Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, Ras

The Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul (Petrova Crkva) is the oldest intact church in Serbia, situated on a hill of Ras, the medieval capital of the Serbian Grand Principality, in Novi Pazar. Founded in the 4th century during Roman rule, the structure features massive stone columns and an octagonal tower with an inner dome reflecting early Christian mausoleum architecture. Excavations beneath the floor unearthed Greek sculptures and black-figure pottery from the 7th-6th centuries BC, and a 5th-century BC princely grave with gold-silver jewellery. Stefan Nemanja, founder of the Nemanjic dynasty, was baptised here, symbolically marking the spiritual birth of the medieval Serbian state. It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Stari Ras and Sopocani, inscribed in 1979.