Page 532 - Kosovo Metohija Heritage

Čabići, Saint Nicholas Church
Čabići, Saint Nicholas Church: scenes from the life of St. Nicholas, St. Simeon, St. Sava and the Holy Anargyroi
Čabići, Saint Nicholas Church after its destruction, 1999
12. Pogradje, Lower Church
The cemetery church, today dedicated to Holy anargy- roi Cosmas and Damian, most probably originally had St. Nicholas as its patron, while, subsequently, the villagers gathered there on the holiday of St. Demetrius. Modest one-nave and semi-oval vaulted space is without narthex and with semi-circular niches which mark the prothesis,
altar apse and diaconicon. From the outside, the altar apse is semi-circular. The only entrance with arch and lunette is on the western wall, while the three remaining façades have a small window without ornaments. The architectural char- acteristic of this church is the elevated floor to the level of solea (elevated part in front of the altar) by one stair. The preserved fresco fragments indicate that the approximate time of its building can be considered the second half of the 16th century. Today, wall paintings include the zone of standing figures and some compositions from the cycle of Great Feasts. as to the style, drawings and the bright col- ors of paintings are of a standard quality and indicate to the average talent of an anonymous painter. Having been ru- ined for a long time, the church was renewed during ex- tensive restoration works in the 1964–1967 period, domed and covered with two-gutter roof with stone blocks, while the wall paintings underwent conservation and were cleaned from the layers of soot and salt.
13. Čabići, Church of Saint Nicholas
The medieval settlement of Čabići was the biggest vil- lage of the Dečani estate mentioned in chrysobulls (official documents with a gold seal) in mid-16th century. a modest, one-nave, semi-ovally vaulted church built with trimmed stone and covered by stone blocks on two-guttered roof was erected there at the end of the 16th century or at the beginning of the 17th century. The only ornament decorat- ing the eastern and western façades is a slightly raised arch marking the contour of the dome. The altar apse is three- sided from outside and semi-circular in its interior, while prothesis and diaconicon are replaced by the pairs of nich- es. The iconostasis was built subsequently with two pas- sages to the altar. it was built to the height of the dome and had icons on a board. There is one narrow window on the apse and on the southern wall. The interior is decorated by frescos with the repertoire which, above the zone of stand- ing figures, represents the cycles of Great Feasts and the life of patron. judging by bright colors, insecure drawing and miniature proportions of figures, the paintings were painted by a painter of modest talent, more inclined to ico-
Mlečane, remains of frescos
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