Karpino Monastery
Encyclopedia
The Karpino Monastery is an important Macedonian Orthodox
monastery
situated in the northeastern part of the Republic of Macedonia
, near the city of Kumanovo
(near village Suvi Orah
).
with apse
in form of triconhos
, from the 16th – 17th century. The church itself was erected in 1100.
The monastery and church has been burnt and destroyed many times, but has always been restored by the inhabitants of villages Suv Ora, Aljince, Drenak and Kanarevo.
A new layer of fresco
es was added to the original when the monastery was restored in 1892, however some of the original images are still visible, including Mary
with baby Jesus Christ and Tiron and Theodore Stratilat.
The church preserves a valuable iconostasis
in which there are 7 original icons (The Great Feasts) from 1606-1607, which were painted by Nikola Zoograf and his students.
It was the most important literary and cultural centre in the Middle Ages
for this part of the Kumanovo region. Around 300 monk
s worked at a time in the monastery and were engaged in copying church books and manuscripts. The monastery served as sanctuari for the first Macedonian school where priests received their education. In the late 19th century, the monks of Karpino Monastery began to form public school, teaching a smaller number of villages children to become literate.
Restoration funded by the Macedonian Institute for Protection of Monuments of Culture is taking place to repair damage sustained during World War II
.
Macedonian Orthodox Church
The Macedonian Orthodox Church – Ohrid Archbishopric or just Macedonian Orthodox Church is the body of Christians who are united under the Archbishop of Ohrid and Macedonia, exercising jurisdiction over Macedonian Orthodox Christians in the Republic of Macedonia and in exarchates in the Macedonian...
monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
situated in the northeastern part of the Republic of Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
, near the city of Kumanovo
Kumanovo
Kumanovo is a city in the Republic of Macedonia and is the seat of Kumanovo Municipality which is the largest municipality in the country. Municipal institutions include a city council, mayor and other administrative bodies.-Name:...
(near village Suvi Orah
Orah
Orah or Suvi Orah is a village in the Republic of Macedonia administrative located in the Staro Nagoričane municipality near town Kumanovo in the micro-region of Sredorek.-Location:...
).
History
The main monastery church is dedicated to Presentation of Virgin Mary, it was built of crafted stone in the shape of single nave basilicaBasilica
The Latin word basilica , was originally used to describe a Roman public building, usually located in the forum of a Roman town. Public basilicas began to appear in Hellenistic cities in the 2nd century BC.The term was also applied to buildings used for religious purposes...
with apse
Apse
In architecture, the apse is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome...
in form of triconhos
Trefoil
Trefoil is a graphic form composed of the outline of three overlapping rings used in architecture and Christian symbolism...
, from the 16th – 17th century. The church itself was erected in 1100.
The monastery and church has been burnt and destroyed many times, but has always been restored by the inhabitants of villages Suv Ora, Aljince, Drenak and Kanarevo.
A new layer of fresco
Fresco
Fresco is any of several related mural painting types, executed on plaster on walls or ceilings. The word fresco comes from the Greek word affresca which derives from the Latin word for "fresh". Frescoes first developed in the ancient world and continued to be popular through the Renaissance...
es was added to the original when the monastery was restored in 1892, however some of the original images are still visible, including Mary
Mary (mother of Jesus)
Mary , commonly referred to as "Saint Mary", "Mother Mary", the "Virgin Mary", the "Blessed Virgin Mary", or "Mary, Mother of God", was a Jewish woman of Nazareth in Galilee...
with baby Jesus Christ and Tiron and Theodore Stratilat.
The church preserves a valuable iconostasis
Iconostasis
In Eastern Christianity an iconostasis is a wall of icons and religious paintings, separating the nave from the sanctuary in a church. Iconostasis also refers to a portable icon stand that can be placed anywhere within a church...
in which there are 7 original icons (The Great Feasts) from 1606-1607, which were painted by Nikola Zoograf and his students.
It was the most important literary and cultural centre in the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
for this part of the Kumanovo region. Around 300 monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
s worked at a time in the monastery and were engaged in copying church books and manuscripts. The monastery served as sanctuari for the first Macedonian school where priests received their education. In the late 19th century, the monks of Karpino Monastery began to form public school, teaching a smaller number of villages children to become literate.
Restoration funded by the Macedonian Institute for Protection of Monuments of Culture is taking place to repair damage sustained during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.