Resuming my photojournalism series highlighting Balkan churches, this post features an especially interesting and beautiful church in North Macedonia – The Church of Saint George in the village of Staro Nagoričane.

The church bears a unique form and history. It was originally built in the 10^th century, almost certainly as a three-aisle basilica. It was likely later abandoned and ruinous, if indeed it had ever been completed. The monastery was refounded and rebuilt by Serbian King Stephan Milutin in 1312 or 1313. At that time the church was rebuilt as a domed cross-in-square plan – typical for late-Byzantine churches.

The church exhibits a clear distinction between the two building phases. The lower half of the exterior is large blocks of stone from the 10^th century, and the upper half is the typical brick-and-stone banding of the 14^th century. At the interior, two bays of the original basilica arcades remain at the western part of the nave – including a pair of round stone columns. But the rest of the interior was completely remodeled according to the cross-in-square plan.

The round columns at the west end of the nave, which most likely remain in place from the 10th century.

This church is especially interesting to me because a great many contemporary Orthodox churches use a similar hybrid floor plan – a basilica style nave with arches and columns followed by a large domed crossing. A hybrid plan of this kind is actually very rare in the historic record. Nevertheless, the hybrid plan seems to suit the needs of modern parish churches especially well. The domed space in front of the iconostasis gives the unique liturgical feel of an Orthodox space, while the extended nave gives room for the congregation to stand. Most of my own church designs follow some version of this plan.

Given that very few historic churches exhibit this hybrid plan, I was especially pleased to visit the Church of Saint George and experience the space. It is indeed a capacious and comfortable church, and every vantage point offers complex and mysterious views through the layered spaces.

Looking west from transept, towards the basilica-nave.

The frescoes were painted in 1317 by Michael Astrapas and Eutychios – a prime example of the refined and classical work of the Palaiologan Renaissance. The relatively large cupola windows give plenty of light with which to see them, and their cool blue-gray palette gives the sense of a church full of light, but calm and silent.

I hope you enjoy the photos I captured during my visit.

The templon-style iconostasis, with the original plaster-and-fresco icons.

Our tour group, with Serbian guide Ivan Krucican. June 2023. Our tour was organized by Fr. Ilya Gotlinsky/Orthodox Tours, and sponsored by the Orthodox Arts Journal.

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