Solstice orientation of the St Nicholas’ Church monastery Studenica, Serbia

Abstract

St Nicholas’ Church of the Serbian monastery Studenica was erected in 13th century, before 1230. This is a modest one-nave building with an entrance on the west and the apse on the east side. In order to explain a large deviation of the longitudinal axis of the church from the southeast direction, the following has been done: 1) deviation of the longitudinal axis of the church from the east direction (24o to the NE) was accurately measured; 2) a corresponding sector of true horizon of the church was constructed in the orthographic transverse map projection; 3) the position of the point where ends the line of observation in the vertical axis of the church and the position of the point of actual Sunrise of Summer Solstice were determined topographically on the true horizon. Since the distance between these points is about 1.5o, it can be said that the protomaster probably founded the Church St Nicholas on the basis of Summer Solstice. A direct check made on 21st of June, 2011 confirmed the accuracy of the applied method.

Keywords

• mathematical geography
• archeoastronomy
• church orientation
• the St Nicholas’ church
• the Studenica monastery