Louis, had rebelled, and indeed Louis is known to have been organizing a campaign against Serbia in 1378. However, it is not known against whom Louis

7488-461: The Mrnjavčevićs. Altomanović barely escaped with his life, while Uroš was captured and briefly imprisoned by the brothers. There are indications that the co-rulers, Tsar Uroš and King Vukašin Mrnjavčević, went their separate ways two years prior to the alleged battle. In 1370 Lazar took from Altomanović the town of Rudnik , a rich mining centre. This could have been a consequence of Altomanović's defeat

7644-563: The Musić brothers. Djuradj Balšić grabbed Nikola's littoral districts: Dračevica , Konavle, and Trebinje . Ban Tvrtko would take these lands in 1377. In October of that year, Tvrtko was crowned king of the Serbs, Bosnia, Maritime, and Western Areas. Although Tvrtko was a Catholic, his coronation was performed at the Serbian Monastery of Mileševa , or at some other prominent Serbian Orthodox centre in his state. King Tvrtko asserted pretensions to

7800-455: The Nemanjić dynasty, which ruled Serbia from 1166 to 1371. Vukan's descendants are not mentioned in any known source that predates the 15th-century genealogies. Tsar Dušan died suddenly in 1355 at the age of about 47, and was succeeded by his 20-year-old son Stefan Uroš V . Lazar remained a stavilac at the court of the new tsar. Dušan's death was followed by the stirring of separatist activity in

7956-596: The Ottoman Empire ( Serbian–Ottoman War (1876–78) ; in 1881 Austria-Hungary and the Principality of Serbia signed a secret alliance ; in 1914 the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria was carried out by the Serbian Gavrilo Princip (although a coincidence that his visit fell on that day, Vidovdan added nationalist symbolism to the event); in 1921 King Alexander I of Yugoslavia proclaimed

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8112-518: The Ottoman Turks. Perceptions about the Battle of Kosovo in Serbian public discourse changed and were "harnessed in earnest in the rise of Serbian nationalism during the 19th century" and acquired new meanings in the context of the Greater Serbia nationalist project. Many of the elements which came to be seen later in Serbian discourse as crucial elements of Serbian tradition appear to have entered

8268-567: The Ottoman conquest, and of Prince Lazar's fight against the Ottomans. The poster was presented at the Habsburg court. The same engravers produced a book titled Stemmatographia , published in Vienna in 1741. Part of it included copperplates of 29 rulers and saints, among whom were two cephalophores, Jovan Vladimir and Lazar. Stemmatographia was very popular among the Serbs, stirring patriotic feelings in them. The Holy Prince would often be represented as

8424-490: The Ottoman feudal hierarchy. Consequently, some of the Serbian principalities that were not already Ottoman vassals became so in the following years. These feudal lords – including the daughter of Prince Lazar – formed marriage ties with the new Sultan Bayezid. In the wake of these marriages, Stefan Lazarević , Lazar's son, became a loyal ally of Bayezid, and contributed significant forces to many of Bayezid's future military engagements, including

8580-448: The Ottoman lines: Fortunate, most fortunate are those hands of the twelve loyal lords who, having opened their way with the sword and having penetrated the enemy lines and the circle of chained camels, heroically reached the tent of Murat himself. Fortunate above all is that one who so forcefully killed such a strong vojvoda by stabbing him with a sword in the throat and belly. And blessed are all those who gave their lives and blood through

8736-451: The Ottoman wing commanded by Yakub Çelebi. When the knights' charge was finished, light Ottoman cavalry and light infantry counterattacked and the Serbian heavy armor became a disadvantage. In the center, Serbian troops managed to push back Ottoman forces, except for Bayezid's wing, which barely held off the Bosnians commanded by Vlatko Vuković , who inflicted disproportionately heavy losses on

8892-542: The Ottomans in 1459. The veneration of the Holy Prince Lazar was reduced to a local cult, centred on the Ravanica Monastery. Its monks continued to celebrate annually his feast day. The prince had granted 148 villages and various privileges to the monastery. The Ottomans reduced its property to a couple of villages containing 127 households in all, but they exempted Ravanica from some taxes. Italian traveller Marc Antonio Pigafetta, who visited Ravanica in 1568, reported that

9048-444: The Ottomans in the Battle of Maritsa earlier that year. Prince Lazar , ruler of the northern part of the former empire (of Moravian Serbia ), was aware of the Ottoman threat and began diplomatic and military preparations for a campaign against them. After the defeat of the Ottomans at Pločnik (1386) and Bileća (1388) , Murad I , the reigning Ottoman sultan, moved his troops from Philippoupolis to Ihtiman (modern Bulgaria) in

9204-457: The Ottomans. The Ottomans, in a ferocious counterattack led by Bayezid, pushed the Serbian forces back and then prevailed later in the day, routing the Serbian infantry. Both flanks still held, with Vuković's Bosnian troops drifting toward the center to compensate for the heavy losses inflicted on the Serbian infantry. Historical facts say that Vuk Branković saw that there was no hope for victory and fled to save as many men as he could after Lazar

9360-671: The Ragusans also applied to stavilac Lazar and presented him with three bolts of cloth. A relatively modest present as it was, it testifies that Lazar was perceived as having some influence at the court of Tsar Uroš. The peace between Prince Vojislav and Ragusa was signed in August 1362. Stavilac Lazar is mentioned as a witness in a July 1363 document by which Tsar Uroš approved an exchange of lands between Prince Vojislav and čelnik Musa . The latter man had been married to Lazar's sister, Dragana, since at least 1355. Musa's title, čelnik ("headman"),

9516-492: The Ravanica Monastery, was given a boost during the office of Serbian Patriarch Paisije. In 1633 and several ensuing years, Lazar was painted in the church of the Patriarchal Monastery of Peć and three other Serbian churches. Patriarch Paisije wrote that Serbian Tsar Dušan adopted Lazar and gave him his relative, Princess Milica, in marriage. In this way, Lazar was the legitimate successor to the Nemanjić dynasty. In 1667,

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9672-553: The Serb center, Branković took command of the right, while Vuković the Bosnian general commanded the left, which also included the foreign contingents. The formidable Serb cavalry took their place at the forefront, with lighter cavalry armed with bows positioned on the flanks. Murad led the Ottoman center, entrusting his younger son Bayezid and his commander Evrenoz with the European troops on

9828-473: The Serbian Church actively popularized the cults of canonized Serbian rulers. Arsenije IV Šakabenta , Metropolitan of Karlovci , employed in 1741 the engravers Hristofor Žefarović and Toma Mesmer to create a poster titled "Saint Sava with Serbian Saints of the House of Nemanja", where Lazar was also depicted. Its purpose was not only religious, as it should also remind people of the independent Serbian state before

9984-458: The Serbian and all other vassals who supported the other claimants to the throne by campaigning against them to directly annex their lands. In a series of campaigns from this era onward Serbia formally became an Ottoman province. The capture of Smederevo on June 20, 1459 marks the end of medieval Serbian statehood. The Kosovo Myth has for a long time been a central subject in Serbian folklore and Serbian literary tradition , and for centuries

10140-442: The Serbian corpus about Kosovo just a few decades before 19th century Serbian folklorists recorded them. Throughout most of the 19th century it did not carry its later importance, as the Principality of Serbia saw the region of Bosnia as its core, not Kosovo. The Congress of Berlin (1878) was the event which caused the elevation of the narratives about the Battle of Kosovo (" Kosovo myth ") in its modern status. The region of Bosnia

10296-429: The Serbian feudal class in response to these threats split in two factions. A northern faction supported a conciliatory, pro-Ottoman foreign policy as a means of defence of their lands against Hungary, while a southern faction which was immediately threatened by Ottoman expansion sought to establish a pro-Hungarian foreign policy. Some Serbian feudal lords continued to fight against the Ottomans and others were integrated in

10452-410: The Serbian throne and the heritage of the Nemanjić dynasty. He was a distant blood relative to the Nemanjićs. Hungary and Ragusa recognized Tvrtko as king, and there are no indications that Prince Lazar had any objections to the new title of his ally Kotromanić. This, on the other hand, does not mean that Lazar recognized Tvrtko as his overlord. King Tvrtko, however, had no support from the Serbian Church,

10608-412: The Slavic title knez . The same document relates that Lazar held Rudnik at that time. In medieval Serbia, knez was not a precisely defined term, and the title had no fixed rank in the feudal hierarchy. Its rank was high in the 12th century, but somewhat lower in the 13th century and the first half of the 14th century. During the reign of Tsar Uroš, when the central authority declined, the high prestige of

10764-596: The Turkish attacks. These circumstances raised the question of a continuation of the Serbian state. Lazar's answer to this question could be read in the titles he applied to himself in his charters. Lazar's ideal was the reunification of the Serbian state under him as the direct successor of the Nemanjićs. Lazar had the full support of the Serbian Church for this political programme. However, powerful regional lords—the Balšićs in Zeta, Vuk Branković in Kosovo, King Marko, Konstantin Dragaš, and Radoslav Hlapen in Macedonia—ruled their domains independent from Prince Lazar. Beside that,

10920-409: The Turks at the Battle of Kosovo, from a poem first published in 1815. In Serbian epic tradition , Lazar is said to have been visited the night before battle by a grey hawk or falcon from Jerusalem who offered a choice between an earthly kingdom—implying victory at the Battle of Kosovo—or a heavenly kingdom—which would come as the result of a peaceful capitulation or bloody defeat. According to

11076-418: The assassination however, with another version describing Obilić playing dead on the battlefield and stabbing the Sultan as he walked. It is also unclear when the assassination occurred, as some sources suggest it happened once the battle turned against the Serbs or in the immediate aftermath of the battle, while others describe it happening early on as Miloš sought to prove his loyalty to Prince Lazar after he

11232-470: The battle differ, making it difficult to reconstruct the course of events. It is believed that the battle commenced with Ottoman archers shooting at Serbian cavalry, who then made ready for the attack. After positioning in a wedge formation, the Serbian cavalry managed to break through the Ottoman left wing, but were not as successful against the center and the right wing. The Serbs had the initial advantage after their first charge, which significantly damaged

11388-462: The battle is challenging. No first-hand accounts from participants in the battle exist. Contemporary sources are written from widely diverging points of view and not much is discussed in them about battle tactics, army size and other battleground details. Estimates about army size vary, but the Ottoman army was larger. It is likely that the army led by Lazar had 12,000/15,000 to 20,000 troops against 27,000–30,000 led by Murad. A higher estimate places

11544-503: The battle on the side of the Christian coalition, bringing a band of Albanians to join Lazar's army. Of those Albanian lords, Teodor II Muzaka died during the battle, alongside a number of fellow Albanians. Based on Ottomans sources, it is claimed by Albanian historiography that the Albanians accounted for around a quarter of the total number of troops in Lazar's coalition, primarily under

11700-491: The battle, it is described that twelve Serbian knights, known in Serbian epic poetry as the Jugović brothers , successfully breached the Ottoman defense. One of the knights, later identified as Miloš Obilić , pretended to have deserted to the Ottoman forces. When brought before Murad, Obilić pulled out a hidden dagger and killed the Sultan by slashing him. He was then killed by the Sultan's bodyguards. There are differing versions of

11856-449: The beginning of his reign, Đurađ issued a charter in which he referred to Lazar as a saint. When he reissued the charter in 1445, he avoided the adjective свети "saint", in reference to Lazar, by replacing it with светопочивши "resting in holiness". The avoidance to refer to the prince as a saint can be observed in other documents and inscriptions of that period, including those authored by his daughter Jelena. The Serbian Despotate fell to

12012-736: The church would become known as Lazarica . After 1379, he built the Gornjak Monastery in Braničevo. He was one of the founders of the Romanian monasteries in Tismana and Vodiţa. He funded some construction works in two monasteries on Mount Athos, the Serbian Hilandar and the Russian St Panteleimon . Lazar extended his domain to the Danube in 1379, when the prince took Kučevo and Braničevo, ousting

12168-525: The city building to his wife Eirene Kantakouzene , already infamous for her role in building of the Smederevo Fortress , so the fortress is today referred to as Jerinin Grad (Eirene's City), even though it is much older. Though deemed indomitable, Ostrovica was conquered by the Ottoman sultan Murad II in 1436. The Ottomans withdrew later, but reconquered Ostrovica in 1454, and demolished it. The fortress

12324-475: The command of Dhimitër Jonima, Đurađ II Balšić and Teodor II. According to historian Dejan Djokić , it is improbable that Lazar commanded a broad coalition composed of Albanians, Bulgarians, Czechs, Hungarians, Germans and Vlachs, in addition to his and Vuk Branković’s armies and reinforcements from Bosnia. Daniel Waley says that next to nothing can be said with assurance about numbers and multi-ethnic composition of both armies. A group of crusaders linked to

12480-504: The complicated political setting preceding the battle has been simplified in the battle being a clash between Christianity and Islam . However, Miodrag Popović notes that in Ottoman Serbia of the 16th and 17th century, the local population was " Turkophilic " in accordance with the general climate of necessary adaptation to Ottoman rule. Тhey did not give the legend of the Battle of Kosovo an interpretation unfavorable or hostile to

12636-437: The content of 6-10% of zinc, lead and silver. The Rudnik is covered in deciduous forest mainly consisting of beech trees. In total, there are some 650 plant species inhabiting the mountain, of which more than 100 are endemic or medicinal. Ostrovica or Ostrvica hill ( Serbian Cyrillic : Островица/Острвица , 44°10′08″N 20°27′37″E  /  44.16889°N 20.46028°E  / 44.16889; 20.46028 ),

12792-461: The cultic writings interpreted the death of Lazar and the thousands of his warriors on the Kosovo Field as a martyrdom for the Christian faith and for Serbia. Sultan Murad and his army are described as bloodthirsty, godless, heathen beasts. Prince Lazar, by his martyrdom, remains eternally among the Serbs as the good shepherd. His cult was adjoined to the other great cults of medieval Serbia, those of

12948-584: The demise of the Mrnjavčević brothers, Nikola Altomanović emerged as the most powerful noble on the territory of the fragmented Serbian state. While Lazar was busy taking Priština and Novo Brdo, Nikola recovered Rudnik from him. By 1372, Prince Lazar and Tvrtko , the Ban of Bosnia , formed an alliance against Nikola. According to Ragusan sources, the Republic of Venice mediated an agreement between Nikola Altomanović and Djuradj Balšić about their joint attack on Ragusa. Nikola

13104-502: The end of the Nemanjić dynasty, which had ruled Serbia for two centuries. The ruler of the Serbian state, which had in fact ceased to exist as a whole, was formally King Marko Mrnjavčević. Powerful Serbian lords, however, did not even consider recognizing him as their supreme ruler. They attacked the Mrnjavčevićs' lands in Macedonia and Kosovo. Prizren and Peć were taken by the Balšić brothers,

13260-474: The epics, Lazar opted for the eternal, heavenly kingdom and consequently perished on the battlefield. "We die with Christ , to live forever", he told his soldiers. That Kosovo's declaration and testament is regarded as a covenant which the Serb people made with God and sealed with the blood of martyrs. Since then all Serbs faithful to that Testament regard themselves as the people of God, Christ's New Testament nation, heavenly Serbia, part of God's New Israel. This

13416-506: The first canonized Nemanjićs—Saint Simeon (whose secular name was Nemanja) and his son Saint Sava . The cults contributed to the consolidation of the Serbs in a strong religious and political unit. Lazar was, however, in the shadow of Saint Sava and Saint Simeon. Lazar's son and successor, Stefan Lazarević, was granted the title of despot by the Byzantine Emperor, and he ceased to be an Ottoman vassal in 1402. At least during his reign,

13572-494: The following years. The mythologization of the battle and writings began shortly after the event, though the legend was not fully formed immediately after the battle but evolved from different originators into various versions. In Serbian folklore , the Kosovo Myth acquired new meanings and importance during the rise of Serbian nationalism in the 19th century as the Serbian state sought to expand, especially towards Kosovo which

13728-464: The glorious manner of martyrdom as victims of the dead leader over his ugly corpse. Another Italian account, Mignanelli's work of 1416, asserted that it was Lazar who killed the Ottoman sultan. Both armies were destroyed in the battle. Both Lazar and Murad lost their lives, and the remnants of their armies retreated from the battlefield. Murad's son Bayezid killed his younger brother, Yakub Çelebi, upon hearing of their father's death, thus becoming

13884-568: The hereditary lords of Prilepac, which together with the nearby Fortress of Prizrenac protected the mines and settlements around Novo Brdo. Lazar's father, Pribac, was a logothete (chancellor) in the court of Stefan Dušan , a member of the Nemanjić dynasty , who ruled as the King of Serbia from 1331 to 1346 and the Serbian Emperor ( tsar ) from 1346 to 1355. The rank of logothete was relatively modest in

14040-399: The hierarchy of the Serbian court. Dušan became the ruler of Serbia by dethroning his father, King Stefan Uroš III , then rewarding the petty nobles that had supported him in his rebellion, elevating them to higher positions within the feudal hierarchy. Lazar's father was among these nobles and was elevated to the position of logothete by pledging loyalty to Dušan. According to Mavro Orbin ,

14196-584: The high prestige of the title of knez was restored. It was borne by the mightiest regional lord, Vojislav Vojinović, until his death in 1363. The Ottoman Turks took Gallipoli from Byzantium in 1354. This town at the south-eastern edge of the Balkan Peninsula was the first Ottoman possession in Europe. From there the Ottomans expanded further into the Balkans, and by 1370 they reached Serbian lands, specifically

14352-478: The immigrants, which stimulated the revival of old ecclesiastical centres and the foundation of new ones in Lazar's state. The strategic position of the Morava basins contributed to Lazar's prestige and political influence in the Balkans due to the anticipated Turkish offensives. In charters issued between 1379 and 1388, the prince named himself as Stefan Lazar. " Stefan " was the name borne by all Nemanjić rulers, leading

14508-433: The king was on his side. Prince Lazar and Ban Tvrtko attacked and defeated Nikola Altomanović in 1373. Nikola was captured in his stronghold, the town of Užice , and given in charge to Lazar's nephews, the Musić brothers, who (according to Orbin with the secret approval of Lazar) blinded him. Lazar accepted the suzerainty of King Louis. Ban Tvrtko annexed to his state the parts of Zahumlje which were held by Nikola, including

14664-823: The largest battles of late medieval times. In comparison, in the battle of Agincourt (1415) even by assuming the higher estimate of army size as correct, around 10,000 fewer soldiers were engaged. The Ottoman army was supported by auxiliary troops from the Anatolian Turkoman Beylik of Isfendiyar , and comprised no more than 2,000 Janissaries . Lazar's main forces included the Serbian contingent from his principality, troops of Vuk Branković his son in law and Bosnian forces under Vlatko Vuković , sent by Lazar's ally King Tvrtko of Bosnia. Lazar's Christian coalition also included Albanians, Croatians, Hungarians and Bulgarians. Teodor II Muzaka , Dhimitër Jonima and other Albanian lords and aristocrats participated in

14820-405: The last in the hierarchy of the Serbian court. It was, nevertheless, quite prestigious as it enabled its holder to be very close to the ruler. Stavilac Lazar married Milica; according to subsequent genealogies, created in the first half of the 15th century, Milica was the daughter of Prince Vratko , a great-grandson of Vukan . The latter was the son of Grand Prince Stefan Nemanja , the founder of

14976-560: The long run was the Battle of Marica eighteen years earlier, as the defeat of the Mrnjavčević brothers in it opened up the Balkans to the Turks. Lazar is celebrated as a saint and martyr in ten cultic writings composed in Serbia between 1389 and 1420; nine of them could be dated closer to the former year than to the latter. These writings were the principal means of spreading the cult of Saint Lazar, and most of them were used in liturgy on his feast day. The Encomium of Prince Lazar by nun Jefimija

15132-471: The lords of Zeta. Prince Lazar took Priština and Novo Brdo, recovering also his patrimony, the Fortress of Prilepac. The Dragaš brothers, Jovan and Konstantin , created their own domain in eastern Macedonia. King Marko was eventually left only a relatively small area in western Macedonia centred on the town of Prilep . Jovan Uglješa's widow, Jelena, who became a nun and took the monastic name of Jefimija, lived on with Prince Lazar and his wife Milica. After

15288-509: The mid-18th century, a general belief arose that the monastery was founded by Prince Lazar himself. Its church became too small to accommodate all the devotees who assembled there on holidays. The Treaty of Passarowitz , by which Serbia north of the West Morava was ceded from the Ottoman Empire to the Habsburg Monarchy, was signed on 21 July 1718. At that time, only one of the original Ravanica monks who had left their monastery 28 years ago,

15444-524: The mining process, an artificial lake was formed in the village of Majdan . In 1953 a tailings dam was built in order to accumulate the byproducts. It separates the flotation reservoir from the valley of the Despotovica river, which flows through the town of Gornji Milanovac (8 km (5.0 mi) downstream), and from the Ibar Highway . The dam was built on the small stream of Rudnički potok . The lake

15600-414: The modern city of Pristina . The army under Prince Lazar consisted mostly of his own troops, a contingent led by Branković, and a contingent sent from Bosnia by King Tvrtko I , commanded by Vlatko Vuković . However, Lazar was also supported by a Christian coalition from various European ethnic groups. Prince Lazar was the ruler of Moravian Serbia and the most powerful among the Serbian regional lords of

15756-523: The monastery was never damaged by the Turks, and the monks practiced freely their religion, except that they were not allowed to ring bells. Saint Lazar was venerated at the court of Ivan the Terrible , the first Russian tsar (1547–1584), whose maternal grandmother was born in the Serbian noble family of Jakšić . Lazar appears in a fresco in the Cathedral of the Archangel , the burial place of Russian rulers in

15912-427: The most famous battle in Serbia's medieval history, was fought on 15 June 1389. In the fierce fighting and mutual heavy losses, both Prince Lazar and Sultan Murad lost their lives. Lazar is killed during battle, Sultan Murad was assassinated after the battle by Serbian nobleman later identified as Miloš Obilić (or Kobilić), pretended to have deserted to the Ottoman forces. When brought before Murad, Obilić pulled out

16068-647: The most powerful nobles in the Serbian Empire. They controlled lands in the south of the Empire, primarily in Macedonia . In 1365, Tsar Uroš crowned Vukašin king, making him his co-ruler. Approximately at the same time, Jovan Uglješa was promoted to the rank of despot . A nephew of Prince Vojislav, Nikola Altomanović , gained control by 1368 of most of the territory of his late uncle; Nikola was about 20 at that time. In this period, Lazar became independent and began his career as

16224-417: The mountain (silver, lead and copper) were an important source of wealth to the Serbian rulers. Besides mining, Rudnik was a settlement with developed handicrafts and a thriving trading post with a cosmopolitan population that influenced the whole of Serbia. On the top of the Ostrovica hill lie the remains of a fortified city, whose exact origins are unknown. It was first mentioned in the fifth century CE, but

16380-565: The mountain's rich mineral resources. The name is probably a testament to the mining activity associated with the mountain throughout several millennia. The archaeological site of Belovode on the Rudnik mountain contains the world's oldest reliably dated evidence of copper smelting at high temperature, from 5,000 BCE. Before the arrival of the Romans , the area was inhabited by the Illyrians , followed by

16536-594: The name to be regarded as a title of Serbian rulers. Tvrtko added "Stefan" to his name when he was crowned king of the Serbs and Bosnia. From a linguistic point of view, Lazar's charters show traits of the Kosovo-Resava dialect of the Serbian language . In the charters, Lazar referred to himself as the autocrator ( samodržac in Serbian) of all the Serbian land, or the autocrator of all the Serbs. Autocrator, "self-ruler" in Greek,

16692-482: The only cohesive force in the fragmented Serbian state. After the demise of Nikola Altomanović, Prince Lazar emerged as the most powerful lord on the territory of the former Serbian Empire. Some local nobles resisted Lazar's authority, but they eventually submitted to the prince. That was the case with Nikola Zojić on Mount Rudnik , and Novak Belocrkvić in the valley of the Toplica River . Lazar's large and rich domain

16848-493: The prince was painted on a wall in the Hilandar Monastery. The same painter created an icon showing Lazar together with Đorđe Kratovac, a goldsmith who was tortured and killed by the Turks and recognized as a martyr. In 1675, Prince Lazar and several Nemanjićs were represented in an icon commissioned by the brothers Gavro and Vukoje Humković, Serbian craftsmen from Sarajevo. The prince's images from this period show him more as

17004-535: The right wing; Murad's other son, Yakub, led the Anatolian troops on the left. The wings were fortified with around 1,000 archers , while the Janissaries held the central position, supported by Murad and his cavalry guard standing behind them. Ottoman sources claim that Murat also placed camels in front to scare the Serbian cavalry. One of the Ottoman commanders was Pasha Yiğit Bey . Serbian and Turkish accounts of

17160-468: The same year, Prince Lazar and Djuradj Balšić convened a synod of the Serbian Church in Peć. Patriarch Jefrem was selected for the new head of the Church. He was a candidate of Constantinople, or a compromise selection from among the candidates of powerful nobles. Patriarch Jefrem abdicated in 1379 in favour of Spiridon , which is explained by some historians as having resulted from the influence of an undercurrent in

17316-523: The senate of Trogir (August 1) and the council of Florence claimed that he had defeated the Ottomans in Kosovo. The response of the Florentines to Tvrtko (20 October 1389) is an important historical document as it confirms that Murad was killed during the battle and that it took place on June 28 (St. Vitus day/Vidovdan). The killer is not named, but it was one of 12 Serbian noblemen who managed to break through

17472-432: The size of Murad's army up to 40,000 and Lazar's up to 25,000 troops. Ottoman historian Mehmed Neşri who authored the first detailed report in Ottoman historiography about the battle of Kosovo in 1521 represents the Ottoman imperial narrative. As an Ottoman Sultan died before or during the battle, the size of the Christian army is presented as significantly larger in Ottoman sources. Neşri placed it at around 500,000, double

17628-408: The size of the Ottoman army. According to historian Noel Malcolm , Ottoman writers were most likely eager to build up the size and significance of Lazar's army, which they described as vastly outnumbering Murat's, in order to add to the glory of the "Turkish victory". Moreover, Malcolm claims that the Ottoman sources lack reliability. Regardless of the exact army size, the battle of Kosovo was one of

17784-406: The slopes of the Rudnik was damped and effectively prolonged over five days instead of sweeping all at once. The treating apparatus allows for the clean water to be let through the dam into the Despotovica river. Several projects are being developed. In 2018 a new system for evacuation of the water in case of emergency will be installed, while by 2023 a new plant will be built which will further treat

17940-408: The so-called "Kosovo cycle", which became the final version of the transformation of the myth. The modern narrativization of the legend focuses on three main motifs: sacrifice, betrayal and heroism, exemplified respectively by Prince Lazar choosing a "heavenly kingdom" over an "earthly kingdom", Vuk Branković's supposed desertion and Miloš Obilić's assassination of Murad. In Serbian historiography,

18096-456: The sole heir to the Ottoman throne. The Serbs were left with too few men to defend their lands effectively, while the Turks had many more troops in the east. The immediate effect of the depletion of Serbian manpower was a shift in the stance of Hungarian policy towards Serbia. Hungary tried to exploit the effects of battle and expand in northern Serbia, while the Ottomans renewed their campaign in southern Serbia as early as 1390–1391. Domestically,

18252-753: The source of South Morava northward to the Danube and Sava Rivers. Its north-western border ran along the Drina River. Besides the capital Kruševac, the state included important towns of Niš and Užice, as well as Novo Brdo and Rudnik, the two richest mining centres of medieval Serbia. Of all the Serbian lands, Lazar's state lay furthest from Ottoman centres, and was least exposed to the ravages of Turkish raiding parties. This circumstance attracted immigrants from Turkish-threatened areas, who built new villages and hamlets in previously poorly inhabited and uncultivated areas of Moravian Serbia. There were also spiritual persons among

18408-687: The spring of 1388. From there they traveled across Velbužd and Kratovo (modern North Macedonia ). Though longer than the alternative route through Sofia and the Nišava Valley , this led the Ottoman forces to Kosovo , one of the most important crossroads in the Balkans . From Kosovo, they could attack the lands of either Prince Lazar or Vuk Branković . Having stayed in Kratovo for a time, Murad and his troops marched through Kumanovo , Preševo , and Gjilan to Pristina , where he arrived on June 14. While there

18564-490: The sword, if wounds, or if the darkness of death comes to us, we accept it sweetly for Christ and for the godliness of our homeland. It is better to die in battle than to live in shame. Better it is for us to accept death from the sword in battle than to offer our shoulders to the enemy. We have lived a long time for the world; in the end we seek to accept the martyr's struggle and to live forever in heaven. We call ourselves Christian soldiers, martyrs for godliness to be recorded in

18720-430: The term is uncertain.” Budak himself suggests that the term could simply designate warriors who marked a cross on their clothing, a customary practice before going to war against infidels. Both armies contained soldiers of various origins. Contemporary Greek authors list among participants Northern Albanians, those of Himarë , Epirus and the coast. Based on Neşri's account, Đurađ II Balšić has also been linked to

18876-458: The territory of Konstantin Dragaš and arrived in June 1389 on the Kosovo Field near Priština , on the territory of Vuk Branković. The Ottoman army was met by the forces commanded by Prince Lazar, estimated at between 12,000 and 30,000 men, which consisted of the prince's own troops, Vuk Branković's troops, and a contingent under the leadership of Vlatko Vuković sent by King Tvrtko. The Battle of Kosovo,

19032-451: The territory of the Mrnjavčevićs in eastern Macedonia. An army of the Mrnjavčević brothers entered the territory controlled by the Ottomans and clashed with them in the Battle of Marica on 26 September 1371. The Ottomans annihilated the Serbian army; both King Vukašin and Despot Jovan Uglješa were killed in the battle. Vukašin's son and successor, King Marko , became the co-ruler of Tsar Uroš. In December 1371 Uroš died childless, marking

19188-412: The three lords in Macedonia became Ottoman vassals after the Battle of Marica. The same happened to Byzantium and Bulgaria . By 1388, Ottoman suzerainty was also accepted by Djuradj Stracimirović Balšić , the lord of Zeta. A Turkish raiding party, passing unobstructed through territories of Ottoman vassals, broke into Moravian Serbia in 1381. It was routed by Lazar's nobles Crep Vukoslavić and Vitomir in

19344-615: The time, while Branković ruled the District of Branković and other areas, recognizing Lazar as his overlord. Reliable historical accounts of the battle are scarce. The bulk of both armies were wiped out, and Lazar and Murad were killed. The battle marked the only time in history when an Ottoman Sultan was killed in battle. Serbian manpower was depleted and had no capacity to field large armies against future Ottoman campaigns, which relied on new reserve forces from Anatolia. The Serbian principalities that were not already Ottoman vassals, became so in

19500-426: The title of knez was restored. It was borne by the mightiest regional lord, Vojislav Vojinović, until his death in 1363. In the period between 1374 and 1379 the Serbian Church recognized Lazar as the "Lord of Serbs and Podunavlje " (господар Срба и Подунавља). In 1381, he is signed as " knez Lazar, of Serbs and Podunavlje " ( кнезь Лазарь Срьблѥмь и Подѹнавїю ). In an inscription from Ljubostinja dated to 1389, he

19656-473: The tsar's authority. Uroš was weak and unable to counteract these separatist tendencies, becoming an inferior power in the state he nominally ruled. He relied on the strongest Serbian noble, Prince Vojislav Vojinović of Zahumlje . Vojislav started as a stavilac at the court of Tsar Dušan, but by 1363 he controlled a large region from Mount Rudnik in central Serbia to Konavle on the Adriatic coast, and from

19812-576: The upper reaches of the Drina River to northern Kosovo . The next in power to Prince Vojislav were the Balšić brothers, Stracimir , Đurađ , and Balša II . By 1363, they gained control over the region of Zeta , which coincided for the most part with present-day Montenegro . In 1361, Prince Vojislav started a war with the Republic of Ragusa over some territories. Ragusans then asked most eminent persons in Serbia to use their influence to stop these hostilities that were harmful for both sides. In 1362

19968-472: The upper reaches of the Drina and Lim Rivers, as well as the districts of Onogošt and Gacko . Prince Lazar and his in-laws, Vuk Branković and čelnik Musa, took most of Nikola's domain. Vuk Branković, who married Lazar's daughter Mara in around 1371, acquired Sjenica and part of Kosovo. Lazar's subordinate, čelnik Musa, governed an area around Mount Kopaonik jointly with his sons Stefan and Lazar, known as

20124-423: The wastewaters. By 2017, the lead and zinc mine "Rudnik" became one of the most successful mining companies in Serbia, notable for exporting 100% of its products. In December 2017 it was announced that the largest ore body in the history of the mine was discovered. With 400.000 tons of the colored metals ore, it will be enough for the exploitation of 5 years and should begin in 2019. It is a high quality ore, with

20280-460: The world are named after him. His alleged remains are kept in Ravanica Monastery . It is uncertain since when Lazar had borne the title of knez , which is usually translated as "prince" or "duke". The earliest source that testifies to Lazar's new title is a Ragusan document in Latin, dated 22 April 1371, in which he is referred to as Comes Lazarus . Ragusans used comes as a Latin translation of

20436-587: The writer of the Chronicles could have been honouring someone who was no longer a ban , such as John Horvat . British historian and Hospitaller scholar Anthony Luttrell disputes Budak’s assumption that " crucesignati " means the Knights Hospitaller, stating, “Hospitallers wore a cross but technically were not crusaders or crucesignati , how the author of the Annales Forolivienses understood

20592-498: The year before. In any case, Altomanović could have quickly recovered from this defeat with the help of his powerful protector, the Kingdom of Hungary . It is uncertain since when Lazar had borne the title of knez , which is usually translated as "prince". The earliest source that testifies to Lazar's new title is a Ragusan document in Latin, dated 22 April 1371, in which he is referred to as Comes Lazarus . Ragusans used comes as

20748-430: Was a main protagonist. Since this account is not corroborated by other sources, some historians doubt its veracity. According to Orbin, Nikola Altomanović and Lazar persuaded Tsar Uroš to join them in their attack on the Mrnjavčević brothers. The clash between the two groups of Serbian lords took place on the Kosovo Field in 1369. Lazar withdrew from the battle soon after it began. His allies fought on, but were defeated by

20904-629: Was a refuge for Eastern Orthodox Christian monks who fled from areas threatened by the Islamic Ottomans. This brought fame to Lazar on Mount Athos , the centre of Orthodox monasticism. The Serbian Church ( Serbian Patriarchate of Peć ) had since 1350 been in schism with the Patriarchate of Constantinople , the central authority of the Eastern Orthodox Christianity. A Serb monk from Mount Athos named Isaija, who distinguished himself as

21060-683: Was accepted by the Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church. On 14 April 1942, after the German occupation authorities gave their permission, the reliquary with Lazar's relics was transported from Bešenovo to the Belgrade Cathedral Church and ceremonially laid in front of the iconostasis in the church. In 1954, the Synod decided that the relics should be returned to the Ravanica Monastery, which

21216-489: Was accomplished in 1989—on the 600th anniversary of the Battle of Kosovo. Kosovo curse : "Whoever is a Serb and of Serb birth, And of Serb blood and heritage, And comes not to the Battle of Kosovo, May he never have the progeny his heart desires, Neither son nor daughter! May nothing grow that his hand sows, Neither dark wine nor white wheat! And let him be cursed from all ages to all ages!" – Lazar curses those who do not take up arms against

21372-509: Was accused of treachery. The battle marked the only time in history an Ottoman Sultan was killed in battle. The event of the battle quickly became known in Europe. Not much attention was paid to the outcome in these early rumors which circulated, but they all focused on the fact that the Ottoman Sultan had been killed in the battle. Some of the earliest reports about the battle come from the court of Tvrtko of Bosnia who in separate letters to

21528-399: Was an economically prosperous and militarily well organized state, it could not compare to the Ottoman Empire with respect to the size of territory, population, and economic power. Lazar was succeeded by his eldest son Stefan Lazarević . As he was still a minor, Moravian Serbia was administered by Stefan's mother, Milica. She was attacked from the north five months after the battle by troops of

21684-457: Was an epithet of the Byzantine emperors. The Nemanjić kings adopted it and applied it to themselves in its literal meaning to stress their independence from Byzantium, whose supreme suzerainty they nominally recognized. In the time of Prince Lazar, the Serbian state experienced the loss of some of its lands, the division of the remaining lands among regional lords, the end of the Nemanjić dynasty, and

21840-451: Was attended by the highest clergy of the Serbian Church, including Patriarch Danilo III. It is most likely at this time and place that Lazar was canonized, though no account of his canonization was written. He was included among the Christian martyrs , with his feast day being celebrated on 15 June . According to writings by Patriarch Danilo and other contemporary authors, Prince Lazar

21996-519: Was captured and beheaded by the Turks. His death could thus be likened to that of early Christian martyrs who were slain by pagans. In a medieval state with a strong link between the State and the Church, as in Moravian Serbia, a canonization was not only an ecclesiastical act. It also had a social significance. After two centuries of rule of the Nemanjić dynasty, most members of which were canonized, Lazar

22152-413: Was captured. In popular oral tradition, however, Branković is said to have fled and betrayed Lazar, a theory which was first presented by the writer Mavro Orbini in a 1601 work but is largely seen as unfounded. Sometime after Branković's retreat from the battle, the remaining Bosnian and Serb forces yielded the field, believing that a victory was no longer possible. In one of the earliest accounts of

22308-464: Was characterized by the decline of central power and the rise of numerous virtually independent principalities; this period is known as the fall of the Serbian Empire . Uroš V was neither able to sustain the great empire created by his father nor repulse foreign threats and limit the independence of the nobility; he died childless in December 1371, after much of the Serbian nobility had been destroyed by

22464-741: Was crowned king of the Serbs and Bosnia. In the charters, Lazar referred to himself as the autocrator ( samodržac in Serbian) of "All Serbian Lands" ( самодрьжца всеѥ Срьбьскьіѥ землѥ ), or the autocrator of "All the Serbs" ( самодрьжць вьсѣмь Србьлѥмь ). Autocrator, "self-ruler" in Greek, was an epithet of the Byzantine emperors. The Nemanjić kings adopted it and applied it to themselves in its literal meaning to stress their independence from Byzantium, whose supreme suzerainty they nominally recognized. Lazar and Milica had at least eight children, five daughters and three sons: Battle of Kosovo Skanderbeg's Rebellion (1443–1468) Contemporaneous Campaigns (1447–1462) Resistance until

22620-419: Was cultivated mostly in the form of oral epic poetry and guslar poems. The mythologization of the battle occurred shortly after the event. The legend was not fully formed immediately after the battle but evolved from different originators into various versions. The philologist Vuk Karadžić collected traditional epic poems related to the topic of the Battle of Kosovo and in the 19th century, he released

22776-399: Was effectively handed out to Austria-Hungary and Serbian expansion towards that area was blocked, which in turn left southwards expansion towards Kosovo as the only available geopolitical alternative for the Serbian state. Today, the Battle of Kosovo has come to be seen in public discourse as "particularly important to Serbian history, tradition and national identity ". The battle has become

22932-502: Was intending to act. It is also possible that it was Radič Branković Rastislalić and that Lazar's attack had the approval of Louis. Lazar's state, known in literature as Moravian Serbia , was larger than the domains of the other lords on the territory of the former Serbian Empire. It also had a better organized government and army. The state comprised the basins of the Great Morava , West Morava , and South Morava Rivers, extending from

23088-465: Was of a higher rank than stavilac . Lazar's activities in the period between 1363 and 1371 are poorly documented in sources. Apparently, he left the court of Tsar Uroš in 1363 or 1365; he was about 35 years of age, and had not advanced beyond the rank of stavilac . Prince Vojislav, the strongest regional lord, suddenly died in September 1363. The Mrnjavčević brothers, Vukašin and Jovan Uglješa , became

23244-507: Was on the Belgrade-Dubrovnik trade route, which in this section included modern Lazarevac – Belanovica –Ostrovica–Rudnik–Gornji Milanovac path. In 1398, rebellious vojvoda Novak Belockrvić  [ sr ] , who tried to oust ruling prince Stefan Lazarević , fled to the fortress. Ostrovica was refortified by despot Đurađ Branković around 1430, who used it as a summer retreat with his family. The popular legend attributed

23400-410: Was present during the entire geological history of the region, until it stopped in the late Tertiary , around 2 million years ago. Remains of this activity is the whole array of igneous rocks found in central Serbia: andesite, dacite, trachyte , rhyolite , peridotite , granite , gabbro , pegmatite , basalt , diabase , etc. Ostrovica is within the vegetation zone of oak forests, specifically

23556-505: Was restored again and assumed its trade importance, becoming a station on the merchant caravan route to Žrnov , fortress on the Avala mountain, just south of Belgrade. The Ottomans called Ostrovica Sivirce Hisar ("Peak Citadel"). It deteriorated in time. When Austro-Hungarian traveler Felix Philipp Kanitz visited Ostrovica in 1888, he climbed to the top and described a "high placed castle". He published his findings in 1904. In connection with

23712-422: Was sealed, probably in 1387, with the marriage of Lazar's daughter Teodora to Nicholas II Garay , a powerful Hungarian noble who supported Sigismund. Around the same year, Lazar's daughter Jelena married Djuradj Stracimirović Balšić. About a year before, Lazar's daughter Dragana married Alexander , the son of Ivan Shishman , Tsar of Bulgaria. Since the encounter at Pločnik in 1386, it was clear to Lazar that

23868-480: Was still alive. His name was Stefan. Shortly before the treaty was signed, Stefan returned to Ravanica and renovated the monastery, which had been half-ruined and overgrown with vegetation when he came. In 1733, there were only five monks in Ravanica. Serbia was returned to the Ottoman Empire in 1739, but the monastery was not completely abandoned this time. After the Great Serb Migration, the highest clergy of

24024-531: Was still part of the Ottoman Empire . In modern discourse, the battle would come to be seen as integral to Serbian history, tradition and national identity. Vidovdan is celebrated on June 28 and is an important Serbian national and religious holiday as a memorial day for the Battle of Kosovo. Emperor Stefan Uroš IV Dušan "the Mighty" (r. 1331–55) was succeeded by his son Stefan Uroš V "the Weak" (r. 1355–71), whose reign

24180-504: Was the first lay person to be recognized as a saint. During his lifetime, he had achieved considerable prestige as the major lord on the territory of the former Serbian Empire. The Church saw him as the only ruler worthy and capable of succeeding the Nemanjićs and restoring their state. His death was seen as a turning point in Serbian history. The aftermath of the Battle of Kosovo was felt in Serbia almost immediately, although more significant in

24336-557: Was to gain Pelješac and Ston , the Ragusan parts of the region of Zahumlje, which was divided between Nikola's domain, Bosnia, and Ragusa. Louis I, the King of Hungary, sternly warned Nikola and Djuradj to keep off Ragusa, which had been a Hungarian vassal since 1358. By conspiring with Venice, a Hungarian enemy, Nikola lost the protection of Hungary. Lazar, preparing for the confrontation with Nikola, promised King Louis to be his loyal vassal if

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