St. Saviour's Church, Herebel, church in Albania
The Holy Transfiguration Church (Kisha e Shpërfytyrimit) in Herebel is an Orthodox church built of stone and lime mortar, dating from the 12th or 14th century. Its pre-Ottoman origin and wall paintings are why it is protected. A modern portico and a concrete bell tower have been added to the historic building.
Built of stone and lime mortar, the church dates from the 12th or 14th century, before Ottoman rule, which is why it is protected. It was declared a Cultural Monument of Albania on 30 May 1970. A modern portico and a concrete bell tower were later added to the historic building.
Each year on 18 and 19 August the church holds its annual celebration, attended mainly by the Macedonian Christian population of Herebel but also by local Muslims. Pilgrims from the surrounding area traditionally spend a night inside the church, sleeping and praying there, which believers hold to cure illness.
The church stands in the village of Herebel in Dibra municipality, eastern Albania. Its annual gathering falls on 18 and 19 August, when pilgrims from the surrounding area, including Muslims, come and traditionally spend a night inside the building. The 1970 monument designation covers the pre-Ottoman stone-and-mortar structure with its wall paintings; a modern portico and concrete bell tower were added later.
The church keeps a set of a dozen icons given in 2018 by the nearby Saint Jovan Bigorski Monastery, a detail easy to miss inside the small stone building.
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