ritam srbije / Rhythm of Serbia
Markovo kale Utvrđenje iz kojeg je poniklo Vranje u 13. veku nalazi se na 4,5 kilometara severno od Vranja i da- nas predstavlja ruševine jer je ma- lo toga sačuvano. Važnija je, ipak, priča da je to zapravo bila tvrđava Marka Kraljevića, koji je gospoda- rio ovim prostorima. Vranjska banja Banja je postala planetarni fe- nomen kada je utvrđeno da ima najtopliju vodu u Evropi (od 94 do 110 stepeni), a da je i u sve- tu u top tri po ovom kriterijumu. Izvor daje oko 140 litara u sekundi. Prohor Pčinjski O pustinjaku Prohoru Pčinj- skom se zna da je živeo početkom 11. veka. Još kao mladić otišao je u isposništvo, prvo u nagorički kraj, a zatim je utočište našao na pla- nini Kozjak. Legende kažu da nije video ljudsko biće više od 30 godi- na, sve do susreta sa budućim vi- zantijskim carem Romanom Če- tvrtim Diogenom, koji je lovio u kozjačkim šumama. Vizantijski plemić je pukim slučajem stigao do pećine mona- ha Prohora, a ovaj mu je tada pro- rekao da će postati car. Možda bi Diogen zaboravio na ovaj slučaj- ni susret i proročanstvo da mu se, kada je zaista seo na carski tron, u snu nije javio Prohor i re- kao mu prekorno: „Ti si zaboravio mene starca“. Car tada odlazi na Kozjak i posle duge potrage nala- zi posmrtne ostatke starca. Pre- ma verovanju, još tada su poče- la da se dešavaju čuda. Prvo već car Diogen je rešio da podigne cr- kvu u Starom Nagoričanu. Kada su, međutim, pokušali da odne- su Prohorove mošti, one su bi- le kao prikovane za zemlju. Mo- nah Prohor ni mrtav nije želeo da napusti pčinjski kraj. Tako je od rečnog kamena napravljena mala crkva i u nju je položeno telo sve- ca. Više od 200 godina posle to- ga nad tom crkvom je Sveti kralj Milutin podigao veću bogomolju. Manastir se nalazi na 32 kilome- tra od Vranja.
gorje region and then finding refuge on Mount Kozjak. Legend has it that he didn’t encounter another human being for more than 30 years, until he met future Byzantine emperor Ro- manos IV Diogenes, who was hunt- ing in the forests of Mount Kozjak. The Byzantine nobleman hap- pened across the cave of the monk Prohor, and the holy man prophe- sied that he would become emperor. Perhaps Diogenes would have forgot- ten about this chance encounter and prophecy if, after having already come to the imperial throne, he hadn’t been visited in a dream by Prohor, who said to him: “You’ve forgotten me, old man”. The emperor then returned to Mount Kozjak and found the mor- tal remains of the old man. Believers claim that miracles already began to occur even then – firstly when Emper- or Diogenes decided to build a church in Staro Nagoričane. When they tried to relocate Prohor’s relics there, the bones would not shift, as if nailed to the ground. A small church was thus erected using stone from the river, with the remains of the saint interred there. More than 200 years later, Ho- ly King Milutin built a larger house of worship above that church. That monastery is located 32 kilometres from Vranje.
has remained on the bridge, read- ing in Turkish “Cursed shall be the one who divides what love unites”. Legend has it that you only have to cross the bridge once and return to the other side for something good to happen to you. Marko’s Fortress The fortification that forms Vran- je’s 13 th century origins is located 4.5 kilometres north of the city and to- day represents a ruin, with little of its former glory preserved. More im- portantly, however, is the story that it was actually the fortress of Marko Kraljević, who ruled over this area. Vranjska Banja This spa town became a world- wide phenomenon when it was con- firmed that it has the warmest nat- ural water in Europe (ranging from 94 to 110 degrees Celsius), placing it among the top three hots spas in the world. Its spring provides approx- imately 140 litres per second. Saint Prohor of Pčinja The Venerable Prohor of Pčinja is a hermit known to have lived in the early 11 th century. As a young man, he took up a life of abstinence as a hermit, first travelling to the Na-
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