The Gradina Church

The Gradina ChurchObla glava on the left and Gradina on the right – hand side make the Moravica gorge which is situated between the villages Prilike and Divljaka. On the very top of Gradina at an altitude of 670 m there is a little church covered with shingle roof built in honour of St Ilija.
Feliks Kanic documented that it was probably built upon the ruins of the Roman watchtower.
Folk tales claim different. According to one belief the church flew from Prilike when the Turks tried to dishonour it and according to another the Serbs with God’ s help took it to the Gradina top.

The church was burned several times but the people kept rebuilding it.

In some sources the church is reffered to as ” Haiduk Church ” , the name used for the Klisura Church monastery as well.  There is no doubt that both deserve such a name since they were a safe shelter in the times of liberation battles from the Turkish oppression, and that the monks were both the accomplicies and warriors.

Various beliefs are connected to this church. One story says that a person who come to the Religious Service and is not sinful, can walk around the church safely without falling into the gorge. If a person decides to try such an undertaking, he or she must repeat it three times. And if a sinfull person succeeds in a walking around the church without falling into the george it is befieved that his sins are forgiven.

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