Beška Monastery

Beška Monastery Манастир Бешка
Shown within Montenegro
Basic information
Location	Beška island on Skadar Lake
Geographic coordinates
Affiliation	Serbian Orthodox Church
State	Serbian Despotate (modern-day Montenegro)
Province	Principality of Zeta
Ecclesiastical or organizational status	Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral
Website	http://www.manastirbeska.com/
Founder	Đurađ II Balšić
Funded by	Đurađ II Balšić, Jelena Balšić
Completed	1439/1440
Designated as NHL	The Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary

Beška Monastery or (Serbian Cyrillic: Манастир Бешка) is a Serbian Orthodox monastery on Beška island on Skadar Lake built in the Principality of Zeta of the Serbian Despotate (modern-day Montenegro). It has two churches within its complex, the 'Church of St. George' and the 'St Mary's Church'.

Church of St. George

The Church of St. George (Serbian Cyrillic: Црква Светога Ђорђа) was built at the end of the 14th century by Đurađ II Balšić the Lord of Zeta from 1385 to 1403. His widow Jelena Balšić reconstructed it before she built St Mary's Church in 1439/1440.

St Mary's Church

The St Mary's Church or Church of Holy Mother (Serbian Cyrillic: Црква Благовештења) was built in 1439/1440 as the legacy of Jelena Balšić which is also confirmed by the inscription on the monastery. Jelena died in Beška monastery and was buried in the St Mary's Church.

The sacred bones of Jelena Balšić were placed in new relic case made of stone after the Church of Holy Mother she built on Beška island was reconstructed in 2002 by the Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral. By the decision of the 'Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral' in 2006 she was titled 'Blagovjerna' and named Blagovjerna Jelena Lazareva Balšić.

See also

• List of Serb Orthodox monasteries