Description of the attraction
On Grets Square, in the center of Kotor, there is the Church of St. Luke, which is one of the most famous landmarks of this place.
Prince Maur Katsefarangi built this church in 1195 and it was Catholic until 1657. During the war between the Ottoman Empire and the Venetian Republic, many Orthodox believers took refuge in Kotor, the city administration allowed refugees to hold Orthodox services and rituals in the church. It was at this time that two altars appeared here: both Orthodox and Catholic. This went on for about 150 years, until the French occupation began in Kotor.
Today the church of St. Luke is Orthodox. The main value of the church can be considered particles of the relics of St. Luke the Apostle and the holy martyrs Orestes, Mardarius and Auxentius. Some fragments of frescoes from the early 17th century are also preserved here, and in the nearby chapel there is not only a unique iconostasis, where Jesus Christ is depicted as King, but also some frescoes by Italian and Cretan painters of the early 18th century. Until the first third of the 20th century, burials of the inhabitants of Kotor took place in the church of St. Luke, therefore the entire floor of the church is made of these gravestones.
Today the temple opens only on holidays and during the tourist season, and the rest of the time it is closed. An interesting fact is that in 1979 during the earthquake, the Church of St. Luke remained the only building that was not damaged.
