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Architecture

The Catholicon

As in every other monastery built in the image of the City of God – the Heavenly Jerusalem, here, in the Bigorski monastery, also, the central place is occupied by the cathedral church – the Catholicon. The church was built at the end of the XVIII century, in a unique architectural style, which is typical only for the Miyak architecture from the Revival period and it is a style conditioned and limited by the severe regulations imposed by the contemporary Ottoman Shari’a laws. Even though according to its external architecture, the Bigorski Catholicon is a modest one dome building, it is still one of the first bigger temples from the period after the Ottoman occupation. The grandeur of the Catholicon is due to the fact that its construction was approved by a special Ferman (screed) – a license issued personally by the Sultan. The church is a deed of master builders, woodcarvers and painters from the Debar area.


The Catholicon, the Ossuary and the Eastern Palace with the chapel of St Nicolas of Myrrh


The Byzantine style of the architecture of Bigorski temple evokes humbleness, both inside and outside. On the very entrance of the church is the narthex, decorated with a marble partition called triphora – a triple arch that closes the access to the central part of the church and fills up space with an unusual silence and twilight. That is why here, in the stifling light of the inner narthex, people are captured by the feeling of absence from the world and all the worldly problems. This light increases as you enter the central part of the Catholicon, especially during the Divine Eucharist. This light pours out abundantly from the altar, gradually ascending the believer from the earthly matters to heavenly experience and contemplations. This impression of heavenly presence is even more intensified by the transcendental beauty of the frescoes, and their artistic display in the church narrates about the life and the suffering of our Savior. The dome, which was fresco painted first, is the work of an unknown painter. In the centre of the dome is Christ the Pantocrator – The Almighty, Who Is without a beginning and an end, full of majesty, mercy and righteousness. With one hand He gives a blessing, sending the world His Divine grace, while in His other hand He holds the Holy Gospel, announcing truth to the world.




In the smaller dome, which was fresco painted around 1866, there is a presentation of St. John the Baptist, surrounded by scenes of the Finding of his Precious Head. The renewal of monastic life fulfilled the last gap in the fresco painting that existed from the very beginning of the existence of the Catholicon. Finally, after so many years, the altar was completed with the fresco of The Mother of God – Platytera (Broader than Heaven), Who has brought together heaven and earth, surrounded by the frescoes of the Archbishops.


Abbot Arsenius started with the internal architecture and decoration of the church in 1810. In the long history of the Bigorski monastery, he will be remembered as the greatest sponsor of the monastery, most deserving for the splendour of the church. He did this by engaging icon painters and fresco painters and especially by engaging some of the best Miyak woodcarvers who made the iconostasis and the artistically carved abbot’s and bishop’s thrones. At that time, in the new and enlarged temple, the first thing to be made was the wooden ciborium (canopy), made in Elbasan – Albania, where the Miyak woodcarvers had their own workshop, and the monastery had their own estate. In that period the communication between Elbasan and the monastery was very intense.


The ciborium


The ciborium is a unique wood carved element, which cannot be found in any other church. It looks like as if it floats in the air above the Holy Table, held by four chains. On every side of the ciborium, there are presentations of the Holy Gospel. On the front side is “The Annunciation”, which is carved centrally, with “The Hospitality of Abraham” to the left and “The Presentation of Jesus at the Temple” to the right. On the southern side, the most impressive carving is ”The Nativity of Christ”. On the northern side, one can see “The Beheading of St. John”. The western part of the ciborium doesn’t have such decorations.

The ciborium is a unique wood carved masterpiece, which cannot be found in any other church. It looks like as if it floats in the air above the Holy Table, held by four chains. On every side of the ciborium, there are presentations of the Holy Gospel.

Still, the most beautiful decoration of the church and the work of art that this church is famous for, is, of course, the beautiful and one of a kind iconostasis, unique in all Orthodoxy –  a masterpiece of the Miyak woodcarvers, whose skill in woodworking remains unsurpassed up to the present. They are the renowned Peter Filipovski – Garkata with his group of coworkers from the village of Gari and Makarius Frchkovski from the village of Galichnik. They completed this monumental work for a very short period of time, from 1830 until 1835. During this period, simultaneously with the woodcarving the renowned painters from Samarina – Michael and his son Demetrius, were also engaged. Later on the son, Demetrius was tonsured in the monastery and was given the monastic name Daniel. They finished the painting of the altar icons so that the iconostasis, together with the icons, makes a compact unity and a complete presentation of the Holy Gospel in caving.




What makes the iconostasis unique and unrepeatable is the presence of human figures in the wooden carvings. At this point, the Miyak woodcarvers exhibited their ultimate skill by placing, in such a small area, so many important and numerous scenes from the Old and New Testament. These scenes are made in a way that reveals to the full the drama of the event, the real and alive situation taking place in front of our eyes.

The rectangular wooden tables beneath the main icons of the iconostasis are probably the most beautiful part of the iconostasis in the Bigorsky monastery. These tables are a presentation and confirmation of the artistic skillfulness of the Miyak woodcarvers and their inaccessibility in the professionalism of carving. On this wooden area, there is a presentation of more than 500 human and around 200 animal figures, which illustrate the Old and New Testament.

The interior ambience of the monastic church is further embellished with the two thrones: the Bishop’s and Abbot’s throne. Both are a work of the same masters – carvers who made the iconostasis. The Bishop’s throne is placed in the middle part of the church next to the right column, facing the altar. Ever since a long time ago, there was a trend that the Bishop’s throne should be very richly decorated. That was the wish of Abbot Arsenius too, therefore this throne is richly decorated with figures of two deacons, while as on the bottom, at the base of the chair, there are two lions lying with open jaws. They are always under the feet of God, Who has destroyed and will conquer the enemy. On the inner upper part of the chair, there is a painted icon of Jesus Christ sitting on a throne. The Abbot’s throne is similar in decoration, but unlike the Bishop’s throne, above the seat of Abbot’s throne, there is an icon of The Theotokos with Christ, sitting on a throne, with a presentation of St. John the Forerunner in front of them. At the bottom of the painting, one can see Abbot Arsenius holding a scroll in his hand.




The Bigorski Catholicon conveys a feeling of sober tranquillity, which together with the piety, shapes the entire construction of the church. There has always been a special world here, praying, and building, painting and singing in communion with the Holy Spirit. Everything is free and reconciled, twinned and related.  The ethos of the spiritual expression, the iconographic life, the architecture, all is coherent, synchronized and united. Everything and everyone, united and present, sings in harmony the Trisagion song. (Continue reading)

Official Site of Bigorski Monastery