Fortified Manasija Monastery

On a damp October day I visited the Manasija Monastery on the way back from a day out at Resava cave and Lisine waterfall which made for a very pleasant day of sightseeing.
The monastery was okay, as a building it was functional, nothing particularly impressive about it, a typical Byzantine style, orthodox church and monastic buildings and the fortifications were quite interesting but I did detect a certain amount of negativity towards me, as a tourist, from the priests inside the monastery and an Irish nun who ran the gift shop. I mean, if you don't want tourists don't have a gift and souvenir shop.
I love Serbia, it's one of my most visited countries but I have come across this negativity from the orthodox world several times there which is a shame.
Overall, the Manasija Monastery isn't somewhere I would say that makes a worthwhile destination, but combined with other attractions in the area (the waterfalls, caves, the eco town at Velika Plana, etc) it makes an interesting inclusion.
When compared to the fortified churches in Romania it doesn't quite hit the mark for me.

At the beginning of the 15th century, Serbian king Stefan Lazarevic builds the proud work in the Despotovac area.
Outside is a fortress; inside a monastery. It was called Resava, from the neighbour-river, but now we find on the maps with name Manasija, dedication of the Holy Trinity.
Perhaps the inclination towards the world of weapons convinced the despot (nobility title received from Byzantium) to raise walls to the sky, with square towers, many of them lose their numbers, and before they ditch as a double defensive measure. But surely his care for the country made him leave in the interior of the church the wonderful frescoes in his own style (the Morava school): biblical scenes, but also holy warriors, of which the first despot even has honor. The church becomes its grave, and more recently it is passed into the holy line, because it preserves faith and defense the borders under the Order of the Dragon.
Six centuries ago, the school where the translation and writing was established, being in time and library, becoming then not only an important Orthodox center of faith and spirituality, but also of culture and art, and even of architecture. It is precisely the importance that one obtains that does not give him rest: it is burned and plundered by the Ottomans, and even by the Serbian peasants during the uprisings.
The appearance is difficult to understand, it was a true bastion, with thick walls that kept on the ramparts designed for shooting, bouldering …