Church of St. Sophia, Republic of North Macedonia

In September 2018, CyArk documented St. Sophia Church on the shores of Lake Ohrid in the Republic of North Macedonia. Several months prior, CyArk was contacted by an architect from the city of Ohrid who requested assistance documenting some of the monuments in the historic old town, part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. CyArk began discussions with the Ministry of Culture and decided to complete work on St. Sophia Church in advance of an upcoming conservation program. CyArk documented the exterior of the church with additional high resolution capture focusing on the frescoes located on the interior. In addition to the documentation work, CyArk staff also provided a workshop to the Ministry of Culture of Macedonia as well as local architects from Ohrid.

The paintings covering the walls of St. Sophia Church document four centuries of achievement in Byzantine art. The earliest frescoes covering the walls encapsulate the period before the separation of Christian churches into the east and west. Commissioned by Ohrid Archbishop Leo, the paintings reflect his Eastern Orthodox beliefs tied to religious leaders in Constantinople. Paintings of St. Cyril of Salonika and St. Clement of Ohrid are the earliest images of these saints in Byzantine art still preserved today. Later paintings from the middle of the 14th century depict the Legend of Joseph from the Old Testament, displaying one of the most extensive depictions of this scene painted during the middle ages.