Classic Tour of Albania
Day 5 - Monastery Church of St Mary,
Apollonia
A walled monastery dating from the C13th
It is entered through a large gateway.
The church is a lovely stone and brick building with a terracotta roof with a dome and a separate bell tower which was built later.
There is the remains of a C13th fresco
in the porch and a lovely icon set in a decorative metal
case.
Inside the church, the painted iconostasis dates from 1927 as the original one was burnt in World War One. High on the nave wall is another C13/14th fresco. The dome also has the remains of a C15th fresco.
There are more C15th frescoes on the
walls of the refectory building where the monks had
their meals. This dates from the C14th is one of the
rooms in the side wall facing the church.
