About Saint Demetrius church

Saint Demetrius church Bitola ... Is the cathedral church of Bitola and the most beautiful example of the "revival period" churches in Macedonia.
Turks didn't allow building of new churches during their occupation, but as the empire was weakening in the 18th century they started giving permissions for building of churches to keep the population happy. There were many rules to be followed like the exterior had to be without decorations and the floor of the church had to be at least one meter below the ground so the church wouldn’t dominate the skyline of the city.
Saint Demetrius church was built in 1830, as a three naved basilica with galleries and five chapels. While they had to keep the exterior modest the enterior is lavishly decorated with woodwork. The huge icon screen was made in 1845.