Veljusa Monastery
Veljusa Monastery is an active female monastery dedicated to St. Mary, located at altitude 400 meters above sea level, 8 km west of Strumica city. The monastery church was erected by the monk Manuel in 1080. Preserved to this day, the church is a great representative of the high achievements of the Byzantine sacral architecture in the Middle Ages.
The interior of the church was frescoed in three time periods, in 1085, 1164. and in the XIX century. Particularly interesting is the representation of Jesus Christ in the dome, where he is portrayed as a child of 12, which is a real rarity.
The monastery is dedicated to the birth of St. Mary and celebrates the “Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary” (Mala Bogorodica) on September 21st (Macedonian Orthodox Church uses the Julian calendar).
The “Macedonian Cross”, also known as the “Cross of Veljusa”, is a variation of the Christian cross, mainly connected with Macedonia and is a symbol of the Macedonian Orthodox Church. This cross is represented on the ecclesiastical coat of arms, which is filled with 33 representations of this cross.
Photo Gallery – Part 1
Photo Gallery – Part 2
Photo Gallery – Part 3
How to get to the monastery – Location
The monastery is located 8 km west of Strumica in the village of Veljusa. The road is asphalted through the village is narrow and steep and is not suitable for buses and larger vehicles. There is a small parking lot in front of the monastery.
