Postcard from Korca

The Resurrection of Christ Orthodox cathedral in Korca wasn't consecrated until 2004, which just goes to show how slow the growth of organized religion in Albania has been since the 50-year dry of Communism-as-religion, when churches were converted to things like laundry facilities or simply destroyed.

The icons you can just barely see in the picture are new. They were painted in the Orthodox tradition by workers at church's icon studio (which I would really like to visit someday).

While the Orthodox Church is being revived in Albania, most people seem to belong to the church only nominally, and many people I spoke to could not answer my questions about their traditions or history. So if anyone knows the significance of the mini-pilgramage in which you walk around the perimeter of the church with thin candles, and then stick them in a basin of sand, please let me know.

Posted by Ree in Albania on 01/May/2006