The Church of St. Athanasios, Orthodox church building in Voskopojë, Albania
The Church of St. Athanasios is a basilica-type Orthodox church in the Akamnel neighbourhood of northeastern Voskopojë. Its central nave and two lateral aisles measure 19 m by 10.50 m by 8 m, and two cupolas rise to 9 m on two main pillars and eight surrounding columns. A cloister 18.90 m long and 2.85 m wide is framed by six arches on five columns with double capitals.
St. Athanasius' Church was completed in 1721 in the Akamnel neighbourhood of Voskopojë. It was declared a Cultural Monument of Albania, with protection decisions numbered 586 and 4874, dated 17 March 1948 and 23 September 1971. Between 1990 and 2010 its icons were stolen five times; the last theft took icons painted in 1724.
The exterior frescoes carry an old inscription in Aromanian written in Greek letters, discovered in 2005: "Mane di mzou ku Athanasis Filipu", possibly meaning "By the hand of God with Athanasis Filipu". The church is now used as the cemetery church of Voskopojë, and its icons were stolen five times between 1990 and 2010, the last theft taking icons painted in 1724.
The church stands in the Akamnel neighbourhood, in the northeastern part of Voskopoja, and now serves the town cemetery. Its cloister, 18.90 m long and 2.85 m wide, runs along six arches on five columns with double capitals. Look for the seven blind arches over the main entrance and the four on each side, with small windows above the side arches.
On the exterior frescoes is an inscription in Aromanian written in Greek letters, found in 2005: "ΜΑΝΕ ΝΤΙ ΜΖΟΥ ΚΟΥ ΑΘΑΝΑΣΙΣ ΦΙΛΙΠΠΟΥ", possibly meaning "By the hand of God with Athanasis Filipu". The word mzou remains uncertain in meaning.
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