Manastir Matejce

The monastery of Matejce is one of those monasteries in Macedonia that were built high up in the mountains at 1005 meters above sea level, on the southeastern side of the mountain Skopska Crna Gora, the Kumanovo side.
	The monastery church Sv. Bogorodica (Holy Mother of God), Monastery Matejce

The monastery consists of a church dedicated to the Dormition of the Mother of God and the residential part, which is now renovated and adapted for tourists.

We learn about the history of the church from Czar Milutin’s written testimonials from 1300, which note that Czar Dusan began its construction on the foundation of an old church dedicated to St. Mary Mother of God of Monte Negro. The fact that this czar started building the church is also mentioned in the biography of Czar Uros. It states that after Czar Dusan’s death, his wife Elena and his son Uros had the church finished and painted inside.

According to some written sources, until the Second World War there used to be a chapel inside the altar of the church that came from the 12th century. The church was restored in 1934, 1953 and 1960, after a long period of negligence.

From an architectural point of view, the structure has five cupolas on the basis of a cross.

The central cupola has twelve sides and the other four smaller cupolas stand on the angles of the basis. The outside of the altar apse has five sides and is decorated with bricklayers. Pilasters and blind arcade can be seen on the facade.

The hagiographic icons from the 14th century, which fill the interior of the church, are rather damaged. Some depictions of the life of Christ and Mother of God have been saved. On the west wall there are remains that show the vineyards of Byzantine emperors whereas the south wall presents Czar Dusan, Czarina Elena and their son Uros.

What makes this church interesting are the numerous inscriptions. One of them is the one that mentions the year 1568, when archbishop Nikifor of Skopje died. There is also the inscription of Kiril Pejcinovic, the great Macedonian religious and enlightenment missionary from the 19th century.

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