the kovilj monastery () is a 13th-century serb orthodox monastery in the bačka region, in the northern serbian province of vojvodina. according to the legend, the monastery was founded by the first serb archbishop, saint sava in the 13th century. the monastery, often cited as one of the most beautiful, has been nicknamed the "jewel of bačka". considered "one of the most monumental cultural-historical objects in bačka", it is protected by the state since 4 august 1949 as the cultural monument.