Church of St. Mary (Elbasan)

The St. Mary's Church (Albanian: Kisha e Shën Mërisë) is an Eastern Orthodox church and monastery in Elbasan, Albania. It became a Cultural Monument of Albania in 1963.[1]

St. Mary's Church
Native name
Albanian: Kisha e Shën Mërisë
LocationElbasan
Built1556
Cultural Monument of Albania

The church's building started in 1483, but it ended almost a century later: the church had its first religious services only in 1556. It was built entirely in stone in a completely particular way, with stones carved in the shape of a cross, which can still be seen today.[2] The church was frescoed by Onufri and restored by David Selenica. In the 18th century it was entirely burned by a fire, so it was rebuilt in the beginning of the 19th century.[2] Some of the most famous preachers in the church have been Fan Noli and Visarion Xhuvani.[2]

In the 1990s the church became the seat of a split fraction of the Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania.[3]

In 2008 the Albanian government financed reconstruction of the church.[4]

References
  1. "Religious buildings with the "Culture Monument" status". Republic of Albania National Committee for Cult. Archived from the original on July 6, 2011. Retrieved October 28, 2010.
  2. Kisha e Shën Marisë: ndërtimi dhe rindërtimi dibran 28 October2008
  3. AT NIKOLLE MARKU, GARDIAN I SHQIPTARIZMES from Prof. Eqrem Zenelaj
  4. Kisha rebele e Elbasanit, rikthim në identitet 2008-10-19 Archived 2012-04-01 at the Wayback Machine

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