St. Mary's Church, Maligrad

Maligrad Cave Church
Native name
Albanian: Shpella e Maligradit

The church in the cave
Location Maligrad
Built 1369
Cultural Monument of Albania

The St. Mary's Church[1] or Virgin Mary's Church[2] (Albanian: Shpella e Maligradit, Macedonian: Црква Света Богородица, Serbian: Crkva Bogorodica, Mother of God Church) is an Eastern Orthodox cave church on the island of Maligrad, in the Albanian part of Lake Prespa. It is a Cultural Monument of Albania.[3] The church is dedicated to Saint Mary and was built by Serbian nobleman Kesar Novak (alb. Qesar Novaku[1]), in 1369.[2][4]

The church has frescoes and Greek inscriptions dated to 1369. Frescoes exist of the family of Novak, with his Greek wife Kalia.[2][5]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Anamali, Skënder (2002). Historia e popullit shqiptar në katër vëllime (in Albanian) I. Botimet Toena. pp. 294–295. OCLC 52411919.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 http://www.ni.rs/byzantium/doc/zbornik4/PDF-IV/Zure.pdf
  3. ↑ "Religious buildings with the "Culture Monument" status". Republic of Albania National Committee for Cult. Retrieved October 28, 2010.
  4. ↑ Dr Vlad. R. Petković, Stari srpski spomenici u Južnoj Srbiji: "Na PRESPI kesar Novak podiže 1369. god. crkvu Bogorodici (na ostrvu Mali Grad)."
  5. ↑ Ivan M. Đorđević, Zidno slikarstvo srpske vlastele u doba Nemanjica. OCLC 34957313, sl. 84 i 85