Monastery of Saint Petka Iverica - Sićevačka klisura

The Monastery of St.Petka Ivirion is located in the Sicevo gorge, on the corridor Nis-Sofia and it represents one more proof of “the colony of monks” existence in this area. The history says that the old monastery was founded by the monks from the Georgian monastery of Ivirion from the Sveta Gora (Mount Athos) and thus the origin of the name “Ivirion”. It is assumed that by the end of the 14th century when the Turkish Empire made an invasion, many monks, from then occupied areas, found a rescue in this beautiful gorge where they founded a monk colony with the Monastery of St. Petka Ivirion being a part of it. There are many interesting stories connected to the building of the church St. Paraskeva itself which was erected on the fundaments of the former sacral object. Namely, the present church was built in 1898 by the engineer corps of the Serbian army. The news of the miraculous salvation of the King Alexander I Obrenovic from drowning in the sea near Biarritz in France reached the army units while pushing forward through the road and railroad in the Sicevo Gorge. As a sign of gratitude to the Almighty for the miraculous salvation of the king in this place, the army built the church. By the Decree of the king Alexander I Obrenovic of 19th February 1901, the military priest was appointed as “the head of the Military Monastery of St. Paraskeva”, and several years later, the Monastery got its name “The Royal Serbian Military Monastery of St. Paraskeva Ivirion”. This is especially interesting since, in the history of Serbian Orthodox churches, there has not been any such example.