Our Church

    The precious role of the orthodox youth as the present and the future of the church and its spiritual progress, was highlighted by Archbishop Anastasios since the beginning of the rebuilding of the church in Albania.         He expressed the main purpose of the youth, which is the union and the participation in the body of Christ through four aspects: Growth in

  The Holy Synod of the Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania consists of: His Beatitude Anastasios, Archbishop of Tirana, Durres and all Albania as its Leader; His Eminence Ignat, Metropolitan of Berati; His Eminence Joan, Metropolitan of Korca; His Eminence Dhimiter, Metropolitan of Gjirokastra; His Eminence Nikolla, Bishop of Apollonia and Fier; His Eminence Andon, Bishop of Elbasan; His Eminence Nathaniel, Metropolitan of Amantia and

Icon-painting   Byzantine       The earliest portable icons in Albania come from the twelfth, thirteenth, and fourteenth centuries.  The Virgin Hodegetria of Boria (Korytsa) and the Virgin of Blasti, in a cave at the Great Prespa Lake, are considered to be among the loveliest creations of Byzantine art. The works which have survived in this region are deeply influenced by the artistic idiom of the

As regards art, the most helpful division seems to be one into periods of culture. The first is that of the Early Christian monuments, from the fourth to the eighth century. The second is the Byzantine period, from the mid-eighth century to the fifteenth century. The third covers the post-Byzantine period and the Turkish occupation (1501-1912).   Architecture    Early Christian     The monuments which

Since 1937 till our days The granting of canonical Autocephalous Status by the Ecumenical Patriarchate, during the tenure of the Patriarch Benjamin I, opens a new period for the Church of Albania. The Patriarchal Synodical Tome, "Concerning the Blessing of the Autocephalous Status of the Orthodox Church in Albania", was issued on April 17th, 1937. After canonical elections at the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the first Synod

From 1767 until 1937     The fourth period (1767 – 1937) stretches from the abolition of the autocephalous status of the Archbishopric of Ohrid to the canonical grant of autocephalous status to the Orthodox Church of Albania. The key event in this period was the formation of the Albanian State in 1912. During this period there was a reorganization of the metropolises and episcopates. New

  From the Beginning of Ninth Century until 1767 During this period we can distinguish two chronological periods, the dividing line being the Ottoman Conquest. In the first, the Archbishopric of Ohrid was founded in the year 1018, after the collapse of Samuel's Bulgarian state, and the Emperor Basil II issued three bulls (the Emperor's decision on ecclesiastical issues) giving a total of 32 ecclesiastical

  From 731 A.D. to the 11th Century The second period (from 731 A.D. to the beginning of the eleventh century) commences with the union of East Illyricum with the Ecumenical Patriarchate and dependence of many of the episcopates of [modern?] Albania under the Autocephalous Archbishopric of Ohrid. In this area there were turmoil after turmoil, and the Christian population went through greahttp://www.orthodoxalbania.org/English/Brief History/BH Book2apic.htmt

  From Apostolic times to 731 Writing from Corinth to the Romans in 55-57 A. D., the Apostle Paul records that he was acting with holy zeal "so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ" (Romans 15:18-19).http://www.orthodoxalbania.org/English/Brief History/BH Book1bpic.htm By "unto Illyricum," he probably meant that he included Illyricum, which in the first century A.D. was