The Holy Resurrection Church () is a

Cultural Monument A national heritage site is a heritage site having a value that has been registered by a governmental agency as being of national importance to the cultural heritage or history of that country. Usually such sites are listed in a heritage regist ...

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 ...

, in

Mborje Mborje is a settlement in the Korçë County, southeastern Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became part of the municipality Korçë. It is a southeastern suburb of Korçë. History The Holy Resurrection Church ( sq, Kisha e Ris ...

Korçë County Korçë County ( sq, Qarku Korçë, italic=unset), officially the County of Korçë ( sq, Qarku i Korçës, italic=unset), is a county in the Southern Region of the Republic of Albania. It is the largest by area and the seventh most populous of ...

. The church is dedicated to Saint Mary.

History

One of the oldest churches in the

Balkans The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...

, it has several possible construction dates. One tradition holds that it was built in 896 in honor of

Pope Clement I Pope Clement I ( la, Clemens Romanus; Greek: grc, Κλήμης Ῥώμης, Klēmēs Rōmēs) ( – 99 AD) was bishop of Rome in the late first century AD. He is listed by Irenaeus and Tertullian as the bishop of Rome, holding office from 88 AD t ...

, while another attests to construction in the 14th century. The church lies at the foot of Mount Morava just southeast of

Korçë Korçë (; sq-definite, Korça) is the eighth most populous city of the Republic of Albania and the seat of Korçë County and Korçë Municipality. The total population is 75,994 (2011 census), in a total area of . It stands on a plateau some ...

, and features anonymous frescoes dating to 1390. On the 40th Day after death each year, pilgrims of the

Albanian Orthodox Church The Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Albania ( sq, Kisha Ortodokse Autoqefale e Shqipërisë), commonly known as the Albanian Orthodox Church or the Orthodox Church of Albania, is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church. It declared its autoce ...

flock to the church.

Description

At the time it was built, the church was under the rule of the

Lordship of Berat The Principality of Muzaka (Albanian: ''Principata e Muzakajve'') was an independent realm ruled by the Albanian Muzaka family with its capital at Berat, covering territories in Central and Southern Albania, and Western Macedonia. One of the fi ...

, dominated by the

Muzaka family The Muzaka were an Albanian noble family that ruled over the region of Myzeqe (southern Albania) in the Late Middle Ages. The Muzaka are also referred to by some authors as a tribe or a clan. The earliest historical document that mention Muzaka ...

of feudal lords. A bishop named Nimfoni collected funds for construction from 1389 to 1390. A striking if small edifice, it belongs to a group of churches with an engraved cross lacking internal reinforcement. A central square

cella A cella (from Latin for small chamber) or naos (from the Ancient Greek, Greek ναός, "temple") is the inner chamber of an ancient Greek temple, Greek or Roman temple in classical antiquity. Its enclosure within walls has given rise to extende ...

topped with a

dome A dome () is an architectural element similar to the hollow upper half of a sphere. There is significant overlap with the term cupola, which may also refer to a dome or a structure on top of a dome. The precise definition of a dome has been a m ...

forms the center, connected by two open gates (one to the south and one to the west) with the

portico A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls. This idea was widely used in ancient Greece and has influenced many cult ...

. The church is only at its highest. Maintenance work was needed to avoid collapse in 2015.

References

External links

Images of the ChurchInstitute of Cultural Monuments (IMK) pageMinistry of Tourism, Culture, Youth, and Sports page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Holy Resurrection Church

Churches in Albania