ST. NICHOLAS' ROCK CHURCH (ЦРКВА СВЕТИ НИКОЛА)

This is the largest artificial lake in the country (Тиквешко Езеро/Tikveško Ezero). With an area of 14 ^km2, it is used for fishing (wild fish and livestock) and frequented by bathers in summer with many second homes in the northern part, around the Tikveš dam and the hamlets of Brušani/Брушани, Resava/Рeсава and Goleš/Голеш. To the south, on the western shore, is the most valuable historical monument in the region - the Polog Monastery, which is only accessible by boat. The lake extends 29 km in length from south to north to the dam. The 105 m high dam is used for electricity production and irrigation. Since 1968, it retains the waters of the Crna Reka ("black river"), a tributary of the Vardar, which reaches a depth of over 100 m. The lake is dominated in the west by the Višešnica mountain which reaches 1,557 m in altitude. The landscape is beautiful and well preserved, as there are no roads around the lake except those connecting Kavadarci to the hamlets in the northern part. Four ancient hills emerge from the waters to form the islets of Brušani and Gradište/Градиште (in the northeast), Dradnja/Драдња (in the northwest), and Blaštica/Блаштица (in the very south). In addition to the Polog Monastery, the area around the lake contains another ^16th-century monastery as well as two rock churches. The one of St. Nicholas, known as "Mark's Church" (Маркова Црква), is located near the hamlet of Dradnja, northeast of the lake. It is decorated with the damaged frescoes from the ^14th century.