Bigorski Monastery St. John
The Bigorski monastery is a Bulgarian Orthodox monastery in the western part of Macedonia in the valley of the radika River between the towns of Debar and Gostivar. The monastery is famous for its elegant wooden iconostasis and it amazing icons and mural paintings.
It was established in 1020 by Archbishop John and bears the name of St. John the baptist. “Bigirski” originates from the bigor stone- the main type of rock in the region. The monastery was demolished by the Turks in 16 century and quickly recovered afterwards. In beginning of 19 century, during the management of Abbot Arsenius, the monastery was expanded and enjoyed a large number of benefactors. The ornamented wooden iconostasis of the monastery church was elaborated in the 1830s.
The chief master was Petar Filipov from then village of gari, a representative of the Debar woodcarving school, who, in cooperation with his brother Marko and several other assistent, worked for six years on this masterpiece. The icons in the iconostasis were painted by icon- painter Michail and his son Dimitar. Besides the iconostasis, the wood- carvers also elaborated the prelate’s throne and the abbot’s chair in the church, whose northers features marvelous mural paintings of St. Clement of Ohrid, St. Nahum, St. George and other Bulgarian saints.
