Professors Michael Fuller, Neathery Fuller and
Michelle Loyet spent two hours documenting the 14th century wall paintings in the Church
of St. Demetrius at the Monastery
of King Marko on July 19, 2005. They were assisted by their friend and colleague,
Damjan Donev. Permission for the photography was obtained by Kiro Rostrov (Skopja Museum)
from both the Ministry of Culture (Republic of Macedonia) and the Macedonian Orthodox Church.
Michael Fuller shines light on the wall paintings
while Michelle Loyet takes digital images. Photography by Neathery Fuller.
The purpose of the study was to gather information useful in the interpretation of the
archaeological site of Markovi Kule (King Marko's Castle) where a joint team of Macedonian
and American (St. Louis Community College) archaeologists are working.
Click here to see images of the buildings that surround
the Church of St. Demetrius (within the monastery).
Click here to see image King Markovi and Saint Demetrius over the door of the
Church of St. Demetrius.
Click here to see images of the wallpainting with clues to
Medieval material culture in Macedonia during the 13th century AD.
Click here to see images of the wallpaintings of sacred importance
inside of the church of St. Demetrius (within the monastery).
Click here to see images of the objects in the interior of the
Church of St. Demetrius.
Sister Tekala kindly provided tea and cake
to the archaeologists on their second visit to the monastery on 18 July 2005.
Slavic inscription in the interior of the
Church of Demetrius.
Dimitar Kornakov (Macedonian Monasteries published 2005, pages 66 - 69)
translates the inscription as "The divine temple of the holy
Christ's Martyr, the victorious and the miracleworker, Demetrius, has been renovated
by the cordiality and the favoar of the faithful king Volkashin and the faithful
queen Elena and their very much beloved daughters and sons, the faithful king
Marko and Andreash, Ivanish and Dimitar in the year 1377, and this monastery was started
to be built in 1345 during the days of faithfully tzar Stephan and the Christloving
king Volkashin, and was completed during the days of the faithful and Christloving
king Marko."
Webpage created 25 July 2005