Pancic's Peak was not always named after famous botanist: "Roof of Serbia" was once Milan's Peak

Photo: Ivan Strahinic

On Kopaonik, the most visited tourist mountain in Serbia, Pancic's Peak stands at 2017 meters above sea level, as well as the Pancic Mausoleum bult to honor the Serbian academician, doctor and botanist Josif Pancic.

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Despite the fact that he discovered an endogenous type of conifer on Mt. Tara that was named the Pancic spruce during the 19th century, the great Serbian botanist loved Kopaonik more than he did Tara.

He came to the mountain known as the "roof of Serbia" for the first time in 1851 and during the next two and a half decades got to know the beauties of Kopaonik in another 15 visits. The last time Pancic visited Kopaonik was in 1886, two years before his death.

But until July 7, 1951 (in communist Yugoslavia) the highest peak of the "roof of Serbia" was named after Serbian King Milan Obrenovic.

When mountaineers fulfilled Pancic's vow at the time and transferred the remains of the great Serbian botanist and his wife to the highest peak of Mt. Kopaonik, it was renamed as Pancic's Peak. The earthly remains of the great botanist are stored in a chest made out of the wood of the spruce that he discovered on Mt. Tara.

In the mausoleum, there is still a board with a message left by mountaineers on Ivanjdan (Orthodox Midsummer) in 1951:

"We are fulfilling Pancic's legacy. We transfer his remains to eternally rest here. We are publishing his message to the Serbian youth - that to deeply know and study the nature of our country is the only way they will they show how much they love and respect their homeland."

Photo: Ivan Strahinic

(Ona.rs)