St. Friday Church - Permet

The church is located in the town of Përmet, near the Përroi i Bardhë (White Stream). Due to periodic flooding, the stream has repeatedly inundated the church over the years. An inscription carved into a stone slab indicates that the church was built in 1776 by the master builder Ilia Kristo. The wall paintings, depicting scenes from the Holy Scriptures, were completed in 1808 by the painter Terpo Zografi, while the iconostasis and wood carvings were masterfully crafted under the direction of Dhimitri from Konica. The church consists of a naos (nave), a narthex, and a portico (hayat). The naos is a three-aisled basilica with internal dimensions of 12.90 x 10.70 meters. The columns separating the aisles are connected to one another and to the perimeter walls by arches, forming rectangular bays covered by spherical domes. In the eastern section stands an intricately carved wooden iconostasis, which separates the altar area—comprising the main apse and other liturgical spaces—from the rest of the church. The naos is illuminated by windows in the eastern wall and connects to the narthex on the west; the latter is a simpler space, covered by a timber roof and lacking a ceiling. Structural evidence suggests that the narthex is a later addition. The portico, which extends along the northern side of the church, is the most architecturally elaborate element. It is open, featuring an arcade supported by stone columns, and is covered by a barrel vault. Opposite the entrance, a system of columns and pilasters forms a distinct structural space, which was later reinforced with buttresses to counteract the thrust exerted by the vaults. The church is constructed of volcanic stone (tuff) bonded with lime mortar, resulting in a relatively irregular masonry; the apse and the lower section of the eastern wall are exceptions, as the construction there is more refined and executed with greater care.