Slepche Monastery (also known as St. Jovan Pretecha Monastery and Prodrom Monastery) – a monastery located about 3 km from Slepce, Demir Hisar Municipality.
The monastery “St. Jovan Pretecha” is one of the largest and well-preserved monastery complexes in the area of Zheleznik and beyond, located under the slopes of Mount Ilinica, above the village of Slepce.
The monastery dates back to the 5th century, that information exists on a folding map. The rise of the Monastery was experienced in the time of St. Clement, when it became the stauropygial monastery of the Archbishop of Ohrid. The monastery grew into a large scriptorial center, which worked for the needs of the archdiocese. At that time, books were transcribed, translated from ancient Greek and Latin for the needs of the Ohrid archdiocese, but creativity also developed in the monastery, theological-philosophical treatises were written, proceedings, etc. One of the oldest preserved artifacts is an Apostle dating from the second half of the 10th century and the 11th century, it is a palimpsest, and also the oldest copy of the Slavic translation of the Apostle directly from the pen of the holy brothers Cyril and Methodius. This manuscript is also the oldest preserved Slavic Apostle, and today it bears the Latin name Praxapostolos slepcensis among scholars. The long and active monastic life is evidenced by the preserved Slepcen Monuments, which by their number exceed the great Balkan monasteries.
The reputation of the monastery, both during its earlier history and later, attracted founders and followers among the Byzantine emperors, the Urgo-Wallachian dukes and the most powerful Macedonian nobles, princes from the time of the Ottoman period, rich tenants of the mines in Zheleznec and Demir Hisar. In the long history of the Monastery towards the end of the 13th century, the Byzantine Emperor Michael VIII – Paleologus and his wife, the Empress Teodora Dukina Vatatsina, are recorded as founders, and their names are recorded in the oldest preserved Slepchen Monument under no. 1/116 located in Odessa, R. Ukraine. Then, as contributors, the Urgo-Wallachian dukes met in the XV century, and Prince Dimitar Kratovski in the middle of the XVI century.
The monastery is also mentioned in 1010, that is, before the famous battle between the Macedonian king Samoil and the Greek king Basil II, which took place in Belasica in 1014 and ended with the tragic blindness of Samoil’s soldiers. The blinded army, after the battle, remained in the area of today’s Slepce village, which, according to this historical event, got its name, probably the army rested in the monastery and continued its way to Prespa. According to some traditions, the daughter of King Samuel appears as the founder of the western lodge.
Source: Wikipedia
Tour
(under construct.)
Bike trails nearby:
Mountain trails nearby:
