St. Nicholas Church

St. Nicholas Church is a basilica-style religious building which, according to the Codex of the Metropolis of Korça, dates back to 1757. To the west of the church stand three historic mansions, originally used to accommodate senior members of the religious community and clergy of the Metropolis. Nearby, the Church of St. Triada was constructed and later expanded with masonry works in 2006. The church is set within a spacious courtyard, featuring a bell tower and seven cypress trees. Until 1962, it was also the place where the headless body of the Albanian national priest Father Stath Melani was kept. From 1899, he preached in Albanian at the Metropolis of Përmet and was regarded by Fan Noli as a patriotic clergyman and “a great hero and martyr of Albania”. Among the church's most valuable artistic and historical elements is the iconostasis originating from the Church of Ogdunan. After religious institutions reopened in 1991, the iconostasis was transferred to St. Nicholas Church in Përmet, where it remains preserved today. This remarkable element enriches the church's artistic heritage and represents an important part of the region's religious and cultural history. Today, St. Nicholas Church is a significant cultural and historical landmark in Përmet, offering visitors the opportunity to explore the city's Orthodox heritage, traditional architecture and its important connections to the Albanian National Movement.