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September 21, 2015

1909 MACEDONIA - The Church of The Holy Saviour in Skopje


According to the 2002 census, 68.5% of the population of Skopje belonged to the Eastern Orthodox Church, while 28.6% of it belonged to Islam. However, because of its Ottoman past, Skopje has more mosques than churches. Among those is the Church of The Holy Saviour, built in the late 17th century or early 18th century upon foundations on an older church, and situated on a plateau under the Skopje Fortress, in the Old Town, not far from the Stone Bridge. It is interesting to note that inside the church there is preserved fragment of fresco painting that belonged to the older church.

Seemingly a simple construction, dug in the ground, it hides a fantastic iconostasis, made by master Petre Filipovski "Garka"  from the famous woodcarving gang from the village of Gari. They have been working on the iconostasis from 1819 to 1824. Carved in walnut, it is 10m wide and 7m high combines a profusion of plant and animal motifs with the figures of saints in local costumes. In the yard of the church is a huge marble sarcophagus, which houses the remains of the great leader of the Macedonian revolutionary movement, Goce Delchev.

About the stamps
The stamp was issued on October 11, 1998 to mark The Children Day.

References
Church of the Holy Saviour, Skopje - Macedonia Holiday
Holy Saviour Church - Travel to Macedonia

Sender: Packa
Sent from Skopje (Macedonia), on 05.01.2015
Photo: Robert Jankuloski

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