Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, Ras

* This name is listed on the World Heritage List. ª The region is classified by UNESCO.

The Petrova Crkva (Peter Church, Serbian Cyrillic Петрова црква ) is located in southwest Serbia, two kilometers north of Novi Pazar in Ras (now Raška ). It is the oldest church in Serbia and the only completely preserved monument from the period before the Nemanjic. The church stands on a hill, which was settled in the 5th / 6th century BC. Because with conservation work in 1958 was found under the foundations Illyrian prince grave with rich grave goods. The jewelry made ​​of gold, silver and amber, which is influenced by the Greek archaic art, is now in the National Museum of Serbia in Belgrade. About these finds was a Roman rotunda, which was used as an early Christian church and remained its foundations. The it was built in the 9th century, Byzantine rotunda, which was founded according to legend by the Apostle Paul's pupils Titus ( Bible ), has long been the most important place of worship in Serbia, and later the seat of the bishop, then archbishop of Raszien. Stefan Nemanja, the founder of this dynasty, which was converted to the Orthodox Church, explained here on a council the Bogomils heretics and decided their persecution. Here he also resigned in favor of his son Stefan Nemanjić.

Floor plan of St. Peter's Church is a sectioned into four apses rotunda. The eastern apse is greatly expanded. About the root mean square room, the high dome above the tambour (architecture) rises on squinches. It can be found in the church painting three layers of which are the oldest remains of frescoes in the drum. In the chancel are frescoes from the 12th century, the best preserved of the 13th century, partly because of pillars in the middle room.

In 1979, the church has been included in the UNESCO list of world cultural heritage.