We walked around the old, cobbled streets of Elbasan, looking for one of the oldest mosques in Albania, the King’s mosque (1492) which we found shut, unfortunately:
So we decided to seek out a church which our guidebook describes as ’top of the excursions list for anyone with even the slightest interest in religious art’. Unfortunately, we took quite a detour to get there, past a weird and very sulpher-smelling lake which seemed to necessitate many very old and very large ladies walking up a steep hill – for health? for treatments? – in the full afternoon sun.
We finally found the church up a steep road in a quiet village, with the sounds of chickens and the odd dog in the background. But, as we entered the ante-room of this tiny church, we heard the sound of that same French party who had filled the church and were clearly being given a lecture, with lots of questions and comments of course.
We waited, and waited, and waited for them to go because they were making so much noise, only to be told by one of them that we might learn something if we went inside, as there was a ’conference’ going on. Sue reminded me that she knew how to swear in French.
When they finally went, the woman who looked after the church and who was clearly fed-up with them told us that they had been there for one hour! (No, we don’t speak Albanian but her meaning was pretty clear.)
So here is the church, free of the French!
Loved the alphabet story and the heroic plaques. Some of the men seemed to show a passing resemblance to Marx!
Indeed! Though that floppy hair/ beard combo could possibly signal any number of Albanian cultural heroes I guess?
Now this is the kind of post I particularly relish, filled with oodles of detail and very subtly funny complaints about the French.
Well, thank you Kenny! Didn’t feel very subtle at the time though the group remained completely oblivious to our muttering and dark looks. The poor woman who’d opened the church for them was as unsmiling ( and unsubtle) as you can get
You’ve captured the atmosphere here, beautiful place, every inch decorated!
I think the video really does capture the feel of the church
What a gorgeous church.
It was so different once silence descended – such a small area compared to the huge churches in Kosovo
Och, your 360 video tells the story beautifully! (complete with whispered soundtrack and Sue’s barely concealed annoyance). I cannot figure out the style of all these church frescoes – sort of Byzantine meets a sentimental version of early Renaissance??
Listening to one hour of a lecture might have been good practice to improve your French!! 🙂
I was reasonably calm by that point! These frescos are later than the ones in Kosovo – painted by an Albanian artist – Onufri- in 1554 apparently. I simply don’t know enough about church frescos to make any sensible comment on the style.
I’m sure that’s what you would have done! Pour moi, impossible je crois!
Frescoes are just beautiful and all the better for not having had any restorers let loose on them!
You’re probably right though the Albanians pride themselves on the quality and fidelity of their restorations…
I love the frescos – very similar to ones in tiny Byzantine churches in middle of Cyprus – also hard to get to but always exquisite
Similar frescos in Greece and churches always locked!
Love the frescos – reminds me of similar ones in tiny Byzantine churches in middle of Cyprus – also hard to get to!