The central part of the altar space shows The Descent of the Holy Ghost; below this composition is The Communion of the Apostles, and the first zone contains a representation of the officiating Church Fathers. On the south wall, the procession of the most famous Church Fathers and liturgists includes St. Sabbas, the first Archbishop of Serbia. The procession on the north wall shows Archbishop Arsenios I of Serbia and Sabbas II, the son of Stephen the First-Crowned and the uncle of the founder, who became the third Archbishop of Serbia some time between 1263 and 1265.

The compositions on the north and south walls of the altar area show the sequence of events after the Crucifixion. The Threnos (almost completely destroyed now) is in the highest zone of the southern wall, while The Entombment of Christ is painted on the north wall. The scene of The Three Marys Visiting Christ's Tomb on the north wall is followed by Christ Appearing to Women after the Resurrection on the south wall. The composition Christ Appearing to the Apostles before the Closed Door is shown in the first zone on the north side of the altar area, and The Incredulity of St. Thomas is represented on the south wall. The greater part of the upper zone of the northern choir is taken up by a composition of the Forty Martyrs, while the Apostle Thomas or Philip (only the face has been preserved), the Apostle John (the bust has been preserved), an unidentified apostle and a full-length figure of the Apostle Mark are painted on the west wall. The window of the north wall of the choir separates St. Luke from another apostle and an unidentified holy healer (physician) is shown in the medallion below the window. Above the door leading to the prothesis is a painting of The Holy Image, with a part of the torso of an apostle on the left and St. Peter on the right.

Two compositions, now badly damaged, were painted in the southern choir: Abraham's Hospitality (The Old Testament Trinity) and The Baptism of Christ. Below the window is a holy healer (physician); the Apostles Paul and Matthew are on the east wall, and four figures (one of them St. Panteleimon) are shown on the west wall. The Nativity is under the dome on the north wall of the nave; below it is The Transfiguration, and Archdeacon Stephen (we recognize him by the heap of stones he holds in his cloak) and a stylite. Below the composition of Christ's Presentation in the Temple on the south wall is a representation of Christ's Sermon in the Temple, and below it is John the Forerunner (Baptist) and a stylite.

The following compositions are on the south wall of the western bay: The Raising of Lazarus (only partly preserved), The Crucifixion below it, and the founder's composition in the first zone. Christ, enthroned, is approached by Mother of God leading the founder's grandfather, Simeon (Stephen) Nemania, his father Stephen the First-Crowned, the founder, King Urosh I, with a model of the church in his hand, and princes Dragutin and Milutin, who are painted on the west wall. Barely recognizable fragments of The Entry into Jerusalem are on the northern wall, with The Resurrection (The Descent into Limbo) below it; four warrior saints and martyrs occupy the first zone. A monumental and moving composition of The Dormition of Mother of God (6.25x4 metres) is on the west wall, and a bust of Christ blessing with both his hands fills the lunette above the door.

The subject matter of the frescoes in Sopoćani is presented in a very clear way: the impact of the Biblical events is not impaired by the introduction of minor characters or unnecessary details. The compositions are finely balanced, and possess a classical clarity. They are usually organized along horizontal lines or are adjusted to the arched form of the architectural spaces in which they are painted (Christ's Presentation in the Temple, The Sermon in the Temple). Sometimes they are composed in the form of an isosceles triangle (Christ Appearing to Women after the Resurrection), the linear severity of which is tempered by symmetrically placed hills or architectural details in the background. The compact mass of the horizontal composition is enlivened by the central figure, the main actor in the scene, whose importance is further emphasized by the architecture in the background (Christ in The Incredulity of St. Thomas, in Christ Appearing to the Apostles, and particularly, in The Dormition of Mother of God). Everything appears to be carefully subordinated to the human figure, which reigns supreme in these paintings with its powerful bodily presence and beauty.

The apostles, warrior saints and martyrs in the first zone, represented usually in a frontal position, are captivating figures, inspired and monumental studies of great beauty. Each has its own volume, lighting and chromatic harmony, and seems to be the product of a teeming and effortless creativity.

The ochre background, more or less dark, emphasizes the sculptural forms of the figures with their powerful limbs, well-defined anatomical details and profuse classical drapery. The bust of a young apostle, probably John, with handsome, gentle features painted in soft colours and appearing suntanned, is so enchantingly serene that, he seems to emanate both light and beauty. The face of the Apostle Thomas (or Philip) possesses an almost hypnotic power, and a kind of mystery and profundity that invites speculation. His finely modelled red lips seem warm and have a hint of worldly sensuality. Apostle John's face, painted in red and bronze hues, has a warm glow and reveals the beauty of youth, health and peace of mind; the face of the Apostle Thomas, on the other hand, is veiled with some kind of pale-blue, transparent web, which seems to have touched, like the twilight haze or pale moonlight, his forehead, eyes and the right side of his face, while the left half still glows in the last rays of the setting sun. His unusually large and dark eyes in the shade of this blue--greenish light gaze intently at the spectator, reflecting a tension left by some passion suppressed at great cost. This unusually beautiful blue shade and internal agitation endow this figure with a mature, intellectual beauty and communicate to the spectator the impression of both a mystery and a profound experience.

St. Peter, St. Menas, the apostles standing by Mother of God's bier, the Jews in the synagogue and some of the prophets represented on the sides of the pilasters are among the noblest faces of old men in early Serbian painting. Painted in rich hues of green-brown, olive, ochre, pink and cinnabar, their beauty is strikingly picturesque. The sculptural quality of the figures and the wealth of chromatic harmonies is particularly apparent in the flowing snow-white hair and beards, the effect of which is emphasized by locks of bluish or pale grey-purple colour, which enliven the glow of the eyes impart freshness to the face. St. Mark, a strong presence, slightly turned to the apostle standing next to him, seems to have stopped for a moment, like a classical paripatetic philosopher, to complete an interrupted sentence. St. Paul completely dominates the space around him; his is a gigantic figure, his clothing falling in fine classical folds of a bluish-purple hue along which light shimmers, imparting depth and sheen to the texture. The characterization of the head is psychologically penetrating and seems to externalize the depth of thought and the power of observation of Christ's wisest disciple. St. Paul's firm features emphasize his will-power and resolution and bring to mind the words he uttered: »I have waged a just war, I have won the race, and I have upheld the faith.« The Paul of Sopoćani does not resemble at all Anatole France's hot-tempered little Jew in constant conflict with the Greeks. The vision of the master of Sopoćani is much more monumental, elevated and certainlycloser to the image of the apostle-philosopher we get from the Bible.