Part 1
Church St. Mary (Св. Богородица) is located near the Dragor River and primary school St. Kiril and Metodij. Built in 1870 and consecrated in 1876 it is one of the most famous churches in Bitola.
In the middle of the XIX century, advanced citizenship in Bitola used the opportunity in the Ottoman Empire to build a church in the Yeni Male area (Јени Мале – “New neighborhood”).
The location was particularly suited because it was in the Bazaar, near the fish stores. The initiative was raised by prominent Bitola citizenship, and on the place of the Pepper An, the location was bought by the famous local physician Dr. Constantine Mishajkov.
At the start, the church resembled an ordinary object, and later it was enlarged and received its today’s form.
This temple is famous for its iconostasis, considered to be work of the famous Miak masters. In essence, this iconostasis was made from two other.
Their incorporation into this space has its own prehistory.
During the World War I in the villages Trnovo and Magarevo near Bitola, ie, the local churches “Holy Mary” – built 1854 and “St. Demetrius“- built 1834, suffered major damage from military actions. Both churches had a valuable iconostases, which were dismantled by the Bulgarian army during their retreat. Lackily the Bulgarian army didn’t succeed to take them away, and by unknown decision they ended into the chuch St. Mary in Bitola.
Of the today’s inconostasis particularly important is the arc, located above the Royal Doors, with modeled figures of Jesus Christ and the Twelve Apostles, developed in the nineteenth century.
In recent years, particular attention has been paid to the interior of the church and it’s painting which got its distinctive look.
Photo Gallery – Part 1
