The most beautiful religious buildings Northern Macedonia

Brightly lit at night, this 66-meter-high tubular metal structure (Милениумски Крст/Mileniumski Krst) is the fifth largest Christian cross in the world. Located at 1,060 m above sea level, right next to the summit of Mount Vodno, it was erected in 2002 on the initiative of the Macedonian Orthodox Church to celebrate the two millennia of Christianity (its height corresponds to twice the Christic age). This symbol of identity, built one year after the civil war of 2001, was strongly criticized by Albanians and Muslims in the country.

This Orthodox monastery of Serbian origin (Манастирот Свети Димитрија/Manastirot Sveti Dimitrija) houses a beautiful ^13th-century church. This one is distinguished by its Byzantine architecture (cloisonné apparatus, beautiful brick patterns), but also by its bell tower added in the ^18th century on the narthex. In 2017, during a restoration, a fresco of the Last Judgment and another representing the founder - not identified - of the church were rediscovered under a layer of plaster.

Founded in the early ^14th century, this Orthodox monastery is dedicated to the dormition of the Mother of God (Манастир Рождество на Пресветата Богородица/Manastir Roždestvo na Presvetata Bogorodica). It features a seven-hundred-year-old plane tree, the summer residence of the Archbishop of the Macedonian Orthodox Church, a modern church and the rock church around which the complex was built. The latter is housed in a cave that has been occupied by hermits since the ^11th century. It comprises three spaces on two levels, accessible via staircases and narrow passages cut into the rock. The walls are almost entirely decorated with frescoes created between the early ^14th and ^16th centuries. Among them, the oldest scene is the Vision of Saint Peter of Alexandria: a 12-year-old child in torn clothes appears to the Patriarch of Alexandria; he claims to have been attacked by the priest Arius (condemned for heresy at the Council of Nicaea in 325) and announces to Peter that he will die a martyr's death. Also of note are the portraits of the archangels Gabriel and Michael guarding the entrance to the church and a representation, unique in the Balkans, of the two holy healers of Nicomedia (today Izmir, Turkey) Saint Hermolaos and Saint Panteleimon, the former teaching Christianity to the latter. The grotto also boasts two reputedly miraculous springs dedicated to the apostle Peter and Saint Ananias of Damascus (the apostle Paul's healer).

Set on a peak 1,005 m above sea level, this Orthodox monastery (Матеички Манастир/Mateički Manastir, Manastiri i Mateçit) is one of the most precious in the country. Alas, it was severely vandalized during the Albanian uprising of 2001. Founded in 1057 by the Byzantine emperor Isaac ^I, the complex was restored by the Serbian kings Stefan Dušan and Stefan Uroš V between 1300 and 1357. Dedicated to the Dormition of the Mother of God (Успение на Пресвета Богородица/Uspenie na Presveta Bogorodica), it was a major monastic center in the ^15th century, before gradually falling into disrepair, until its revival in the 1920s. In the meantime, the lead from the roof was removed in the ^18th century to cover the Sinan Tatar Bey mosque in Kumanovo. But the most significant damage was caused by members of the KLA-M in 2001. Since then, little work has been undertaken. The annex buildings remain in ruins. As for the elegant catholicon (main church), if it seems in a correct state from the outside, it has lost most of its frescoes. Only a cycle of the Dormition of the Mother of God and the portrait of King Dušan with his wife Helena and their son Uroš V are well preserved. The church also preserves a Greek inscription about the foundation in the ^11th century. Located between the Skopska Crna Gora massif (Skopje region) and the Žegligovo valley (Kumanovo region), the monastery is in the municipality of Matejče (Mateç/Mateçi in Albanian), which has a population of about 2,900, almost all of whom are Albanian since the 2001 conflict.

This Catholic church (Црква Пресвето Срце Исусово/Crkva Presveto Srce Isusovo) was founded by French Lazarists in 1870. For twenty-six years, the parish was led by the priest Jean-Claude Faveyrial (1817-1893). He was a French teacher at the Romanian school in Bitola and author of L'Histoire de l'Albanie, a reference work in the neighboring country. Burnt down in 1900 and rebuilt in neo-Gothic style in 1909, the church was given its bell tower in 1940.

This Orthodox church (Црквата Свети Ѓорѓи/Crkvata Sveti Gorgi) houses some of the most precious frescoes in the Balkans. Built in the late ^12th century, it belonged to a monastery whose other buildings have disappeared. Its frescoes are dated 1191: an inscription on the apse indicates that the (anonymous) painters began work on April 25 of that year. They are, according to researchers, an "extreme culmination" of the great artistic movement of the Byzantine Comnenes dynasty (1081-1185), whose influence can be seen as far afield as the West.

Building. Situated on a flattened hill surrounded by trees, the church offers a beautiful panorama of Lake Prespa. It resembles a farmhouse, a rectangular building (17 x 7 m) built of stone and brick lintels, which was modified in the 1920s: a porch and wooden ceiling were added, and the south and north entrances were converted into windows. Under the porch remain ^12th-century frescoes: portraits of Saints George, Theodore and Demetrios on horseback, of the donors (an unidentified Byzantine noble couple), of Byzantine Emperor Isaac II Angel (1185-1204) with his wife, and of Ohrid Archbishop John V Kamateros (1183-1216). Inside, the 5 m-high walls are covered with frescoes, with the exception of some lost sections, notably on the west wall and on the upper areas. However, the church has no iconostasis or icons of any value.

The apse. The eastern wall, facing the main entrance, is adorned with the most important and best-preserved frescoes. The pediment, above the apsidal conch, features the Pentecost scene (revelation of the Holy Spirit): Christ in majesty - badly damaged - appears to the Mother of God, surrounded by the archangels Gabriel and Michael, and the apostles. The conch itself develops the theme of the Annunciation (the archangel Gabriel announcing to Mary her divine maternity): the Mother of God presents the infant Jesus as a symbol of the Lamb of God (sacrificial victim). She is again flanked by the archangels Gabriel (left) and Michael. This particularly famous depiction of Gabriel, nicknamed the "Angel of Kurbinovo", appears on 50-denar banknotes. On either side of the conch are Gabriel and Mary. Finally, the altar and side walls feature the Fathers of the Church, St. George, St. Erasmus, the evangelists St. Cyril and Methodius and their disciple St. Clement of Ohrid, St. Achilles of Larissa (patron of the Bulgarian Emperor Samuel) and the Catholic Pope Clement III (who tried to avoid schism with the Orthodox). In addition to its stylistic quality (supple bodies, rendering of drapery, etc.), this cycle contains exemplary elements both politically (Bulgarian heritage, relations with Rome) and iconographically, with the oldest fresco of St. Methodius and the only ^12th-century portrait of St. Clement of Ohrid. Finally, this is the first time in Byzantine iconography that the amnos (theme of the Lamb of God) is depicted in this way, surrounded by representatives of the Church, heaven and earth, a form that was later standardized.

South wall. To the right of the main entrance, the wall is decorated with the cycle of the Great Feasts (Nativity, Baptism of Christ, etc.). These include the double scene of the Visitation, at the corner with the east wall (apse): Mary, who has just learned that she is pregnant, goes to visit her cousin Elizabeth, herself pregnant by Saint John the Baptist. In the first scene, young Mary is reunited with Elizabeth, a tired old woman. They embrace and kiss. The second scene, partly deleted, illustrates the last three months of Elizabeth's pregnancy, during which the two women live together. The reunion scene is particularly moving. It illustrates the complicity of motherhood that unites the two cousins. Such an outpouring of emotion is uncommon in Christian art. In fact, it is one of the most striking scenes of the Visitation in Christian iconography. The theme of motherhood recurs in the lower area, near the door, with a rare scene: Mary as a child being suckled by her mother, Saint Anne.

Other frescoes. Around the main entrance, the western wall is richly decorated. The pediment is dominated by the Pantheon of Saints, incompletely preserved. This is also where the cycle of the Great Festivals, begun on the south wall, and the Passion on the north wall, come to an end. Among the most striking scenes are the Ascension, with Christ dispensing living waters (symbolizing the Holy Spirit and eternal life) surrounded by the Virgin Mary and St. John the Baptist, and the entry into Jerusalem, the Transfiguration (Christ reveals his divine nature to the apostles Peter, James and John), the Dormition of the Mother of God, the Last Judgment and the Theophany of the Ancient of Days (divine revelation of the coming of the Messiah) marked by the presence of cherubim, seraphim and angels. Also of note is Saint Marine stunning Beelzebub. On the north wall, scenes from the Crucifixion and Lamentations (Passion cycle) stand out, as does the large portrait of St. George, answering the portrait of Christ, symbol of Peace, on the south wall.

Set into a cliff on the edge of the lake, this Orthodox rock church (Црква Свети Атанасиј/Crkva Sveti Atanasij) dates from the ^mid-14th century. It houses superb frescoes from the 1360s, which were rediscovered during a restoration in 1964. Particularly noteworthy are the portraits of saints (St. Clement of Ohrid, St. Nicholas, St. Petka, etc.), inspired by those in St. Sophia Cathedral in Ohrid, but more realistic and "alive", with magnificent drapery in particular.

This mosque (Мурат Пашаина Џамија/Murat Paša Džamija, Xhamia e Murat Pashës) is not of major interest, except for its three beautiful Ottoman(türbe) tombs in its cemetery, which date back to the ^18th century. It was built in 1802, on the site of a ^15th century mosque, destroyed during the bombardment of Skopje by the Italian general Piccolomini in 1689. It retains the minaret of the old building. Named after a local governor, it should not be confused with the Sultan-Murat mosque, which is located further east.

This open mosque (Ајдар Кади Џамија/Ajdar Kadi Džamija) was built around 1562 thanks to a donation from the cadi (Muslim judge) Gazi Haydar Kadi. With its 19 m-high dome and 1.4 m-thick walls, it was the only church with two minarets in today's North Macedonia. After the Turkish inhabitants left in 1912, the church fell into disrepair. Only one of its minarets (45 m high) was rebuilt during the major renovation financed by a Turkish Islamic fund in 2016.

Erected in 1830, this large Orthodox church (Црква Свети Димитриј Солунски/Sveti Dimitrij Solunski) houses a superb carved wooden iconostasis dating from 1842. Influenced by the style of Mount Athos, the engraver filled the entire wall with elements from the world of plants and animals. It's also worth noting that the opening scene of the American film The Peacemaker (1997, with George Clooney and Nicole Kidman), supposedly set in Bosnia-Herzegovina, was filmed in this church.

This Orthodox chapel (Испосница Свети Прохор Пчињски/Isposnica Sveti Prohor Pčinjski) is linked to the origins of the Church of St. George. According to legend, while a Byzantine general was hunting here, a doe found refuge in this shelter of the hermit St. Prochorus of the Pčinja. The latter implored him to spare the animal, assuring him that one day he would become emperor. The hunter, crowned as Roman IV Diogenes in 1068, had the monastery erected here, later remodeled by Milutin.

This mosque (Татар Синан Бег Џамија/Tatar Sinan Beg Džamija, Xhamia e Sinan Pashës) is the oldest monument in the city. Named after the Ottoman dignitary who financed it, it was erected between 1520 and 1532. Despite several transformations, it retains its beautiful orange hues due to the stones from the valley of the Žegligovo, partly in neighboring Serbia. Today it is less used than the Great Mosque (Xhamia e Madhe), to the east, which dates from 2022, and the New Mosque (Xhamia e Re), to the southeast, built in 2020 with two minarets.

This Orthodox rock chapel (Црква Света Богородица Пештанска/Crkva Sveta Bogorodica Peštanska) is adorned with ^14th-century frescoes. Heavily denatured by the lake's humidity, the pigments were applied directly to the rock. However, representations of some of the great Orthodox feasts are still recognizable: the Annunciation, the Nativity, the Baptism of Christ... Only accessible from Gradište beach, the chapel is frequently visited by bathing-suited worshippers.

This Orthodox church (Црква Свети Ѓорѓи/Crkva Sveti Gjorgji) is a masterpiece of Serbo-Byzantine art. It was founded on the site of a Byzantine monastery of the ^eleventh century by the Serbian king Milutin in 1313. He dedicated it to "St. George the Victorious" after his victory against the Ottomans in Gallipoli, near Constantinople. The interior is decorated with remarkable frescoes made between 1313 and 1318 by the two great Greek painters Michaïl Astrapas and Eutychios, to whom we owe the decoration of several churches listed as World Heritage by Unesco, including Ohrid. Although the building has lost its exonarthex (porch), it is well preserved. Its very compact form comes from the previous church of Byzantine-Armenian style, which was built by Armenian craftsmen who fled to Kratovo. In the narthex (vestibule), above the door, the scene of the dormition of the Mother of God appears in the form of a procession. This dynamic effect is very rare, since the dormition is most often a static lamentation. Also in the narthex, the lower part of the north wall houses the damaged portrait of Milutin, who symbolically offers the church to Saint George. To the left stands Simona Palaeologus, the king's fourth wife, who was reputedly very beautiful. Behind this almost unique presentation of the royal couple lies a sordid story. The Byzantine princess was married to Milutin at the age of 5. The union was quickly "consummated" and this rape later prevented Simone from having children.

Dragon tamed. Following the narthex, the naos is covered with frescoes in seven registers. The third is dedicated to St. George: his martyrdom before the walls of Nicomedia, his miracles (including the fall of "pagan" statues), or the episode of the dragon, very particular. Here, the monster has not been struck down but tamed and is held in check by the princess who has just been saved. In the fourth register, the cycle of the Passion of Christ is of interest to musicologists: above the destruction of the idols by Saint George appears the oldest known representation of a modern recorder. Finally, in the sanctuary, the iconostasis retains its original marble structure and two irremovable icons of St. George and the Mother of God, known as Pelagonitissa. The latter, with the Child contorting himself against his loving Mother, is the most famous of a genre that is especially widespread in Pelagonia, around Bitola.

Dating from 1851, this cathedral (Соборен Срам Свети Никола) is the seat of the Kumanovo-Osogovo Eparchy of the Macedonian Orthodox Church. It was designed by Andreja Damjanov, to whom we owe the Cathedral Church of St. Panteleimon in Veles. The visit is especially worthwhile for the gallery of icons, mostly from the ^19th century, coming from churches and monasteries threatened with theft in the region. Beautiful icons by the great masters Dičo Zograf, Veno Kostov and Yosif Mazhovski.

This mosque (Инќар Џамија/Inḱar Džamija, Xhamia e Hynqarit) is Debar's oldest. But it is awaiting renovation. It was erected in 1467 thanks to a gift from Sultan Mehmet II and bears the Turkish name of Hünkâr Camii ("Sovereign's Mosque"). Rebuilt in 1938, it is still used by the inhabitants of the old charchia district. However, the city's Muslims are more likely to frequent the "Clock Tower Mosque" (Xhamia e Sahat Kullës) built in 2013, 300 m south-west of Skanderbeg Square.

Nestled against a cliff in the Badar Gorge, this small Orthodox monastery of Serbian origin (Кожленскиот Mанастир/Kožlenskiot Manastir) was founded in the ^14th century but completely rebuilt in 1918. The major interest is the access path that takes the "Stojan Bridge" (Стојанов Mост/Stojanov Most): an impressive 60 m long wooden and steel footbridge spanning the Pčinja. This structure was built in 2012 by Stojan Trajanovski, the janitor of the monastery. He and his wife sell fruits and vegetables at the top. Great views of the gorge.

This mosque (Иса-Бегова Џамија/Isa-Begova Džamija, Xhami e Gazi Isa Beut) was built in 1475-1476 as a tribute to the governor of the Skopje sanjak, then first governor of Bosnia Isa Bey Isaković, son of Ishak Bey. It comprises two identical rooms, two vaulted side wings and a porch covered with five domes. The interior decoration was redone in 1966. The mosque's medersa (Koranic school), still in use today, is one of the oldest in the Balkans. The Sultan-Murat mosque and clock tower lie 300 m to the south.

Isolated at an altitude of 914 m, this beautiful Orthodox monastery (Слепченски Манастир/Slepčenski Manastir) enjoys a superb natural setting, beneath Mount Bigla (1,322 m). Dedicated to St. John the Baptist, it is said to have been founded in the^5th century and enjoyed a period of splendor in the ^9th century under the rule of St. Clement of Ohrid. Today, most of the buildings date from the ^16th century, and few of the old frescoes remain. But it's a good place for shopping: the monks produce and sell honey, cheese, cured meats, cider vinegar, jams and more.

This Orthodox chapel (Црквата Света Богородица Захумска/Crkvata Sveta Bogorodica Zahumska) is located on a ridge above Lake Ohrid, at an altitude of 1,005 m above sea level. An elegant little Byzantine building dating from 1299, it is reminiscent of the Church of St. John in Kaneo, Ohrid. Its frescoes, painted in 1361, are badly damaged. However, a rare scene inspired by a fresco in the Church of St. George in Kurbinovo (Lake Prespa) remains: the Virgin Child suckling by her mother, St. Anne.

This abandoned Orthodox church (Црква Свети Никола Летен/Crkva Sveti Nikola Leten) is an Instagrammer's delight: it's partly submerged in Lake Mavrovo. Built in 1850, it's the only visible building of the former village of Mavrovo, buried between 1947 and 1956. However, depending on water levels, it is possible to visit the church, of which only the bell tower is still in good condition. The present-day village of Mavrovo has a new St. Nicholas church, built in 2006.

This elegant little mosque (Хаџи Махмуд-Бег Џамија/Hadži Mahmud-Beg Džamija) was built in 1522 thanks to a donation from the fierce governor Hadji Mahmut Bey, nicknamed Tomruk Ağa ("prison guard" in Turkish). The mosque was renowned for its spirit of tolerance. It was home to a medersa (Koranic school) and Dervish poets. Damaged by German bombardment during the First World War and by an earthquake, which shattered its minaret, in 1996, it was renovated in 2023 thanks to funding from Turkey.

This small Orthodox rock church (Црква Свети Стефан Панцир/Crkva Sveti Stefan Pancir) has been nestled in a cliff since the ^13th century. Behind a modern facade and bell tower, it preserves frescoes painted on the rock dating from the ^14th and ^15th centuries, including a Virgin in Majesty and an Eye of Providence. The church belongs to the almost abandoned village of Šipokno/Шипокно (on the heights) and gives its name to the hotel zone of Sveti Stefan (along the lake).

Situated at an altitude of 1,240 m, this Orthodox monastery (Сливнички Манастир/Slivnički Manastir) is dedicated to the Nativity of the Mother of God. Built between 1607 and 1645 by the Bulgarian clergy, it enjoys a beautiful setting on the slopes of Mount Baba with a grandiose panorama of the two Prespa lakes. Spared by French artillery fire in 1917 and restored in the 1990s, the complex is renowned for its miraculous spring, but has not been home to a monastic community since the ^19th century. However, it is possible to sleep here (20 rooms of rather spartan comfort) and is the starting point for hikes in the Pelister National Park. The catholicon (main church) is richly frescoed between 1607 and 1645. The main donors to the monastery are featured prominently. Among them, a certain Michel Petkov from Monastir (Bitola) had his son Kupen, who died prematurely in 1599, depicted in ceremonial dress in the northern part of the apse near the altar. Around the altar are portraits of the Slav evangelizers St. Cyril of Thessalonica, St. Clement and St. Naum of Ohrid, St. Gorazd of Bulgaria and St. Angelar of Ohrid. A rare depiction of Sisoes the Great (^6th-century Egyptian anchorite) lamenting over the skeleton of Alexander the Great can be found on a windowsill on the south wall. The church also boasts a fine iconostasis, whose royal doors and large icons also date from the ^17th century.

Offering a beautiful view of the lake, this recent Orthodox church (Црква Свети Климент и Пантелејмон/Crkva Sveti Kliment i Pantelejmon) was completed in 2002. It follows the supposed model of the church of St. Panteleimon erected here by St. Clement of Ohrid in 893 and transformed into a mosque in the ^15th century. The latter, left abandoned since the departure of the Turkish population in 1912, was destroyed and only the base of the old church has been preserved. Of enormous appearance with a narthex (to the north), a porch (to the south), two domes, a bell tower (to the west), an apse and its apsidioles (to the east), the building in fact houses a rather narrow naos. On the lower parts of the walls, a zinc joint is supposed to mark the limit between recent areas and the foundations of the ^ninth century. Mosaics from a^{fifth-century} baptistery are displayed in the porch. In the naos, part of the ancient foundations is visible under glass panels and fragments of ^{fourteenth-century} frescoes remain around the altar. Finally, the relics of St. Clement have been placed in the crypt in which he was buried in 916, to the right of the iconostasis. Outside, opposite the main entrance, is the atrium of the Ohrid literary school. In all likelihood, the first Slavic-language university was founded here by Clement of Orhid in the ^9th century. Classes were held in this double peristyle, some of whose columns have been removed.

This Sufi place of worship (Теќе Зејнел Абедин-Паша/Teḱe Zejnel Abedin-Paša) is an ancient mosque founded by Governor Aliağazâde Zeynelâbidin Paşa in the ^16th century. In 1766, it was entrusted by decree of the Sultan to the Sufi brotherhood of the Halevis. From then on, the building became the âsitâne (mother house) of the halevis in the Ohrid region. Other buildings and türbes (tombs) were added until the ^19th century. Today unused, it is one of the very few tekkes in the Balkans with a minaret. It is 18 m high and dates from the ^17th century.

This mosque (Џамија Хаџи Торгут/Džamija Hadži Torgut, Xhamia e Haxhi Durgutit) is the oldest in the city. It was built in 1466 on the site of the Byzantine church Agia Kyriaki (Saint Dominic). Legend has it that its minaret collapsed several times, until the cross of the old church was installed at the top. Even today, the minaret (about 20 m high) is topped by a small stylized Christian cross, a unique case in the world. The building is nicknamed "Mosque of the Cross" (Крст Џамија/Krst Džamija).

This mosque (Алипашина Џамија/Alipašina Džamija, Xhamia e Ali Pashës) constitutes the heart of the sharia. Founded in 1573, it took its present name around 1823, when the pasha of Belgrade Maraşlı Ali Paşa extended his territory to here. Square in shape (15 x 15 m), it originally had two minarets, one of which was destroyed during the First Balkan War, the other during the Second World War. The interior has walnut elements and an inscription of the Shahada, the first pillar of Islam. It is the center of the Sunni community in Ohrid.

This Orthodox monastery (Лесновски Манастир/Lesnovski Manastir) forms a beautiful ensemble around a ^14th-century Serbo-Byzantine church. Enjoying a superb environment, on the southwestern slope of Mount Osogovo and in the center of an ancient volcano crater, it is located in the hamlet of Lesnovo. This one counts only about twenty inhabitants, all Macedonians, but one finds there a small museum and several restaurants. The monastery is dedicated to the archangel Michael and to the holy hermit Gabriel of Lesnovo. It is to the latter that the foundation of the complex is attributed in the ^11th century. The region was then isolated and populated by hermits, including John of Rila, Prohor of Pčinja and Joachim of Osogovo who left to found various monasteries and played an important role in the religious history of the Balkans. For example, John of Rila is considered the patron saint of Bulgaria. Among this group of the "four brothers" of Osogovo, Gabriel of Lesnovo stayed on and probably formed a small community here. But it is only in 1330 that the monastery is mentioned for the first time. Eleven years later, in 1341, it was completely restored by the powerful Serbian lord Jovan Oliver Grčinić (c. 1310-1356), an influential member of the court of Emperor Stefan Dušan.

Frescoes and rock chapels. Several times remodeled, the complex was long renowned for its scriptorium, a copyist's workshop that disseminated texts until the ^mid-19th century throughout the Balkans. Today, the monastery is composed of buildings from different periods, including a chapel built in 2016, but the main feature of the monastery is the catholicon, a beautiful main church built between 1341 and 1349. This houses part of the original frescoes, among which is a whole series of portraits: Jovan Oliver Grčinić and his wife Marija, the archangel Michael on a horse, the hermit saints Gabriel of Lesnovo, Prohor of the Pčinja and Joachim of Osogovo and, in majesty, even dominating Christ, the emperor Dušan and his wife Helena of Bulgaria. Other scenes appear such as the dormition of the Mother of God, the healing of the paralytic, the archangel Michael saving Thessaloniki from the Saracens in the ^10th century and even a scene of kolo, the typical circle dance of the Balkan Slavs. In addition, along the road leading to the hamlet, about 1 km to the south, are still visible three caves used by hermits in the ^14th century and transformed into rock chapels. On the spot, an explanatory panel in English indicates the access.

Nestled in a cliff, this Orthodox cave church (Црква Свети Архангел Михаил/Crkva Sveti Arhangel Mihail) houses a fine set of ^14th-century frescoes. The grotto also features a ^13th-century fresco in poor condition depicting the miracle of Chône: the archangel Michael - here painted on horseback holding a spear - diverting the water that threatened to flood the Christian village of Chône, in Phrygia (modern-day Turkey), after pagans destroyed a dam upstream.

Overlooking the old town since 1840, this three-aisled basilica (Црквата Свети Пантелејмон/Crkvata Sveti Pantelejmon) is the seat of the Macedonian Orthodox diocese of Povadaria. Thanks to its incredible acoustics, due to clay pots filling the space between double walls, it is nicknamed the "Scala de Veles". It was designed by Andreja Damjanov (1813-1878), a native of the region and considered one of the most important Balkan architects of the ^19th century. He was also responsible for the Osogovo monastery near Kriva Palanka, among others.

This Orthodox church (Црква Свети Никола/Crkva Sveti Nikola) features frescoes dating from 1271 that survived the destruction of the First World War. Located in the hamlet of Manastir, 690 m above sea level, it was part of a monastery founded by Byzantine aristocrat Alexis Comnenus in 1095 and restored in 1266 by a higoumen (abbot) named Akakios. The rest of the buildings were destroyed in 1916. The church takes the form of a basilica with three naves: there are only four buildings of this type in the country, including Saint Sophia Cathedral in Ohrid. The central nave features scenes from the life of Christ and portraits of saints Demetrios, George, Theodore Tiron and Theodore the Stratilate. The south aisle is decorated with scenes from the life of Saint Nicholas. In the north aisle, the portrait of the higoumene Akakios, who carries the church in miniature, remains. Manastir officially has three inhabitants and is part of the mountainous Mariovo region. Intense fighting took place here between the Serbian and Bulgarian armies in September 1916. Some 23 km to the south as the crow flies, on the summit of Mount Kajmakčalan (2,528 m above sea level), between Greece and northern Macedonia, stands a chapel that preserves the skulls of some of the 4,643 Serbian soldiers who died during the confrontation. The Bulgarians suffered fewer casualties (1,876 dead), but were forced to retreat, allowing French, Serbian and Russian troops to take Bitola in November 1916.

Curiously isolated on a block of stone, this Islamic mausoleum (Турбе Синан Челеби/Turbo Sinan Čelebi) is the only witness to five centuries of Ottoman presence on Plaošnik Hill. In the center of a small group of roofless arcades is the sarcophagus of Sinan Yusuf Çelebi, buried here in 1493. He was a prominent member of the powerful Turkish Ohrizade family and was responsible for several monuments in the lower town in the ^15th century which have now disappeared. It is also him who transformed the Saint-Panteleimon church into a mosque.

This small stone Orthodox church (Црква Света Петка/Crkva Sveta Petka) is one of the oldest in the Reka region. It dates from the ^16th century, but no longer features any valuable decoration. It is dedicated to Saint Paraskeva of the Balkans, an ^11th-century Eastern ascetic who took the place locally of Petka, the ancient deity of the South Slavs. Galičnik also boasts the parish church of Saints Peter and Paul (1931) and the chapel of Saint Petka, on the outskirts of the hamlet.

This Orthodox monastery (Брајчински Манастир/Brajčinski Manastir) was founded in the ^15th century by Bulgarian clergy. Dedicated to Saint Petka (also known as Saint Paraskeva of the Balkans), it boasts a church that preserves frescoes painted in the ^16th and ^18th centuries, including beautifully colored portraits of the archangel Michael and the prophet Jeremiah. Abandoned following a fire in 1902 and restored in the 1980s, the complex no longer has a permanent monastic community, but attracts pilgrims due to the presence of a reputedly miraculous spring.

Located on Macedonia Street, next to the Mother Teresa Memorial House, this new Orthodox church (Црква Свети Константин и Елена) boasts five golden domes and a 50m-high campanile. Built in concrete from 2012, it was still not completed in 2023 (completion scheduled for 2024-2025). It takes its name from a former Orthodox church near the Vardar River, which was destroyed in the 1963 earthquake.

Located north of Stara Čaršija, next to the Bit Pazar, this mosque (Алаџа Џамија/Aladža Džamija, Allaxha Xhamia) was built in 1438 by the general and governor of Skopje Ishak Bey and enlarged by his son Isa-Bey Ishaković. It owes its name to the multicolored ceramics that adorned its walls: in Turkish, alaca means "colored". These were destroyed by fire in 1689. The mosque retains its 30 m-high minaret and richly sculpted doors. The interior features painted decorations, reliefs and ^15th-century parquet flooring.

This small, single-nave Orthodox church (Црква Света Варвара/Crkva Sveta Varvara, Kisha e Shën Varvarës) was founded in 1597 by the St. John-Bigorvski monastery. The exterior walls are in poor condition, but the church features superb ^16th- and ^17th-century frescoes. The church stands a little way from the hamlet of Sredno Maalo/Средно Маало ("Middle Village"), part of the municipality of Rajčica/Рајчица (160 inhabitants), or Rajçicë/Rajçica in Albanian.

This mosque (Исхак Челеби Џамија/Ishak Čelebi Džamija) dominates the city center with its 48 m-high minaret. It was built around 1506 thanks to a donation from the cadi (Muslim judge) Ishak Çelebi, and for a long time was the nerve center of Monastrir/Bitola, along with the Yeni mosque. Altered several times over the centuries, it features an interior mezzanine built by French workers in 1912. Recently restored thanks to Turkish funding, the mosque now serves as a tekké for a small Sufi community.

This Orthodox cave church (Црквата Свети Еразмо Охридски/Crkvata Sveti Erazmo Ohridski) is dedicated to a mysterious local saint, St. Erasmus of Ohrid, a tutelary figure for local Christians since the^5th century. According to legend, the cave and its surroundings were once home to a community of hermits founded by the saint. Extensively altered up to the present day, the church features frescoes painted between the ^13th and ^18th centuries, including a large portrait of Theodore Doukas Comnenus, Byzantine ruler of Macedonia and Thrace after the Crusaders took Constantinople in 1204. It remains one of the country's most important rock churches. Today, it is at the center of a small religious complex. The cult of Erasmus remained strong in the region, even after the arrival of the Slavs. Thus, some 200 m to the south, along the main road, the ruins of a large ^12th-century church, also dedicated to St. Erasmus, were recently uncovered, along with a necropolis containing 124 tombs dating from the ^6th to ^12th centuries. From the St. Erasmus complex, a short cement road (approx. 200 m) leads near the top of the Gabavci hill topped by a cross, where you'll find the rock chapel of St. Catherine (Света Екатерина), where you can enjoy a magnificent panorama of Lake Ohrid. Behind the chapel are the remains of the Engelana fortress founded by the Enhélien tribe in the ^4th century BC.

This Orthodox monastery (Манастир Трескавец/Manastir Treskavec), whose name means "struck by lightning", is completely isolated at 1,280 m above sea level. Dedicated to the dormition of the Mother of God, it houses precious frescoes from the ^14th and ^15th centuries. It also boasts splendid views over the Pelagonian plain and Mount Zlatovrv ("Golden"), just next door, at 1,422 m altitude. The complex was founded by the Serbian king Milutin around 1284 and was subsequently enlarged by his grandson Emperor Dušan, then by the Byzantine emperors Andronic II and Michael IX. But the site's occupation goes back much further. The rock-hewn seats that have guarded the entrance to the site for over 2,000 years bear witness to this. Remains of a temple to Apollo, a fortified town and a ^5th-6th century church have also been discovered. The object of a violent conflict between the Serbian and Macedonian Churches in 2004, Treskavec was inscribed on Unesco's List of World Heritage in Danger from 2006 to 2008. After renovation, some of the ^19th-century annex buildings were destroyed by fire in 2013.

Cohort of angels. Fortunately, the catholicon (main church) was spared. It features a central dome, a narthex and an exonarthex with two domes. Some of the medieval frescoes were lost or badly restored in the ^19th century. However, the exonarthex (fore-vestibule) retains a decoration painted between 1340 and 1360, depicting texts by the ^11th-century Greek poet Christophe de Mytilène. The north cupola features exceptional ^15th-century frescoes by artists from the Kastoria school (Greece). Surrounding Christ, dressed as a Byzantine emperor, is the oldest complete representation of the Heavenly Court, a sort of hierarchical array of the nine types of angelic creatures. The seraphim lead the way. Covered in feathers, they are considered to be the creatures "most inflamed with God's love". Next come the cherubim, symbols of wisdom and science, then the thrones, which turn on themselves and embody God's justice and authority. Then come the dominions, virtues and powers. Behind them are the principalities and archangels. The monastery may also be of interest to hikers. Our tip: take a cab up to the monastery (approx. MKD 500) and then down the superb, relatively easy trail from the monastery to Prilep via the Marko Towers (10 km, 600 m ascent, approx. 3.5 hrs walk).

This Orthodox church (Црква Успение на Пресвета Богородица/Crkva Uspenie na Presveta Bogorodica) is a three-nave basilica completed in 1860. The greatest Mijak artists of the ^19th century worked here. The frescoes were painted by Dičo Zograf (1819-1872), a native of Tresonče. The carved wooden iconostasis was designed by Petar Filipovski (1780-1854) and made by his two brothers Marko and Jovan Filipovski. But twelve of the icons were stolen in 2011.

This Orthodox monastery (Поречки Манастир/Porečki Manastir) was founded around 1282 by the Serbian king Milutin. But most of the current buildings date from the ^19th century. These form a beautiful enclosure around the catholicon, which houses ^18th-century frescoes and fragments of paintings dating from the ^11th to ^13th centuries. On the road to Gorni Manastirec (pop. 10) is a chapel-shaped ossuary built in 1938. It houses the remains of 103 Serbian and pro-Serb monks and inhabitants who were massacred by the Bulgarian army on January 6, 1916.

This small Orthodox church (Црква Свети Никола/Crkva Sveti Nikola) is home to some of the oldest and best-preserved Byzantine frescoes in the country. However, the dating of these frescoes is the subject of much debate among specialists. The building is also distinguished by its unusual architecture: a short but tall single nave. It was built in two phases, between 1190 and 1290, and belongs to the Varoš district below the Marko towers. The delightful little garden surrounding the building has yielded a wealth of archaeological discoveries: the remains of Slavic dwellings, 170 Greek tombs dating from the ^12th to the ^19th century, and Roman and Serbian jewelry and coins on display at Prilep's national museum. On the façade, three niches are adorned with portraits of Saint Nicholas, painted in the late ^13th century, and two other saints, in the upper niches, added in the ^17th century. At the entrance, an inscription states that the church was completed in 1298 thanks to a donation from a nobleman named Vega, his son Kapsa and his wife Maria. Inside, the decor is superb, with magnificent, well-preserved colors.

Problematic dating. Art historians do not agree with each other. For some, the frescoes were painted in two distinct periods: in 1191 for those in the apse (Adoration of the Lamb of God and Virgin on throne) and around 1298 for the nave (cycles of the Passion and Orthodox feasts, large portraits of saints and prophets). The others would have been painted at the same time, around 1298, but by two separate teams: the apse adopts a "conservative" style similar to the frescoes in the church of St. Panteleimon in Nerezi (near Skopje), while the program for the rest of the church follows a more innovative trend that developed in the Byzantine Empire from the second half of the ^13th century onwards. Among these, the depictions of the Last Supper and Jesus on the Mount of Olives are among the finest in the country. The district of Varoš is a former village that was recently incorporated into the town of Prilep. In the Middle Ages, it was the seat of the Pelagonian bishopric, which explains the presence here of numerous churches, including the ^13th-century Church of St. Demetrios, the ^14th-century Churches of St. Athanasius, St. Peter and St. Paul and the Monastery of Varoš, as well as the ^15th-century Church of the Mother of God.

This Orthodox monastery (Зрзески Манастир/Zrzeski Manastir) has a bedtime name (pronounced "zerzé"), but it's renowned for its ^16th-century frescoes, icons and enchanting setting. Surrounded by cliffs and oak forests, it sits atop a hill at 960 m altitude. Dominated by Mount Dautica (2,178 m), it offers sweeping views over the Pelagonian plain. The complex was founded around 1340 by a Serbian monk named German, and became an important staging post for Serbian kings in the region. It then went through several phases of decline and rebirth, before being fully restored in 2016. Today, it is home to a dozen monks and novices who paint and sell icons. There are several churches and the remains of a religious occupation dating back to the^5th century. Beneath the retaining wall and cliff face lie some 30 caves that served as cells, workshops and tombs for hermits from the ^9th century onwards. It's possible to visit around ten of them. Among them, an ancient chapel preserves a badly damaged fresco.

Onufri frescoes. The highlight of the visit is the catholicon. The main church is dedicated to the Transfiguration (Преображение/Preobraženje), the episode in which Christ reveals his divine nature to the apostles Peter, James and John. Modest in size, without a dome or transept, it was built in the ^14th century and remodeled many times. The interior houses frescoes painted in 1535 by Onufri, Albania's greatest painter, whose secret of sparkling reds has never been discovered. But about half of his works have disappeared here, especially on the vault. Those that remain bear the marks of regular hammering to adhere a plaster to paint new frescoes in the ^18th century. The latter, of poor workmanship, were removed in 1963 to restore one of the masterpieces by the archpriest and painter Onufri. The lower sections are dedicated to the founders of Christian monasticism. Two small scenes are painted on either side of the door: on the left, the apparition of the angel to Saint Pachomius the Great, considered the founder of Christian cenobitism in the ^4th century; on the right, the scene in which Saint Mary the Egyptian, a former prostitute who became a hermit in the^5th century, receives communion from the anchorite Zosimus of Palestine. On the upper sections, the west wall is decorated with the scene of the Communion of the Apostles. Above is a rare depiction of the Old Testament Trinity: the three angels who received Abraham's hospitality are seated before the calf that has just been killed for them. Note, on the left, the heifer lamenting her slaughtered calf: this is the symbol of Mary mourning the death of Christ. The upper sections of the side walls are decorated with the Passion cycle. Five scenes are partially preserved. On the north wall, Christ's death is evoked by the theme of the Anapeson: the adolescent Jesus asleep with his eyes open, with Mary at his side.

Miraculous icons. The wooden iconostasis dates from the ^18th century. It has no real artistic merit, and its two large icons are copies. But not just any copies. These are copies of the country's most famous icons, now on display at the Museum of North Macedonia in Skopje: Christ of Salvation and Eternal Life, painted by Metropolitan Jovan in 1394, and the Virgin Pelagonitissa ("of Pelagonia"), painted by his brother Makarije Zograf in 1422. Note their location. As a rule, the Virgin's icon is placed to the left of the royal doors. Here, however, the Pelagonitissa is on the right and Christ on the left. This is a Zrze tradition. According to legend, the two icons miraculously switched places one night. In the morning, the monks put them back in place, but the following night, the two sacred images were once again found inverted, as if the Virgin Mary insisted on looking in the direction of her son. Since then, the monks have never replaced the two icons (or their copies).

Orthodox Trinity. Behind the iconostasis, the sanctuary is reserved for the communion clergy. But you can still see some of Onufri's frescoes. The apse is adorned with an Orante, the traditional representation of the "praying" Mother of God(orans in Latin), standing with hands raised and outstretched. Nicknamed the "Virgin of the Sign", she symbolizes the arrival of Christ. In a medallion, she carries the rare Christ Emmanuel ("He who will come as Savior", usually depicted as an adolescent). Even more exceptional, however, is the "Christ with three faces" medallion on the vault above the Orante: a figure with three heads, youthful and beardless, representing the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. This theme, which Onufri would later repeat in the churches of Kastoria (Greece) and Elbasan (Albania), was unprecedented in the ^16th century. It appeared in a context where some of the local clergy were under Catholic influence. This representation reaffirmed the Orthodox dogma that the Holy Spirit proceeds from God. Catholics, on the other hand, defend the idea of the Filioque ("and of the Son" in Latin), i.e. that the Holy Spirit proceeds from both God and Christ. This is the main point of theological divergence between Eastern and Western Christians.

More often referred to as Mali Sveti Vrači ("Little Holy Doctors"), this small medieval Orthodox church (Црква Свети Кузман и Дамјан/Crkva Sveti Kuzman i Damjan) is dedicated to the Anargyrian (who heal "without asking for money") saints, Como and Damian, Arab physicians and martyrs of the ^4th century. Neither its exact date of construction nor its founder are known, but it houses the oldest carved wooden iconostasis in Northern Macedonia. This one was made in the ^14th century and was renovated in 1964. Very precious with its twisted pillars, it is 3 m long and 1.90 m high. The frescoes, most of them very damaged, were made in the same period. Most notable is the beautiful portrait of the Mother of God Episkepis ("Protector" in Greek) carrying the infant Christ. This is shown on the 1,000 denar banknotes. In the apse of the altar stands out the figure of Konstantin Kabasilas, a Byzantine nobleman who was ordained archbishop of Ohrid around 1250. More damaged is the portrait of St. Clement of Ohrid, who holds a small model of the city of which he is the protector. Also recognizable are representations of St. Cosmo (patron saint of surgeons) and St. Damian (patron saint of pharmacists). Leaving the church and continuing up the same stairs, then turning left, you will quickly reach the church of Saints Constantine and Helen, then the church of the Mother of God-Perivleptos and the Gallery of Icons.

This Orthodox monastery (Мирковски Манастир/Mirkovski Manastir) was founded in 1879, in a period of tension between the Bulgarian and Serbian clergy. It was in fact created by a Bulgarian monk to divert the faithful from the St. Elias Monastery in Banjane, which was then under the Serbian patriarchate. The small catholicon (main church), which dates from 1879, has a rich iconoclast made around 1950 by the last great master of the Debar school, Nestor Alexiev (1878-1969).

This Ottoman mosque (Чарши Џамија/Carši Džamija) is in a state of ruin. It was set on fire by local residents at the end of the civil war in 2001, and the municipality is opposed to its reconstruction. The building was constructed in the early ^15th century and retains most of its minaret, which originally stood 25 m high. The town also boasts another abandoned ^15th-century mosque, along the Prilep river, and a more recent mosque north of the town center.

This Orthodox church (Црква Свети Никола/Crkva Sveti Nikola) is the largest in Kruševo. Founded in 1832, it dominates the bazaar district. Destroyed during the 1903 uprising and rebuilt in 1907, it houses a superb iconostasis attributed to Petar Filipovski (1780-1854). It is believed to be the last work of the great cabinetmaker, who was also responsible for the iconostases of the St. John-Bigorski monastery and the Church of St. Saviour in Skopje. Among the icons, the oldest dates back to 1884.

This Orthodox monastery (Раички Манастир/Raički Manastir, Manastiri në Rajçicë) was founded in the ^14th century and completely rebuilt in the ^19th century. It is famous for providing some of the embroidery for the liturgical vestments worn by the Metropolitans (Orthodox bishops) of North Macedonia, Greece, Bulgaria, Serbia and the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. Beautiful embroideries are sold in the store. Attached to the Macedonian Orthodox Church, this complex is a dependency of the St. John-Bigorvski monastery in Rostuša. It was renovated in 2001 with the support of the Holy Nativity Monastery in Boston, USA, which is part of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis (bishopric) of Boston. The Rajčica monastery is thus occupied by a small community of American and/or English-speaking nuns. It is dedicated to Saint George the Victorious (Sveti Ǵorǵi Pobedonosec). In fact, it houses the only replica of a precious ^10th-century icon "not made by human hands" depicting St. George slaying the dragon, kept at the Bulgarian monastery of Zographou on Mount Athos in Greece. The replica can be seen in the catholicon, the church of St. George. Dating from 1835, it is decorated with frescoes from 1875. It was built on the foundations of a ^16th-century chapel, itself built on the ruins of an ^11th-century castle. Next door, a building houses the nuns' cells, their sewing and embroidery workshops and a small chapel on the upper floor.