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Monastery of St. Panteleymon, Lakatnik

The church is located on the northern edge of the small village. The building is dug into a rocky south-facing slope. Its north wall is rising only about 50 centimeters above the surface.

The eastern part of the church is a distinct separate building, which probably is the earliest. Preserved is the entrance (now included in the interior of the church) with arched niche above it designed for the icon-Patron (now completely depersonalized). From the south and the east this early church is equipped with narrow high openings (windows) that are currently bricked up so in the eastern part of the building did not penetrate light.

This early building is distinguished by its architectural details – well shaped socle, cornices and thresholds such items the later west extension does not possess. The apse, which also belongs to the early church, is slightly protruding and low. On the inside the altar is formed by two arched niches which flank the apse.

The western part is built in the same technique as the earliest church. It differs with its greater width. Its length is also twice bigger than the earlier building. Due to the destruction of the roof the southern wall is repaired with primitive construction of poles and rods, coated with clay. This upgrade includes also three wooden windows. With the same primitive technique is „restored“ as well as the western facade of the building.

Still, it is worth attention the effort to preserve the temple, which is obviously done with less money, but carefully and with appropriate reverence that this antiquity deserves. The „improvised“ repairs of the church should be preserved for future generations as an example of historical memory and invaluable testimony to the pure Christian faith. Even now, despite the feeling of neglect and abandonment, every visitor will find a box at the altar with candles what keeps the church alive and shows the esteem of locals to this old temple.

To the south and west of the church are visible remnants of a stone fence. North of the building are scattered old tombstone crosses, which are now heavily overgrown with vegetation and difficult to identify. At certain places are readable the years 1900, 1910, etc. Apparently the crosses are removed from some old cemetery, which has ceased to exist at the beginning of the 20 century, which in turn suggests the date of the reparation when the building was elongated by twice greater extension to the west. Probably the crosses were removed from the site, which was set for the construction of the new building.

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