Mesopotam Monastery

The monastery church of Saint Nicholas at Mesopotam stands between two branches of the Bistrica, which is where the name comes from, and it dates from around the end of the twelfth century, an unusual building with two domes rather than one over a rectangular plan, in banded stone and brick with a walled enclosure and later monastic buildings around it. The exterior stonework carries carved relief panels of animals and figures, lions, birds and mythological creatures, set into the walls, which are not typical of Byzantine church decoration in the region and have been much discussed. The interior is largely stripped. It sits in flat farmland near the road between Saranda and Gjirokastra and is easy to stop at.

What you actually see

• Two domes on one church - an unusual plan for the region.
• Carved animal reliefs - lions, birds and creatures set into the walls.
• Banded stone and brick - the twelfth-century masonry.
• The walled enclosure - the monastic precinct around the church.

When to go

April to October. One hour, as a stop on the Saranda to Gjirokastra road. The church is often locked and access depends on finding the keeper in the village. Mornings are best for the carvings.

Honest expectations

It is frequently locked and the keeper may not be found, in which case you see the exterior only. The interior is bare. There is no interpretation. Facilities amount to nothing. The carvings are weathered.

Nearby

Saranda is south-west; the Blue Eye lies north on the same road.