The Mosaics of Oplenac

This weekend I revisited the beautiful St. George Church and mausoleum located in the historical region of Topola known as Oplenac. What it lacks for age (it was completed in 1930), it makes up for in its interior decoration. Built by King Peter I as his royal church and resting place of the Karađorđević family, the exterior is covered with the high-quality white marble from nearby Venčac Mountain. Above the main entryway is a mosaic of St. George killing the dragon, symbolizing the victory of Serbian people over its enemies. On top of that is a sculpted coat of arms of the old Karađorđević family.

Unlike the churches of old which were covered with frescoes, the interior of St. George is bejeweled with mosaics in 3,500 square meters of surface. Well crafted and very colorful, the sheer number (725 compositions and over 1,500 figures) makes it nearly impossible to focus anywhere without being distracted by a neighboring scene. Despite taking quite a few photos last time, I felt compelled once again to keep on shooting. Later I could go and zoom in on the photos, beginning to isolate the depicted scenes. In addition to the typical scenes of saints (Serbian and Biblical) and the life of Christ, other themes included the royalty of Serbia. Each king is depicted holding a model of his church in the palm of his hand. Some looked more like priests and others were dressed in more kingly garb.

Following the white marble columns to the top, light streamed through the rather small windows near the ceiling, revealing still more mosaics in the thick window frame. At the top of some columns was the double eagle symbol carved in marble. Looking up, one can't help but notice the huge Pantocrator figure of Christ in the central dome, a replica of the one in monastery at Gračanica. Nine meters in dimension, it's amazing to think that the nose is over 1.5 meters alone! The narrow windows encircling the Pantocrator help illuminate much of the church with soft light, including the splendid colored marble patterned floor. Hanging from the central dome is a huge chandelier made of bronze, weighing 1,500 kg. On the bottom of the chandelier is an upside-down crown, symbolizing the lost Serbian Empire in the battle of Kosovo in 1839.

Mausoleum
Walking down the marble stairs, the temperature became even more cool. Mosaics followed me all the way down. The mausoleum was quite dark, illuminated by some chandeliers and hanging colorful ball-like light fixtures. One's eye couldn't help but be drawn to the brightly lit central arches. Christ again dominates the central position, framed by what looked like a double cross. Four multi-winged angles as described in the Book of Revelations surrounded Christ, tapering off where the arches met the columns. In the rather dimly lit nooks were six generations of the Karađorđević dynasty. In addition to two tombs in the main church, there are 20 tombs in the crypt. Despite the significance of the people buried here, I admit that I gave only a cursory glance to the simple marble burial slabs and spent the rest of the time admiring the mosaics and glowing lamps.

Truly a remarkable place that every person visiting Serbia should see.

See my first entry on Oplenac:

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