Church of the Nativity in Arbanasi

Overview

The Church of the Nativity is located in the southwestern part of Arbanassi. It is a massively built stone building, sheltered under the wide slopes of a three-pitched tile roof.

This is the earliest and most richly decorated church in the village of Arbanassi. It was built in several stages. The oldest layer of frescoes is from the end of the 16th century.

It consists of a nave, a narthex, a gallery, and a chapel dedicated to St. John the Baptist.

The entire interior of the church is covered with paintings of icons. The Wheel of Life is the most impressive mural in the church gallery. The iconostasis is a magnificent work of art in wooden sculpture. The greatest part of the northern wall is occupied by a large-scale composition “Drevo Jesseevo” (the family tree of Jesus Christ). In this scene, the biggest by surface area, the genealogy of Christ’s family is represented. Above the arch, the Christ Pantocrator is described, with an image of angelic ranks, Mary, John the Baptist, and the four evangelists with their symbols.

The Church of the Nativity is part of a complex from where the largest metropolitanate on the Balkan Peninsula - Tarnovo - was ruled.