MONASTERY OF THE DORMITION-OF-THE-MOTHER-OF-GOD (БОГОРОДИЦА БОГОРОДИЦА ПРЕСВЕТА ПРЕСВЕТА МАНАСТИР - MANASTIRI I SHËN MARISË)

Set on a peak 1,005 m above sea level, this Orthodox monastery (Матеички Манастир/Mateički Manastir, Manastiri i Mateçit) is one of the most precious in the country. Alas, it was severely vandalized during the Albanian uprising of 2001. Founded in 1057 by the Byzantine emperor Isaac ^I, the complex was restored by the Serbian kings Stefan Dušan and Stefan Uroš V between 1300 and 1357. Dedicated to the Dormition of the Mother of God (Успение на Пресвета Богородица/Uspenie na Presveta Bogorodica), it was a major monastic center in the ^15th century, before gradually falling into disrepair, until its revival in the 1920s. In the meantime, the lead from the roof was removed in the ^18th century to cover the Sinan Tatar Bey mosque in Kumanovo. But the most significant damage was caused by members of the KLA-M in 2001. Since then, little work has been undertaken. The annex buildings remain in ruins. As for the elegant catholicon (main church), if it seems in a correct state from the outside, it has lost most of its frescoes. Only a cycle of the Dormition of the Mother of God and the portrait of King Dušan with his wife Helena and their son Uroš V are well preserved. The church also preserves a Greek inscription about the foundation in the ^11th century. Located between the Skopska Crna Gora massif (Skopje region) and the Žegligovo valley (Kumanovo region), the monastery is in the municipality of Matejče (Mateç/Mateçi in Albanian), which has a population of about 2,900, almost all of whom are Albanian since the 2001 conflict.