2/12/2020 REVIVAL ORTHODOX CULTURE IN CULT MONUMENTS ALONG THE STRUMA RIVER VALLEY REVIVAL ORTHODOX CULTURE IN CULT MONUMENTS ALONG THE STRUMA RIVER VALLEY, BLAGOEVGRAD DISTRICT, BULGARIA AND SERRES, GREECE The valley of the Struma River and its adjacent areas offer extremely rich opportunities for religious tourism. Starting from the mouth of the river in the Republic of Greece, the first place to visit is the Monastery of the Holy Mary Eikosifoinissa. file:///C:/Users/user/Desktop/DELIVERABLES_BORDERLESS_CULTURE_01.12.2020/5.4.1_Cultural_routes/3.htm 1/124 2/12/2020 REVIVAL ORTHODOX CULTURE IN CULT MONUMENTS ALONG THE STRUMA RIVER VALLEY file:///C:/Users/user/Desktop/DELIVERABLES_BORDERLESS_CULTURE_01.12.2020/5.4.1_Cultural_routes/3.htm 2/124 2/12/2020 REVIVAL ORTHODOX CULTURE IN CULT MONUMENTS ALONG THE STRUMA RIVER VALLEY Monastery of the Holy Mary Eikosifoinissa in the Pangaion mountain The Monastery of the Holy Mary Eikosifoinissa is a majestic medieval monastery. It is located 6 km northeast of Kormista village and is reached by beautiful curves on the road through the Pangaion Mountain. According to various legends the monastery was founded in the 5th or 6th centuries. Its founder is Saint German who received a dream of his pleasing of god activity. The second donor and founder of the monastery was the abdicated patriarch of Constantinople Dionysius I. During his time the monastery flourished and became known to the Orthodox population. The two great donors are depicted above the second gate of the monastery. The great renovation of the monastery happened in the nineteenth century when the main church was restored and the clock tower was erected. (Picture 1) Monastery of the Holy Mary Eikosifoinissa file:///C:/Users/user/Desktop/DELIVERABLES_BORDERLESS_CULTURE_01.12.2020/5.4.1_Cultural_routes/3.htm 3/124 2/12/2020 REVIVAL ORTHODOX CULTURE IN CULT MONUMENTS ALONG THE STRUMA RIVER VALLEY (Picture 2) Monastery of the Holy Mary Eikosifoinissa (Picture 3) Monastery of the Holy Mary Eikosifoinissa – the entrance gate file:///C:/Users/user/Desktop/DELIVERABLES_BORDERLESS_CULTURE_01.12.2020/5.4.1_Cultural_routes/3.htm 4/124 2/12/2020 REVIVAL ORTHODOX CULTURE IN CULT MONUMENTS ALONG THE STRUMA RIVER VALLEY (Picture 4) Monastery of the Holy Mary Eikosifoinissa – a holy spring The frescoes in the Katholicon (the main church) are of particular value. They are painted by Matthias Ioanou and his assistant - the monk Ananius. The frescoes in the open arcade show the typical for the time scenes from "The Judgment Day", "The Apocalypse" of John the Theologian, "The Six-Day", "Right and Wrong Confession” etc. The greatest value - object of worship is the miraculous icon of Holy Mary Eikosifoinissa. According to one of the legends it is one of the icons drawn by Luke the Evangelist personally approved by the Mother of God, and according to another it is not created by hand but by a miracle of a purple light that gives her name. It is located a few meters east of the present monastery file:///C:/Users/user/Desktop/DELIVERABLES_BORDERLESS_CULTURE_01.12.2020/5.4.1_Cultural_routes/3.htm 5/124 2/12/2020 REVIVAL ORTHODOX CULTURE IN CULT MONUMENTS ALONG THE STRUMA RIVER VALLEY next to an old windmill. Its gold facing speaks about the special respect for the icon. (Picture 5) Monastery of the Holy Mary Eikosifoinissa – the miraculous icon The main church has one of the most beautiful gold-plated iconostasis made with a very strong western influence. The monastery has a lot of file:///C:/Users/user/Desktop/DELIVERABLES_BORDERLESS_CULTURE_01.12.2020/5.4.1_Cultural_routes/3.htm 6/124 2/12/2020 REVIVAL ORTHODOX CULTURE IN CULT MONUMENTS ALONG THE STRUMA RIVER VALLEY remarkable objects, church plates, liturgical books and manuscripts. Monastery of St. John the Forerunner (Prodromos), Serres Traveling north along the main road we reach the town of Serres. There is another holy monastery in the city surroundings - the monastery of St. John the Forerunner (Prodromos). It is located 10 km northeast of the town of Serres, at the foot of Menikio Mountain. It is reached by an asphalt road. The preserved huge cypresses around the monastery strengthen the tourist's sense of being in a divine place. (Picture 6) Monastery of St. John the Forerunner – panoramic photo The monastery was founded by Ioannikios after he stayed in Mount Athos and in a desert cell in Mountain Menikio (Menikion). In 1270 he decided to found the monastery of St. John the Forerunner (Prodromos). His nephew Joakim extended the monastery. In 1332 the monastery acquired a staturopical status and was owned by Mount Athos. After the fall of the region under Ottoman rule many of its privileges have been destroyed but the local population continues to maintain and protect it. In the period from 1457 to 1462 the holy cloister accommodated Gennadius Scholarius, the first patriarch after the fall of Constantinople who died and was buried in the monastery. We see the portraits of the two great donors Ioannikios and Joakim right at the entrance of the monastery. file:///C:/Users/user/Desktop/DELIVERABLES_BORDERLESS_CULTURE_01.12.2020/5.4.1_Cultural_routes/3.htm 7/124 2/12/2020 REVIVAL ORTHODOX CULTURE IN CULT MONUMENTS ALONG THE STRUMA RIVER VALLEY (Picture 7) Monastery of St. John the Forerunner, Serres – entrance with frescoes (Picture 8) Monastery of St. John the Forerunner, Serres – the donors with the patron St. John the Forerunner The monastery's gate is massive and strong, typical of the Ottoman period, due to the uncertain life of Christians. file:///C:/Users/user/Desktop/DELIVERABLES_BORDERLESS_CULTURE_01.12.2020/5.4.1_Cultural_routes/3.htm 8/124 2/12/2020 REVIVAL ORTHODOX CULTURE IN CULT MONUMENTS ALONG THE STRUMA RIVER VALLEY (Picture 9) Monastery of St. John the Forerunner, Serres – the entrance gate The center of the monastery courtyard is occupied by the church (Katholicon), to the west of which is the phiala built in 1854. It was used for the blessing of the waters during the Epiphany feast and the first day of each month. file:///C:/Users/user/Desktop/DELIVERABLES_BORDERLESS_CULTURE_01.12.2020/5.4.1_Cultural_routes/3.htm 9/124 2/12/2020 REVIVAL ORTHODOX CULTURE IN CULT MONUMENTS ALONG THE STRUMA RIVER VALLEY (Picture 10) Monastery of St. John the Forerunner, Serres – the phiala in the courtyard The church is surrounded by monastic cells, the abbot’s room, the building of the monastery school and the dining room. file:///C:/Users/user/Desktop/DELIVERABLES_BORDERLESS_CULTURE_01.12.2020/5.4.1_Cultural_routes/3.htm 10/124 2/12/2020 REVIVAL ORTHODOX CULTURE IN CULT MONUMENTS ALONG THE STRUMA RIVER VALLEY (Picture 11) Monastery of St. John the Forerunner, Serres – part of the courtyard The monastery church dates from the beginning of the 14th century and has been reconstructed many times over the centuries. file:///C:/Users/user/Desktop/DELIVERABLES_BORDERLESS_CULTURE_01.12.2020/5.4.1_Cultural_routes/3.htm 11/124 2/12/2020 REVIVAL ORTHODOX CULTURE IN CULT MONUMENTS ALONG THE STRUMA RIVER VALLEY (Picture 12) Monastery of St. John the Forerunner, Serres – the main church The beautiful tower was built in 1849 along with today's esonarthex; its base was the tower that originally enclosed the ladder leading to the chapel of St. Nicholas, just above the first naos. The church frescoes are performed in different periods and by different icon- painters. The oldest of them dates back to the time of the second donor Joakim and they are in the naos of the temple. The image of the patron St. John the Forerunner is traditionally depicted over the entrance of the temple. file:///C:/Users/user/Desktop/DELIVERABLES_BORDERLESS_CULTURE_01.12.2020/5.4.1_Cultural_routes/3.htm 12/124 2/12/2020 REVIVAL ORTHODOX CULTURE IN CULT MONUMENTS ALONG THE STRUMA RIVER VALLEY (Picture 13) Monastery of St. John the Forerunner, Serres – image of the temple’s patron on the west entrance gate The frescoes in the open western gallery are of a didactic character such as the composition "The Judgment Day" (Picture 14) Monastery of St. John the Forerunner, Serres - the composition "The Judgment Day" The donors’ portraits are painted on the outer west wall of the temple. file:///C:/Users/user/Desktop/DELIVERABLES_BORDERLESS_CULTURE_01.12.2020/5.4.1_Cultural_routes/3.htm 13/124 2/12/2020 REVIVAL ORTHODOX CULTURE IN CULT MONUMENTS ALONG THE STRUMA RIVER VALLEY (Picture 15) Monastery of St. John the Forerunner, Serres - frescoed portraits of the two donors with "Deisis" ("supplication") between them Monastery of St. George Kryoneritis, Serres After visiting the monastery of St. John the Forerunner you can ask the kind nuns to show you the monastery of St. George Kryoneritis in the town of Serres which is under their management. The monastery of St. George Kryoneritis is located in the eastern district of Serres - Agii Anargiri (Holy Unmercenaries). It is called Kryoneritis (Freshwater), because of the spring that was once located near it. The monastery was founded in 1298. (Picture 16) Monastery of St. George Kryoneritis – the courtyard with the church Its church is a typical medieval monastery church - a central square, with the semi-circular apses on the north and south walls. In 1344 it became a monastery dependency of the monastery of St. John the Forerunner (Prodromos). It was donated by Ypomoni, the wife of Serres archon, Sakellarios Mourmouras. During the Ottoman rule it went through a number of reconstructions. file:///C:/Users/user/Desktop/DELIVERABLES_BORDERLESS_CULTURE_01.12.2020/5.4.1_Cultural_routes/3.htm 14/124 2/12/2020 REVIVAL ORTHODOX CULTURE IN CULT MONUMENTS ALONG THE STRUMA RIVER VALLEY (Picture 17) Monastery of St. George Kryoneritis – view from northwest file:///C:/Users/user/Desktop/DELIVERABLES_BORDERLESS_CULTURE_01.12.2020/5.4.1_Cultural_routes/3.htm 15/124 2/12/2020 REVIVAL ORTHODOX CULTURE IN CULT MONUMENTS ALONG THE STRUMA RIVER VALLEY (Picture 18) Monastery of St.