The church of Saint Demetrius in the village of Teshovo, hidden among the southern slopes of Pirin, welcomes the faithful believers for the holiday with shining frescoes, after a long restoration and conservation.
The church complex was built in the period 1843-1844 on the site of an older Orthodox temple which probably existed from the 8th-9th century. The consecration of the church took place on Saint Demetrius Day in 1871 and to this day the holiday is the most important event in the life of the village.
The Saint Demetrius Church is a three-nave pseudo-basilica with a semicircular apse. The built dome visually increases the interior space and the light entering it, and the acoustics of the church is remarkable.
The rich wall paintings are interesting in terms of drawing and plot - apart from the traditional biblical scenes, they depict historical memories of the former greatness of Bulgaria. It is the work of the painter Mino and his two sons Marko and Teofil from the Bundovtsi family from the village of Karakoi (today's Greece).
The monumental iconostasis is in three orders - royal, festive and prophetic. The wood carving impresses with fine figures and braids, masterfully carved from walnut wood. The built-in icons are of exceptional artistic value - most of them are the work of Dimitar Molerov-Molera, a prominent representative of the Bansko School of Art.
The magnificent church plays a decisive role in the preservation of spirituality in Teshovo. And although the village is located in one of the most remote corners of Bulgaria, and the remaining some 100 Teshovo residents living there today are elderly, the church enjoys great attention and care.
Every year on October 26, Saint Demetrius Day attracts guests from the entire South-Western part of Bulgaria, but also from more distant corners of the country, even from neighboring Greece. According to the legend, whoever is sick and spends the night in the temple before the holiday, is healed by Saint Demetrius and the trust has been preserved to this day.
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Photos: Elena Karkalanova, Facebook/Teshovo
Editing by Elena Karkalanova
Published by Rositsa Petkova
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