Dormition Church, Labovë e Kryqit
Kisha e Shën Mërisë, Labovë e Kryqit
An ancient Byzantine church in a mountain village, said to have been built under Emperor Justinian, and one of the oldest churches in Albania.
The Dormition Church lies in the village of Labovë, about 20 km southeast of Gjirokastër. Tradition holds that it was built by the 6th-century Byzantine emperor Justinian. The surviving structure is mainly a cross-domed building from the 10th to 13th centuries. Its outer walls alternate stone and brick, and its semicircular apse is typically Byzantine. Some frescoes and an icon screen survive inside. According to legend, the church once housed a fragment of the True Cross, which gave the village its name, Labovë of the Cross. The site requires a car or hired vehicle on winding mountain roads, and you need to find a village caretaker to open the church.
Opening hours
Daytime only; call the caretaker to unlock
Nearby sights
- Libohovë Castle
- Antigonea Archaeological Park
- Gjirokastër Cold War Tunnel
- Gjirokastër Castle
- Gjirokastër Old Bazaar
- Bazaar Mosque, Gjirokastër
- Ismail Kadare House
- Skënduli House