The St. Nicholas Church ( sq, Kisha e Shën Kollit; rup, Basearica Ayiu Nicola) is an Orthodox church in Moscopole,

Albania Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...

. The church was erected in 1721. It is a Cultural Monument of Albania since 1948.

History and description

The church was built in 1721. The structure consists of a

basilica In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica is a large public building with multiple functions, typically built alongside the town's forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek East. The building gave its name ...

-type construction Struktura with a naos covered with a

cupola In architecture, a cupola () is a relatively small, most often dome-like, tall structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome. The word derives, via Italian, from ...

, a

narthex The narthex is an architectural element typical of early Christian and Byzantine basilicas and churches consisting of the entrance or lobby area, located at the west end of the nave, opposite the church's main altar. Traditionally the narthex ...

and a

cloister A cloister (from Latin ''claustrum'', "enclosure") is a covered walk, open gallery, or open arcade running along the walls of buildings and forming a quadrangle or garth. The attachment of a cloister to a cathedral or church, commonly against a ...

. The interiors of the church are decorated with mural paintings executed by

David Selenica David Selenica (; 17th century18th century), also commonly known as Selenicasi, was an Albanian Orthodox icon and fresco painter of the Post-Byzantine period in the seventeenth century. He is regarded as one of the most prominent figures of m ...

and his helpers Kostandin and Kristo. The art of Selenicasi is distinguished by its realistic nature, as it is witnessed by the portrait of the donor, as well as by a deep theological knowledge. According to the inscription, the portrait of the donor the painting was finished in 1726 and this was determined by an archaeologic expedition in 1953. 24 years later, in 1750, the

Zografi Brothers The brothers Kostandin Zografi and Athanas Zografi (or as they were known locally, Kostë and Thanas Korçari) were Albanian painters of the 18th century from Dardhë, in modern Korçë municipality, southern Albania (then Ottoman Empire). They ...

painted the cloister.

Liturgy

As of 2002, the time of the publication of a study on the

Aromanians The Aromanians ( rup, Armãnji, Rrãmãnji) are an Ethnic groups in Europe, ethnic group native to the southern Balkans who speak Aromanian language, Aromanian, an Eastern Romance language. They traditionally live in central and southern Alba ...

by German researcher

Thede Kahl Thede Kahl (born 30 March 1971 in Hamburg) is a German ethnographer and ethnolinguist. He is the head of the Institute of South Slavic Studies in the University of Jena (in which he is a professor), in Germany. His research focuses are the Slav ...

, priest Thomai was giving the Eastern Orthodox liturgy on the church in Aromanian, based on the text within the Aromanian Missal, and only thereafter in

Albanian Albanian may refer to: *Pertaining to Albania in Southeast Europe; in particular: **Albanians, an ethnic group native to the Balkans **Albanian language **Albanian culture **Demographics of Albania, includes other ethnic groups within the country ...

. In Aromanian, St. Nicholas is .

References

External links

Images from the church
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Nicholas Church, Moscopole Cultural Monuments of Albania Churches in Korçë County Eastern Orthodox church buildings in Albania Churches in Moscopole Churches completed in 1721