Description
Stefan Lazar Hrebeljanovich (a.d. 1329-1389), later Prince Lazar, was born in Prelipac, Serbia of a noble in the court of Tsar Dusan in Prizren. In the middle to late 14th century, the Serbian Kingdom was beset by hostilities from all sides, especially the Hungarians on the north and the Islamic armies in the south. Many battles with the Hungarian Empire weakened Serbian power and took away much territory. When the Serbian Emperors of the Nemanjic House failed, Prince Lazar became in fact the head of the Serbian State still free from Ottoman power.
St. Lazar rebuilt, restored, and founded many churches and monasteries in his reign, including Ravanica in Serbia, and Hilandar and St. Panteleimon Monasteries on Mount Athos. He married Milica of the House of Nemanja. Beginning in a.d. 1381, several battles with the Turks occurred in the territories of Prince Lazar, and his forces were successful until the great Battle of Kosovo in a.d. 1389, where St. Lazar, most of the Serbian nobles, and a vast array of people, including the Ottoman Sultan Murad I, were killed. St. Lazar chose a Heavenly over an earthly kingdom.