Monastery of St. Naum


Visiting the Orthodox monastery of St. Naum in Macedonia is not just an excursion, it is a true triumph of the soul. An ancient structure is located on the shore, in the southeast of the pearl of Macedonia - Ohrid Lake . A quiet, pleasant place where you can see the peacocks defileting before the tourists and the most beautiful springs that feed the lake. Today the monastery is part of the non-canonical Macedonian Orthodox Church.

Historical reference

The foundation of the monastery is in 893-900, thanks to the disciple Cyril and Methodius, the Reverend Naum Ohrid. When the saint died, his relics were placed in the temple of the monastery.

Sveti-Naum survived many events. In the Middle Ages, it was a very popular cultural center, and could boast of considerable landed estates. There were raids of foreigners, after which the monastery had to be rebuilt again. Special damage was caused to the construction of the Turks, although they restored the monastery afterwards, turning it into an object of worship of the Muslims. Believers believed that the relics of a saint can be cured of ailments, both physical and mental. Hence the proverb "Or mind, or Sveti Naum".

Another important destructive event in the life of the monastery is the fire of 1875. For two whole days the monastery was burning with a blue flame, and after a few years it was restored.

During the Second World War, the monastery was dominated by the Albanian Orthodox Church. In the post-war period, a number of archaeological excavations have been carried out, thanks to which the original facades and part of the monastery's temple were spotted in places.

Features of architecture

The motley building of the monastery and the monotonous square on which it stands create a strong contrast. Nevertheless, it looks all quite harmoniously. Instead of the usual Orthodox architecture of the domes, you will find pyramidal vaults, and at the front entrance there are spacious porticoes.

The monastery inside is as impressive as it is outside. First of all, I want to mention the elegant works of the Macedonian painter, who told them in the life and deeds of the founder of the monastery - St. Naum. A large collection of icons rushes into the eyes, the most valuable of which are "Entrance to Jerusalem" and "Crucifixion of Christ".

Interesting fact

In the monastery of St. Naum there is a belief, because of which pilgrims from all over the world seek to enter the holy abode. Attaching an ear to the sarcophagus with the relics of the Monk Naum, one can hear the beating of the heart of a saint. Rare but clear strokes were analyzed by scientists who concluded: sounds correspond to the spectrogram of heart sounds.

How to find the monastery of St. Naum?

The monastery is hidden from prying eyes, so it is not so easy to find it. The structure is located in the southern part of the city, on the mountain Halychytsya, in the territory of the national park , which has a similar name.

There are several ways to get to the monastery. The first is to rent a car or use the services of a tourist bus. It's quite expensive, but convenient. If you choose the first option, your path will lie on the route number 501, and in time will take about 40 minutes of life.

As a second method, you are invited to sit on a barge and make a small cruise. Ohrid lake is very beautiful, therefore, despite the short duration, this trip will be remembered for the rest of your life.

In the monastery for visitors are covered with a table with refreshments. Do not refuse to eat in any way. Firstly, you can offend monks, and secondly, you will deprive yourself of a wonderful opportunity to try real monastic wine and some national Macedonian dishes.