….brothers Christians drink this sweet and cold water to refresh your thirsty soul and remember Neophit the monk, from the village of Vevcani, Ohrid as he renovated it in 1877…. Lord be Praised!

The monastery has been built on the slopes of mountain Bistra, surrounded by an exuberant forest, while below, in the near vicinity the crystal waters of the Radika river flow. The monastery affords a magnificent view of the mountain of Korab as well as of the picturesque villages of Rostushe, Velebrdo, Bitushe and Trebishte.In close vicinity the Reka villages of Gari,Osoj,Tresonche, Galichnik, Rosoki and Lazaropole, the places which had given birth to a plead of builders, zographs- icon painters and wood-carvers.The monastery Bigorski had been a lighthouse and mainspring of educational activity. A great number of clergymen, monks and teachers have come out from there to spread the education through all the regions in Macedonia.According to the monastery chronicle the monastery had been built in 1021, when the old icon of St .John the Forerunner had been painted. The appearance of the present day church dedicated to St John, is similar to those in the Holy Mountain monasteries having two domes with octagonal tambours. The church had been built on rectangular dress stones and the construction appears to be very strong. Adjacent to the western side of the church there had been a porch built from wooden structure, the upper floor of which had entrance to the church, while the lower part of the porch had been used for a cell school. The original appearance of the western façade with the porch can partially be reconstructed only from a fresco which presents the archimandrite Arsenie in the male refectory. In front of the church porch a drinking fountain was built. The construction of the monasteries' lodging houses is referred to the archimandrite Arsenia, the famous prior of the Bigorski monastery. The Lodgings houses called “ Gorni Palat” (the upper palace) by the northern side of the church had been built 1814. It had been used as residence of the monastery monks, as well as for guests who used to come and visit the monastery. Later on, in 1825, additional architectural works were undertaken, as a result of this the a male and a female refectory, as well as chambers of Debar and Selce were built on the western side of the “Gorni Palat”, while lowest part has been converted in to a stable. On the projected belvedere between the female and male refectories there had been barns for cereals and they have been preserved up to the present day. On a frontal position between the refectories and the Gorni Palat there stands a former monastery kitchen with a bakery underneath, preserved to this day. For accommodating the men who has served the monastery, a separate building had been constructed in the west of the church, but only the upper parts have been preserved and conserved. On the western side, in its immediate vicinity, there is a watch tower with a ground and first floor. The keepers of the monastery – Sejmens (watchmen) used to be accommodated there. They had been armed and paid by the monastery to guard it and its estate from robberies, which have been very frequent in those regions and times.The monastery complex has preserved remnants from the old monastery built on the left side of the entrance to the monastery, which is today called “ nov konak” (new lodging house), as it was renovated in the period from 1927 to 1930 after it had been burnt ain a fire in 1912. It is presumed that there had also been a “dolni palat” (a lower palace), which might have been built between the watch tower and the so called “nov konak” , which in fact rounds up the whole monastery complex, similar as to other monasteries in Macedonia.

Frescoes of older dates, which have been preserved to date, are located on the southern wall of the so called “southern church”- a single nave one, which was discovered during the research works carried out in the eighties of the last century. When the monastery prior Mitrofan had made repairs of the existing single nave church from a ‘small one to a large and new one', the southern wall had been preserved, but it had been fortified and plastered, and the fresco had thereby been covered. Frescoes illustrated in three zones have been preserved on the particular wall: in the first zone there are figures and full postures, the second includes figures of saints in medallions, while the third zones contains scenes from the life of the Holy Virgin. The most fascinating work in this monastery are the iconostasis, archpriest's throne and the prior's chair, manufactured by the wood-carver's group of Petre Fylipovic-Garkata from Gari, with the help of his brother Marko and with active participation of a number of distinguished Miyak wood-carvers. The wood-carving works, on the iconostasis, archpriest's throne and the prior's chair lasted for 5-6 years from 1829-1835.The zographs Michail and his son Dimitar from Samarina , Epirus village, at that time painted the throne icons, the festive icons and the icons of the holy apostles for the iconostasis in the Bigorski monastery. The manufacture of the iconostasis, and the other wood carvings had been carried out concurrently with the work of the zograph icon painters, who had painted the throne icons, the festive icons and the icons of the holy apostles for the iconostasis of the Bigorski monastery. The iconostasis of the Bigorski monastery represent a monumental woodcarving work of the Miyak wood-carvers. With their accomplishment they have acquired a reputation of the best and the most wanted wood carvers on the entire Balkan Peninsula. Many scenes, compositions and individual figures have been engraved, being presented in movement and with an expressed dramatics in some scenes, like the scene with Beheading of St John. In some of the scenes the Miyak wood carvers are close to the real life: a vintager, grape vine cutter, The Salome's Dance. The beauty of the iconostasis is enriched with many animals and birds, interwoven with floral ornaments with a realistic presentment of a grape vine, flowers of narcissus, garden roses, oriental fruits, as well as the favorite motif of the Miyak wood carvers, cracked pomegranates. It may be rightfully stated that the creation of the wood carvers on the iconostasis of the Bigorski monastery are unsuppressed either by the ones on the Holy Mountain or the works of the Epirus wood carvers, not to mention the Samokov and Treven wood carvers.

….as the rumor has it, the vigilant gaze of the Sejmens from the watch tower can still be felt when approaching the monastery's gates ….