St. George Monastery
Let’s explore Valandovo and its surrounding area, let’s feel the summer heat or the mild winter, let’s admire to the giant plane trees. Let’s taste its famous fruits – pomegranate, or enjoy rakiya. Whether you prefer to explore prehistoric places, nature, religious objects or just wander around, you will enjoy a day in Valandovo.
This cache will show you a religious place which is very important to Valandovo citizens. A church, built in honour of the spiritual warrior St George in 1344, stands over the town, in the picturesque part of the Plavush mountain, at the locality called 'The Monastery.'
Plunged in dense greenery, the St George Church, has been existing for seven centuries. For Valandovo citizens it is a symbol of endurance, as it has been set on fire, demolished to the ground and rebuilt by the faithful.
St. George
Today, it is small, modest church, not attractive as before, but rather significant for believers from Valandovo region. The single-nave church stands at the edge of a valley on a holy place, locals refer to as 'The Monastery'. The monastery complex has become an attractive location for Orthodox believers and nature-fans, offering grandiose views and cold water springs. Few existing notes point out that in its time the Church was an exquisite temple of God - a mixture of the Mediterranean, Oriental and European architecture. The church was erected in 1344 by unknown builders.
The church was also known as a treasury of artifacts - books, manuscripts, icons, frescoes - also confirmed by Ottoman traveller Evliya Chelebiya, who visited the St George monastery in the middle of the 17th century. In his travelogue, Chelebiya wrote: 'I went inside, took a good look and I curiously watched. It is an artistically built monastery in a mountainous place, enclosed with high and thick walls and an iron gate like a fortress. All of the domes of the church have been covered with lead. Those who understand architecture are amazed by this monastery. The festive bowls are artistically made, and the hanging lamps, the pillars, the marble floors and the beautiful frescos painted on the walls, were all made like precious stones and are so interesting, there is no such monastery even in the lands of monasteries”. The monastery is rich with cold and curative water springs. According to the locals, the water is used to cure all kinds of diseases, and it is most useful for those who have eye problems. It is worth coming here!'
The Monastery yard
The cache is a small white plastic container.
Please, be very careful when getting out, logging and putting back the cache, in order to protect it of Muggles! In case of lost of the cache the owner can visit the location and restore it only 1-2 per year! Thanks.
Be aware of snakes!!! Check the place with a stick or some branch first!
Sources: Internet. Photos: Internet and original (by Galejnik)