St. Mary’s Church In Elbasan

In 1963, the Church of St. Mary was designated as a cultural monument. It is situated in Elbasan and is well-known for its ethnocultural and architectural features, which are uncommon in the area. It replaced the Romanesque cathedral, which is supposed to have been on the site of what is now the King Mosque in the town’s “Kala” quarter, and was built in 1830 by the Christian community on the foundations of an earlier church.

The Church of St. Mary is a late Byzantine structure with stones sculpted by Dibra artisans. According to historical documents, tunnels were created within the castle walls with specific layouts for critical functions. The catacombs, where the corpses of the deceased were interred, are located inside the cathedral, as are its internal canals, which face the lower section of the city, outside the mountains.

The Church of St. Mary is ranked alongside other orthodox churches in the Elbasan region from the century. XVII until the century. XIX, which are also cultural monuments, such as the church of Amel, which dates from the century. XVII, the church of St. Kolli in Shelcan, built in 1554, the church of St. Kolli in Valesh in 1604, the church of St. Kozma and Damiano in Sterstan of the

According to historians, the church’s construction and presence have a fascinating history. According to them, Elbasan, also known as Skampini, became the episcopal headquarters in 458. There was a cathedral here in the Kala district during the time, as well as another to the southwest of the Castle.

Two letters addressed to the Pope of Rome have been discovered in the Vatican archives, describing the hospitality of the people of Scampini to the Pope’s envoys “In addition, in 519, the Basilica of Tepe was built as a simple church, with a lack of luxury reminiscent of Skampini castle’s military style. However, it experienced significant alterations in the 5th century.”

The floor of the church, which separates the central hall from the apse, was tiled with mosaics split into four panels, a stone iconostasis, and tiles ornamented with Christian symbols, according to documents. A tiny chapel with two burial sites was erected adjacent to it, from the northern portion, on one of which was discovered a plaque with the Latin inscription with the name Ika Abus and on the other tomb with the name Stefan, which is the name of the bishop who commanded the diocese. of Butrint in 458. The church of St. Mary of the Castle, which is a relatively modern building, was built exactly in the footprints of the early Christian churches.

The church was totally burned down on November 11, 1819, and restoration work started in 1826 and was finished in 1833. In terms of planimetry, various characteristics stand out, the most notable of which is a central hall with domes over the drum and caps resting on the arches of the side walls. The building with beam and angle is noticeable in the distinctive architecture of its reorganization with carved stone blocks, 1.2 meters thick, in order to withstand any phenomena.

Everything about the iconostasis is appealing, even down to the gold lacquer accents. Many people have been drawn to the iconostasis, including international diplomats accredited to the country, who have left their recollections in the church’s block. The burning of the inside of the church in 1819 is reported to have caused considerable anguish to the residents of Elbasan, not only to Orthodox Christians, but also to Muslims, according to historical records. They gathered expensive jewels and money towards the rebuilding of the burnt portion via an united appeal.

The fresco paintings also speak about ethnocultural values. David Selenica and Kostandin Shelcani renovated them, and they were painted by Onufri, a prominent painter of the period who employed pictures of Albanians to bring the saints to life.

Byzantine culture is portrayed in the design of the church with a unique medieval basilica built from remains from the historical period and incorporating local characteristics, making it Albanian autochthonous.