Direction of ancient orthodox churches in the Republic of Serbia north from the Sava and the Danube

Abstract

This article presents the results of a mathematical-geographical analysis of the direction of ancient Orthodox churches in the Republic of Serbia north from the Sava and the Danube. These are medieval churches, or churches erected on the foundations of medieval churches, most of which katholikons, concentrated on the slopes of Fruška gora ('the Serbian Athos'). The main axes of all analysed churches (a total of 23) are located in the east sector of the horizon, i.e. they were all built according to the rule dictating that a church axis should be directed towards 'the rising sun'. The axes of four churches could not be directed towards the rising sun (towards the rising sun on the physical horizon). The axes of three churches are directed towards the equinox East, while the axes of the others, with one exception only, deviate towards NE (among which two with solstice direction). Based on the observed general deviation towards NE, it can be assumed that the church axes were directed, on their founding, towards the rising sun in spring, mostly around Annunciation.

U članku su izloženi rezultati matematičko-geografske analize orijentacije starih pravoslavnih crkava u Republici Srbiji severno od Save i Dunava. To su srednjovekovne crkve, ili crkve podignute na mestu srednjovekovnih, uglavnom katolikoni, koncetrisane na padinama Fruške Gore ('Srpski Atos'). Glavne ose svih analiziranih crkava (ukupno 23) nalaze se u istočnom sektoru horizonta, tj. sve su izgrađene u skladu sa pravilom koje propisuje da bi osa crkve trebala biti usmerena 'ka izlasku sunca'. Ose četiri crkve nisu mogle biti usmerene prema izlazećem suncu (prema izlasku sunca na fizičkom horizontu). Ose tri crkve usmerene su ka ravnodnevačkom istoku, dok su ose ostalih, samo sa jednim izuzetkom, otklonjene ka NE (među njima dve sa solsticijskom orijentacijom). Na osnovu uočenog opšteg otklona ka NE, može se pretpostaviti da su ose crkava pri zasnivanju usmeravane ka izlazećem suncu na proleće, pretežno oko Blagovesti.