Cultural Corridors of South East Europe

Heritage by Country / FYR of Macedonia

Varosh – The Holy Archangels Monastery and St. Nicholas Church

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Varosh – The Holy Archangels Monastery and St. Nicholas Church

About the site


Corridor: Via Egnatia
Country: FYR of Macedonia, Varosh, Prilep
Type: Christian religious centre
Epoch: Middle Ages
Theme: Christian Monasteries
World Heritage:
Middle AgesChristian MonasteriesChristian religious centre

Monastery of Holy Archangels
This monastery church was built, reconstructed and painted between the 10th and 19th centuries. It is a single-nave building. Discovered fragments of frescoes, dating from the 11th to 12th centuries, today are exhibited on the church floor as well as in the Museum of Prilep. Frescoes from 1270-80 are preserved in the western part of the church. Among the full-length figures of saints, there is the portrait of the donor, Jovan, with the model of the church in his hands. In 1371, the portraits of king Volkasin and king Marko were painted on the both sides of the entrance. The other buildings of the monastery complex are built mainly in the 19th century.
Church of St. Nicholas
The church is situated in the village of Varosh in the vicinity of the city of Prilep. It is one-nave building with extremely defined vertical, with richly decorated facades of brickwork. According to the inscription in the naos, the building and the wall paintings were finished in 1298 by the donation of the local nobleman named Vekos and his wife Maria. The wall paintings from the period of the erection of the church are preserved in the naos (full-length figures, scenes from Passions and Great Feasts). During the 1380s the west part of the interior was painted by the assistants of the painter – Metropolitan Jovan.

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