About The Saint Nicholas Monastery Church In Mesopotam
Just outside the village of Mesopotam there is the Saint Nicholas Monastery, a 11th century church that was built on the site of an earlier orthodox monastery complex. Some of the blocks that make part of the rear wall are thought to pre-date the arrival of Christianity because of its incurved images of an eagle, a lion, a dragon and a strange mythical creature that looks like it’s strangling itself with its tail.
Around the church are some excavations of the remains of the earlier complex on which the church was built. According to a research team of archaeologists some Hellenic stones date back to the 3rd-4th century BC, which shows a connection to Phoenice, the ancient Epirote capital. The Phoenice Archaeological Park is closeby Mesopotam, in the nearby village of Finiq.
How To Get To The Staint Nicholas Monastery Chuch In Mesopotam
Any bus between Saranda and Gjirokastra can drop you off at Mesopotam, but it would be more economical to take a rental car or tour to combine this on a trip to Phoenice. The church is located outside the village and can be reached via a track that starts at a sign “Monastiri i Mesopotamit” after the village.
