Monastery of Ravenna

Goranxia is a village which is located in Dropulli e Poshtem, only 9 km from the city of Gjirokastra. In the center of the village is the church of St. George and in the continuation of the gorge is located on top of a proud hill, the church of St. Thanas. The special rocky landscape of the area makes it very suitable for climbing with equipment for all those who are passionate about this sport.

Further we continue the road to the monastery, at an altitude of 300m, 3.6km away from the village center. This monastery is dedicated to the "Sleep of the Goddess", a holiday which is celebrated every year on August 15 by the inhabitants of minority villages. Before reaching the monastery we pass through a path which leads to the purification baths of the monks, a very intimate environment systematized and surrounded by the rich vegetation of the area.

The church consists of the nave, the narthex and the exonarthex. The nave is of the cross-shaped type with a triapsidal dome and has internal dimensions of 6.80x5.60 meters. The church is built of properly laid layer stones. The church drum is octagonal and ornate.

Also the frame under the roof consists in the form of teeth alternating with straight rows.
The church was built in 1600 by the hieromonk Christopher. This is confirmed by an inscription carved in stone on the west gate inside the narthex.
The apse of the church is five-sided. On the apse of the southern wall inside the church is the inscription: "Prayer of the servant of the god Hjokë Quriakut, from the village of Mashkullore". On a wooden seal is written: "The seal of the Most Holy Goddess, nicknamed the ravenia, over the village of Goranxi 1622".

This monastery is thought to have been built in the time of Emperor Justinian in the century. 6 and is enriched with modern paintings in the 16th century. The unique architecture of this monastery makes you think that it is a mixture of oriental and Gothic art, which explains the name of the monastery Raveniotissa (from Ravenna, Italy) and the unique statues that decorate the sacred space within it.