Summary (English)
The site of Crkva “Si Sveti” is a monastery complex located 500 meters to the south from the village of Leshani in the vicinity of Ohrid. The name of the site came from the small one aisled church built in 1452 and devoted to “All the Saints”. The founder (?) of the church was Nikola Bozhikev from Ohrid. The apse of the church is three sided and there were a narthex and a southern annex. These rooms were buried during the construction of a new church in 1911, which was erected 5 meters to the south from the old one.
In 2005, trenches were put inside and around the old church. The southern annex was uncovered and it has the same length with the nave. Some of the walls were covered with mortar and there are stone steps in the southeast corner. To the south of the church there were layers of ashes with material from the 19th and 20th century. There also was a small paved area in context of the church from 1911. The narthex on the west side was excavated as well. It is concluded that the church and its appurtenances were built at the same time. The trenches in the interior revealed the foundations and two layers of fresco decoration. Remains of a church from the 13th century were documented below the foundations.
The 37 graves discovered indicate that the area around the church served as a burial ground in the period between the 15th and the 19th century. Most of the grave foams are simple pits and only four of them were cists made of stone blocks. Few bronze coins and modest bronze jewellery were found at the cemetery.
Director
- Pasko Kuzman - Cultural Heritage Protection Office
Team
Research Body
- NI Institute for Monument Protection and Museum - Ohrid
Funding Body
- Macedonian Ministry of Culture
Images
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