Bigorski Monastary

Next stop was the most beautiful Monastery. It was far up in the mountains. There were a few Albanian villages around but for the most part it is pretty isolated. It was first built in 1020 AD and it is still a working Monastery. You can stay the night there for a just a couple of dollars. If you don't have any money you and do some chores to pay for your stay. This place was so beautiful it is hard to put into words, both inside and out. As we walked through the gates and into the courtyard there was a small domed structure. As I got closer I noticed that there were Nuns in black robes inside of the small dome on a platform. They were actually painting the fresco on the ceiling which would depict a story from the bible. I thought it was pretty cool to see that in action. The Monastery was built on the side of a step slope in the mountains. The view from the courtyard looked down into valley and you could see the next mountain on the other side. There was a small Albanian village off in the distance. The view was awesome. It really was breath taking and like the most beautiful painting that you would ever see. You couldN see why they chose to build it in that location. We enjoyed the view for a bit and then went into the sanctuary. The inside was stunning as well. The walls and ceilings were covered with frescoes. One of the things that makes this Monastery special is the wall behind the altar. It is covered with these intricate wood carvings of people and animals from the bible. The carvings are amazing. They had so much details it must have taken forever to finish. They were done by 2 brothers and there are over 500 human and 200 animal carvings. All of the chandeliers and decorations hanging from the ceiling were solid gold. The other special thing about this particular Monastery is that there is a chest of relics that allegedly contains a bone fragment from John the Baptist. Near the entrance is an original picture in glass. People believe that the picture has healing powers and that if you kiss it you will be healed. In front of the picture is a pile of necklaces, rings, watches, and all kinds of jewelry. These are left by the people who have been healed by kissing the picture. I wish I could have taken pictures of the inside but photography is forbidden in almost all of the Monastaries.

This was my favorite stop of the entire weekend. It was a special place.