Maps of the Balkans :  1  2

ICONS, FRESCOES AND MOSAICS

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While it is convenient to group icons of the Balkans together, it is not to say that all Balkan countries are alike. Nothing is farther from the truth. Romania is very different from Bulgaria, for example.

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ALBANIA   ABOUT ALBANIA

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Our Lady of Good Counsel, Scutari, Albania, 15th c.
1 http://www.udayton.edu/mary/meditations/olgc.html

Sts. Constantine and Helena by Onufri, 16th c.

*New!*

2 http://www.catholicdoors.com/homilies/2002/020426.htm
3 Also see Our Lady of Good Counsel, Genazzano, Italy

Icons of the Albanian Museum (Carlo Franza) http://www.leadershipmedica.com/culturale/culnov02/culturaleing/9mostrae/9mostring.htm

Icons of the Onuphre Museum http://www.geocities.com/albaland/onuphre.html
==> 3 beautiful icons with a unique style - by the 16th century icon painter Onuphri, recognized as the most important icon painter in Albania.

More icons of the Onuphre Museum http://www.forumishqiptar.com/showthread.php?t=14611&page=3
==> 20 icons and frescoes, some with 'Onuphri-style red'. By Albanian iconographers Onuphri, Zograf, Costandini, Dhimitri, and Kostandino Jeromonaku. Scroll to bottom of page 3, then continue on to page 4. *New!*

Royal Door, 16th century
*F* Icons and Frescoes in Albania ==> about 30 images
http://english.shqiptarortodoks.com/

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BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA  
ABOUT BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA

Icons of Bosnia-Herzegovina (16th-19th century)
by Svetlana Rakic Assistant Professor of Fine Arts at Franklin College (USA)
A very nice site. Many icon images shown there are not shown anywhere else.
==> 35 icon images and 7 images of churches

Virgin Eleousa Rila Monastery Bulgaria, 18th c.

BULGARIA   ABOUT BULGARIA

BULGARIAN ICONS
http://www.kolumbus.fi/boykor/orthodoxgaleri.htm
-- 21 rarely seen medieval Bulgarian icons, and
-- 31 contemporary icons by Ivanka Kortzanova

The Reliquary of the Blessed Virgin Mary
http://geocities.com/Athens/Olympus/9587/rel_bvm.html


CROATIA   ABOUT CROATIA

The Annunciation, mosaic Porec, Croatia

Mother of God of Hvar ............... (link to come)

*M* *F* Eufrasius' Basilica, Porec, 6th century. Eufrasius' Basilica constitutes one of the best preserved monuments of early Byzantine art in the Mediterranean, where Christianity was established as early as the 4th century. The site is on the UNESCO World Heritage list .
-- History & Heritage http://www.istra.hr/en/history_and_heritage
-- Euphrasius' Basilica - virtual tour, mosaics *New!*
http://www.istra.com/porec/virtual_tour.asp?j=&meni=povijest&submeni=eufra, click links to the right

-- Christ Almighty with Saints, mosaic *New!* http://www.IconsExplained.com/iec/lib/02958_christ_almighty_with_saints_mosaic_eufrasius_basilica_porec_croatia.jpg
-- 6 or 7 more mosaics (scroll down the page) http://nickerson.icomos.org/porec/euf-mosa.htm.
-- Mother of God enthroned, fresco *New!* http://www.IconsExplained.com/iec/lib/02957_virgin_enthroned_eufrasian_basilica_porec.jpg

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HUNGARY   ABOUT HUNGARY

The Weeping Icon of Marijapovch http://www.carpatho-rusyn.org/spirit/marija.htm

ICONOGRAPHY. Sacred Painting ln Subcarpathian Rus' http://www.carpatho-rusyn.org/spirit/icon.htm

The weeping icon of Klokochovo http://www.carpatho-rusyn.org/spirit/kloko.htm

St. Maxim Sandovich http://www.comeandseeicons.com/zcj06.htm


MACEDONIA   ABOUT MACEDONIA

In the Middle Ages, fresco-painting in Macedonia reached a level equal to that of the Byzantine Empire. More on this in "The Cultural History of Macedonia"
- http://www.macedonia.co.uk/mcic/cultureandart/art/art.asp
- http://www.macedonia.co.uk/client/index1.aspx?page=23

*F* Macedonia. Cultural Heritage. http://www.soros.org.mk/konkurs/038/Kultura.htm
In the links at the bottom of the page: click link Fresco-painting

*F* Photo Galleries - Macedonian Orthodox Church
==> 115 superb, high quality images http://www.mpc.org.mk/English/vGal.asp

*F* *M* (Hellenic) Macedonia
==> 92 Frescoes http://www.macedonian-heritage.gr/HellenicMacedonia/en/topic_10_1.html
==> 29 Mosaics http://www.macedonian-heritage.gr/HellenicMacedonia/en/topic_7_1.htm

Macedonian Icons : 11 good images of well known icons of Macedonia with pertinent details
- http://faq.macedonia.org/the.arts/mk.icons.html
- http://www.macedonia.co.uk/client/index1.aspx?page=23

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Ohrid

ICON GALLERY OF OHRID http://www.ohrid.org.mk/eng/ikoni/ikoni.htm
-- 32 good quality images of icons from the 11th to the 19th centuries.

ICONS OF MACEDONIA (Kosta Balabanov)
-- 53 icon images of superb quality with detailed descriptions placed in their historical perspective; historical events are also detailed ! In short, a fantastic site !
http://www.soros.org.mk/konkurs/019/eng/

*F* Some of Macedonia's many frescoes (Yvan Chorbev)
http://www.soros.org.mk/konkurs/076/angver/izborfreski.html

A selection of icons (Yvan Chorbev)
http://www.soros.org.mk/konkurs/076/angver/Izbor_ikoni.html

Dead link*F* Macedonia Cultural Heritage - The Middle Ages (Aneta Serafimova) The largest preserved cycle of frescoes in European art of the 11th century is that in St. Sophia in Ohrid, from the time of Archbishop Leo (1037-56). http://www.gov.mk/kultura/heritcont.htm. Excellent site.
-- 80 images, good quailty ==> All these links are all DEAD !

Virgin Orans, fresco Macedonia, 13th c.

OHRID - CITY OF LIGHT http://www.geocities.com/yuzmeski/ohrid.html

Radozhda

The cave church of St. Archangel Mikhail in Radozhda
http://www.struga.org/eng/caveChurchSvArhangelMihailRadozhda.htm

Skopje

*F* Frescoes of the Saint Triphon monastery near Skopje
http://www.skiouros.net/voyages/mk2000/skopje_triphon_fresques.en.html

Struga

15 Superb Icons from Struga http://www.struga.org/eng/iconsfromstruga2.htm *New!*
(Father Stefan Sandzhakoski)

Struga http://www.geocities.com/lajme8reja/struga.html?1021881870870
==> icon of St. John the Baptist

*F* Later Byzantine Art (Frescoes) & Architecture (Constantinople and Balkans) *New!*
http://www.clas.ufl.edu/users/sterk/Byzantine/Images/Images4.14.htm


ROMANIA   ABOUT ROMANIA

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*F* ART OF THE FRESCO
-- Romania's Painted Churches & Monasteries
      http://www.geocities.com/paintedchurches/
-- Also see, further down : Monasteries of Bukovina
      http://www.geocities.com/ghedani1/english/english.htm

Humor Monastery
-- 23 images http://www.geocities.com/paintedchurches/humor.htm
-- 21 images http://www.geocities.com/ghedani1/humor/humoruluieg.htm
-- 2 images http://www.agrotour.ro/manastirea_humor.htm

Moldovita Monastery http://www.geocities.com/paintedchurches/moldovita.htm
-- 20 images http://www.geocities.com/ghedani1/moldovita/moldoviteg.htm

Voronet Monastery
-- 20 images http://www.geocities.com/paintedchurches/voronet.htm
-- 11 images http://www.geocities.com/ghedani1/voronet/voroneeg.htm

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Sucevita Monastery
-- 38 images http://www.geocities.com/paintedchurches2/sucevita.htm
-- 23 images http://www.geocities.com/ghedani1/sucevita/suceviteg.htm

Dragomirna Monastery
-- 33 images http://www.geocities.com/ghedani1/dragomirna/dragomirneg.htm

Orthodox Page of Romania (Crez-Pagina Ortodoxa Româneasca)
Home Page http://www.plasticsusa.com/ortho/index.htm .
Scroll one screen down to bottom of page. You will see 4 links; each of these provides access to a number of icons as follows :

Iconostas Virtual http://www.plasticsusa.com/ortho/icnsts/index.htm
-- virtual iconostasis

Icoane Vechi Romanesti http://www.plasticsusa.com/ortho/showic.html
--12 icons of the 19th century

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LINKS http://www.plasticsusa.com/ortho/orthores.html . Scroll to bottom of page. You will see a box with links. They are links to both monasteries (Manastiri Ortodoxe) and icons. Not all are clickable, but you can try. Following are 4 of them (A, B, C, D) which I found accessable. The 4th link (Icoane din Banat) provides access to several different types of marian icons.

(A) Manastirea Saraca http://saraca.1plan.net/
now click on Iconostas http://saraca.1plan.net/icoane.htm
This leads to 6 interesting links (the last one being a link to images in the catacombs) :
-- 6 icons of Christ http://saraca.1plan.net/photogallery/domnul_iisus_hristos.htm
-- 4 icons of the Mother of God
http://saraca.1plan.net/photogallery/maica_domnului.htm
-- 10 icons (9 of Christ and 1 of the Virgin)
http://saraca.1plan.net/photogallery/schimbatoare.htm
-- 57 icons of Saints
http://saraca.1plan.net/photogallery/sinaxar.htm
-- 4 famous icons http://saraca.1plan.net/photogallery/celebre.htm
-- 12 images of the catacombs
http://saraca.1plan.net/photogallery/catacombe.htm
See The Catacombs in General References
for more catacomb images

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(B) Manastirile Athosului si Meteorele http://www.athos.jigorea.ro/
-- Interior of the Vatopedi Church, Mount Athos

(C) Manastiri din Bucovina (Monasteries of Bukovina)
http://www.geocities.com/ghedani1/english/english.htm
>> see ART OF THE FRESCO above

CREDO.RO Portal Crestin-Ortodox (Christian-Orthodox Portal)
http://www.credo.ro/crestin-ortodoxe/8/Icoane
Many of these links are to contemporary iconographers who are listed in the Contemporary Iconographers' Index-Imagebase
http://www.iconsexplained.com/iec/iec_idb4c.htm
Click the links of recommended sites shown to the right

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Orthodox Resources (one of the sites recommended above)
http://www.resurse-ortodoxe.ro/ ==> many (250?) mostly contemporary icons of the saints of each day, per month; quality images measuring approx. 400 x 540 pixels (the icons appear to be copies of the site www.ortodoxie.ro).

BANATULUI MUSEUM, ART SECTION - ANCIENT ORTHODOX ICONS: Muzeul Banatului http://www.infotim.ro/mbt/mbt.htm, click Sectia de Arta http://www.infotim.ro/mbt/arta/arta.htm. Scroll down one screen to "Icoane ortodoxe vechi (1) (2) (3)" , then click each of the 3 links:
-- 11 icons http://www.infotim.ro/mbt/arta/icoane/icoane1.htm
-- 11 icons http://www.infotim.ro/mbt/arta/icoane/icoane2.htm
-- 9 icons http://www.infotim.ro/mbt/arta/icoane/icoane3.htm
-- Mother of God Kyriotissa (Enthroned)

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http://www.infotim.ro/mbt/arta/icoane/2.htm
-- Mother of God Hodegetria http://www.infotim.ro/mbt/arta/icoane/6.htm
-- Christ Pantocrator http://www.infotim.ro/mbt/arta/icoane/8.htm

Muzeul Banatului - Sectia de Etnografie
http://www.infotim.ro/mbt/etnografie/eicoane/eicoane.htm
==> 4 icons on glass, 19th Century.

Romanian Icons of the Mother of God (Maica Domnului). Little information in terms of source, location... -- 84 good quality imageshttp://www.bisericaurlati.as.ro/Data/I/index.htm

ORTODOXIA IN AMERICA DE NORD. BOR Sf Ap. Andrei, Mississauga, Ont. You may try this link [ http://www.sfapostolandrei.com/ ]. If it works, click on 'Enter' to see a Flash presentation of the Credo and hear a Romanian choir singing Orthodox chants. Interesting and well done !

THE HOLY TRINITY - Reverse glass painting in oils http://home.att.net/~Ikons/Images/014G.html

Romanian icons http://www.catholica.ro/iconograme/index.asp
(The site also allows you to send an iconogram)

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Icon gallery of the Greek-Catholic Church in Romania
-- 100-200 images http://www.greek-catholic.ro/media/galeria/icoane.asp

The holy weeping icon of the Mother of God, from the Monastery of Nicula
http://www.fr-d-serfes.org/orthodox/weepingicon.htm

Window to Romania - Links Directory - Religion and Orthodoxy
http://windowtoromania.com/wtr/links.asp?catid=30

Mitropolia Ortodoxa Româna a Europei Occidentale si Meridionale
http://www.mitropolia-paris.ro/?lang=ro&subject=icoane/index ==> 15 icons

Our Lady of Skrpjeli Montenegro

SERBIA and MONTENEGRO  
ABOUT SERBIA and MONTENEGRO

Our Lady of Skrpjeli, Montenegro
To read about icon of "Our Lady of Skrpjeli" proceed as follows :
- Click following link to page "Our Lady of Philerme"
http://www.smom-za.org/smom/saints/philerme.htm ; scroll to bottom
- Click link "The National Museum of Montenegro" ; scroll to bottom
- Click link "Heritage"
- Under Monuments click "Church of Mother of God of Skrpjeli"
- Scroll down page to icon of "Our Lady of Skrpjeli" , painted by the famous painter Lovro Dobricevic by the middle of the 15th century.

Links Menu

- Likewise you can explore the other links under 'Monuments'

After decades of Communist rule in former Yugoslavia Orthodox monasteries are enjoying a revival ==> excellent article centered around the Decani Monastery.

Explore Serbia http://www.serbia-info.com/enc/monuments/index.html ==> map

Treasures of Serbia http://www.kosovo.net/treasur.html ==> 16 icons

*F* The Official Website of the Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Raska and Prizren
http://www.kosovo.net/default1.html ==> Scroll down to beyond the middle of the page to see the links to byzantine art in several monasteries "The Art of our Famous Monasteries"

- *F* Art of Decani Monastery, Part 1 http://www.kosovo.net/edecani2.html ==> 6 frescoes

- *F* Art of Decani Monast., Part 2 http://www.kosovo.net/edecani2b.html ==> 4 frescoes, 1 icon

- *F* Decani frescoes. Click link that follows to be taken directly to frescoes not included above
http://www.kosovo.net/dec_frescoes.html ==> 36 frescoes

- Present-day Icon Studio : http://www.kosovo.net/icon_studio.html ==> 4 contemporary icons. See the beautiful icon of the Mother of God Glykophilousa by Fr. Arsenios to the left, higher up.

- *F* Gracanica Monastery1 : http://www.kosovo.net/gracanica1.html ==> 4 frescoes, 1 icon

- *F* Gracanica Monastery2 : http://www.kosovo.net/grac_frescoes.html ==> 11 frescoes

- *F* Patriarchate of Pec1 http://www.kosovo.net/epatriar2.html ==> 10 frescoes

- *F* Patriarchate of Pec2 http://www.kosovo.net/epatriar3.html ==> 10 images

- *F* The Church of the Holy Virgin of Ljevis in Prizren http://www.kosovo.net/ljeviska.html
==> several images, including a beautiful fresco of Christ

- Also click the remaining 3 links of "The Art of our Famous Monasteries" (above)

News from Kosovo http://www.kosovo.net or http://www.kosovo.com/index1.php.

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Zica Monastery http://www.serbia-info.com/ntos/cul_zica.htm

ST. LUKE'S SERBIAN ORTHODOX MISSION : Serbian Orthodox chants, medieval monasteries, churches, icons, iconography, prayers, fasting cookbook, articles on Orthodoxy http://www.sv-luka.org/ many links: click on Icons (or go directly to the site http://www.sv-luka.org/ikone/sericins.htm )
-- 24 old Serbian icons (very good); also click on the various monasteries, both text links and images  

St. Ephraim the Syrian's Thought and Imagery as an Inspiration to Byzantine Artists
by Zaga GAVRILOVIC, University of Birmingham, UK
http://syrcom.cua.edu/Hugoye/Vol1No2/HV1N2Gavrilovic.html
==> 27 image details of the Last Judgment, Decani Monastery

Sopocani Monastery ==> 10 frescoes and a lot of history

Sitemap with complete Fresco Archive
==> many frescoes can be enlarged to a very large size
http://blago.serbianunity.net/Archives/Sopocani/exhibits/index.html

Serbian Medieval History - Decani - Details and Frescoes http://www.suc.org/culture/history/Serb_History/Monasteries/Decani/

*F* Blago Treasure - A Wealth of Serbian frescoes. *New!*
Virtual reality catalog with panoramic pictures. http://blago.serbianunity.net./

*F* www.svetosavlje.org - Serbian Orthodox Church - Superb Frescoes of the 12th - 20th c.
http://www.svetosavlje.org/riznice/freske.htm ==> 95 frescoes     Superb!    *New!*
--- Sitemap : http://www.svetosavlje.org/mapa.htm
--- Icons of Christ : http://www.svetosavlje.org/riznice/ikonei01.htm
--- Icons of the Theotokos : http://www.svetosavlje.org/riznice/ikoneb01.htm
--- Icons of Angels : http://www.svetosavlje.org/riznice/ikonea01.htm
--- Icons of Saints : http://www.svetosavlje.org/riznice/ikones01.htm
--- Icons of special events and scenes : http://www.svetosavlje.org/riznice/ikonep01.htm
--- Churches and Monasteries : http://www.svetosavlje.org/svetinje/index.htm


The Balkans - Other Sites (Unspecified Location) 

*F* Icons, Frescoes, Holy Fathers, Monasteries and more... (OrthodoxPhotos.com)
http://www.orthodoxphotos.com/Icons_and_Frescoes/index.shtml *New!*

Pilgrimage to Orthodox Serbia *New!* http://www.stjohndc.org/russian/Serbia/e_Pilgrimage/e_PlgrmTitle.htm

Maps of Cyprus :  1  2

ICONS, FRESCOES AND MOSAICS

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