Onufri Museum – The Cathedral of the “Assumption of Saint Mary” (18th century)

Cultural asset

The date preserved on the door of the nave indicates that the church was rebuilt in 1797. This is one of the most representative monuments of Byzantine architecture in the city. It is a three-naved basilica covered with arches and domes. 

The nave floor is paved with stone slabs, and in the center there is a solar mosaic and calendar which provides as visual chart if the Christian cosmos. On the western wall of the nave is a carefully crafted wooden gallery for musicians or for women’s prayers. Dating back to 1806 the iconostasis, carved from wood and is covered in gold leaf, remains in good condition. The altar area, on the east, preserves parts from the original fresco. In this cathedral, the two famous Codexes of Berat were hidden. Outside the church, on the southern side is the colonnaded portico built with pillars of different styles. Next to the portico is the church tower, whose stone steps can still be climbed. 

Currently, the Cathedral houses the “Onufri” National Iconographic Museum where some of the most famous icons of Albanian artists have been collected from different churches in Beratand are now exhibited in this museum.

Contact

Contact person: Arjan Prifti, Anila Droboniku
Telephone/Fax: 032232248, 0692329300
Opening/visiting hours: 1 May to 30 September every day 9.00 -18.00, 1 October to 30 Aprile Tuesday to Saturday 9.00-16.00, Monday closed and Sunday 10.00-15.00
Website: www.muzeumet-berat.al
E-mail: [email protected]