Saint Jovan Bigorski Monastery
Interactive map of Saint Jovan Bigorski Monastery | |
| Monastery information | |
|---|---|
| Order | Macedonian Orthodox |
| Established | 1020 |
| Diocese | Diocese of Debar and Kičevo |
| Controlled churches | Church of St John the Baptist |
| People | |
| Founder | John of Debar |
| Site | |
| Location | Mavrovo and Rostuša Municipality |
| Country | North Macedonia |
| Coordinates | 41°37′19″N 20°36′42″E / 41.62194°N 20.61167°E |
| Public access | yes |
The Monastery of Saint Jovan Bigorski (Macedonian: Свети Јован Бигорски) is a Macedonian Orthodox monastery located in western North Macedonia, near the road connecting the towns of Debar and Gostivar.[1][2]
The monastery church is dedicated to St. John the Baptist. One of its most notable features is the iconostasis, created by Petre Filipov - Garkata from the nearby village of Gari. It is considered a significant example of wood-carved iconostasis in the region.[3]
History
The most popular thesis is that the monastery was founded in 1020 and the construction of the monastery's building has been attributed to Bulgarian clergyman John of Debar, first Archbishop of Ohrid.[4][5][6]
The monastery was destroyed during Ottoman rule in the 16th century but was restored in 1743 by the monk Ilarion, who built new monastic cells. The archimandrite Arsenius further expanded the monastery between 1812 and 1825. Records mention a monk named Iov, believed by some researchers to be Yoakim Karchovski, writer and educator involved in the cultural and religious revival of the region.[7]
The older sections of the monastery were destroyed by a fire in 2009, while the church and newer buildings were preserved.[8][9] Reconstruction began in 2010, preserving the original architectural style.
Holy relics
The monastery houses relics of St. John the Baptist (the Forerunner), St. Clement of Ohrid, St. Lazarus, St. Stephen, St. Nicholas, St. Barbara, St. Paraskevi, Sts. Tryphon, Respicius, and Nympha, and a particle of the Holy Cross.[3]
Other relics include St. Marina, St. Eustathios, St. Pantaleon, St. James the Great, Sts. Cyricus and Julitta, St. Charalambos, St. Nicetas, St. Seraphim of Sarov, St. John the Russian, St. Agathangel of Bitola, St. Nectarios of Aegina, St. Clement of Rome, and St. Joanikij Rakotinski.
The monastery preserves the icon of St. John the Baptist (the Forerunner), believed to have healing properties and said to have guided the founders in choosing the site.[2]
Another notable icon is the It is Truly Meet icon, a faithful copy of the original Axion Estin icon from Mount Athos. It was brought to the monastery in 2009 and is placed on the northern side of the church soleas.[9]
References
- ^ "History of the Macedonian Orthodox Church – Ohrid Archbishopric". Macedonian Orthodox Diocese. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
- ^ a b "Saint Jovan Bigorski Monastery". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
- ^ a b Cacanoska, Ružica; Angelovska-Panova, Maya (2015). "Saint Jovan Bigorski – A Macedonian Orthodox Cultic Place". Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe.
- ^ Trifunović, Lazar (1988). Jugoslavija: umetnički spomenici od praistorije do danas. Jugoslovenska knjiga. p. 265. ISBN 8674110053.
- ^ Petkov, Mihail (2015). Monasteries of Macedonia: History and Architecture. Macedonian Heritage Press.
- ^ Aleksandar Trajanovski (2020). "Старешините на Бигорскиот манастир „Свети Јован Крстител" (По повод 1000-годишнината од неговото постоење)" [The Priors of the Monastery of St. Jovan Bigorski Dedicated to St. John The Baptisт (Its 1000th Anniversary)]. Glasnik (in Macedonian). Институт за национална историја: 51.
- ^ "Јоаким Крчовски". makedonskijazik.mk. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
- ^ Trajkovski, Vasil (2010). Sacred Art of the Bigorski Monastery. Bitola University Press.
- ^ a b "Sveti Jovan Bigorski Monastery". Lonely Planet. Retrieved 13 March 2026.