Saturday, December 20, 2008

Sv. Bogorodica (Holy Mother of God), Štip, 19th century


The church of the Holy Mother of God is one of the architectural masterpieces of the well-known Macedonian constructor Andrea Damjanov. It has the shape of a basilica, with a three-nave disposition and an interesting design of the roof with three different layers.

The interior is wide and decorated with floral motifs and animal figures. The iconostasis and the baldachin are carved.

According to the sign over the south entrance, the temple was renovated in 1850.

The people of Štip talk about the building of the church by the Damjanovi brothers. It took 31 years to build. The material was brought by oxen and the outside columns were made and processed by hand.

A gallery of rare icons was formed on the second floor of the church. Today, there is a male and female altar, because nuns used to live in the church.

In the yard of the church there is a school where revolutionary Goce Delcev used to teach. Next to it is the house where the revolutionary lived. Today it is privately owned, but restored in authentic style. The church has a hiding place where Goce Delcev used to hide. In the walls of the church there are two more hiding places where 30 other men used to hide. There was a tunnel under the throne of the archbishop that led from the church to the houses in the village. This is how they escaped from the Turks.

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