Add a review about the monastery of St. Naum

Excursions to the sights of Macedonia can not be imagined without visiting the monastery of St. Naum . This is one of the oldest and revered abodes in the territory of the current Macedonian Republic . Monastery is located far from prying eyes, 30 km from Ohrid , on the shore of the lake of the same name Ohrid Lake . According to historians, the time of the monastery of Sv . Naumah dates back to the end of the 9th century . The founder of the monastery is considered to be St. Naum Ohridski, who, in turn, was a pupil Cyril and Methodius . The construction was facilitated by the then Bulgarian rulers Boris and Simon . Soon after the erection of the monastery Saint Naum died and his body was buried in the monastery church .

The most important shrine for which pilgrims and tourists seek to get here, is a sarcophagus with the relics of St. Naum. They say that if the believers attach the left ear to the burial, they will surely hear the beating heart of the saint ...

History

During its existence, the monastery St. . Naumah survived the raids of invaders (especially the monastery suffered during the Turkish invasion ), but meanwhile the relic was almost anew restored after the fire that happened in 1875 . Despite the reconstruction, in some halls of the monastery even today one can view the surviving images dating from the 10th century . But perhaps the most important shrine, and which pilgrims and tourists seek to get here - it's a sarcophagus with relics. St. . Naumah . They say that if believers attach a left ear to the burial, they will surely hear the beating heart of a saint ...

In the Middle Ages the monastery of St. Naum was rather rich. In any case, he owned very impressive land allotments. And besides, the monastery was famous as a well-developed cultural center. Educational programs for educating the population, craft centers, etc. worked at it.

In addition, the monastery of St. Naum was very popular among pilgrims. It was believed that the relics of the saint are healed of diseases, including mental ones. Therefore, the monastery did not lose its glory even in times of power of the Ottomans. Especially often it was visited by pilgrims from Albania


Monastery of St. Naum in Macedonia

Architecture

The monastery of St. Naum looks somewhat unusual: the pyramidal vaults instead of the domes, the spacious porticoes at the front entrance. But, to admit, against the background of a monotone cobbled square and colorful flowers, the cathedral looks very harmonious. And if you look at the building from the side of the lake, it feels as though it is hanging over a steep cliff.

The mountain on which the monastery stands is called Galichitsa, and right beneath it there are healing springs.

The interior of the monastery, like and one would expect, is quite impressive. First of all, the works of the famous Macedonian painter, which tell of the life and exploits of St. Naum, are striking. The interior walls and ceilings of the cathedral are covered with elaborate paintings and frescoes. The iconostasis is framed by graceful carvings from the late Middle Ages. And among the icons the "Crucifixion of Christ" and "Entrance to Jerusalem" have a special artistic value.

Columns of the monastery are decorated with Old Slavonic inscriptions. By the way, one of the texts is considered the oldest sample of the Cyrillic script. It is worthwhile to clarify that in the past at the monastery the center of Slavic writing worked. Here, the foundations of the Ohrid Literary School were laid.

There are quite a few legends about miracles occurring with holy icons. It seems that with the icon of the Mother of God, stored in the walls of the monastery, inexplicable things also occur. The icon stubbornly does not want to leave its position to the left of the central entrance. And no matter how many times one tries to outweigh it, it miraculously returns to its original place.

By the way, do not be surprised if peacocks run out to you at the monastery of St. Naum. These birds of paradise live in it for a long time and like to defile before the tourists.

Traditionally, for the visitors of the monastery a table with treats is laid. To refuse a meal is not necessary.

First of all, it will be disrespect to the monks, and secondly, you will not taste the best-prepared national Macedonian dishes and true monastic wine. So a good excursion and a nice appetite! And do not leave the monastery of St. Naum, without making panoramic pictures of Lake Ohrid and its environs. These photos will score at least the same "likes" in your profile, than other attractions captured in Macedonia.

Practical information

The Monastery of St. Naum is located in the southern part of the city on the hill of Halychynets within the same national park. Directly at the monastery is the hotel complex of St. Nauma. You can get to the monastery in a rented car or on a tourist bus (the latter is often carried by tour groups directly from Ohrid). In both cases, the road will follow the route number 501, the journey time will take 40 minutes on average. Another option, how to get to the monastery, is to take a barge and make a small, but very memorable cruise on the Ohrid lake.