Collection of manuscripts

One of the most significant collections held by NI Institute and Museum-Ohrid is the collection of manuscripts formed with very opening of the museum in 1951. It contains 100 manuscripts and two folders with fragments of various manuscripts, homily and hagiographic literature, liturgical texts and musical notations.

Most manuscripts were written by different variants of the Greek alphabet, starting from the first half of the 10th century, up to the 19th century, and manuscripts in the Slavic alphabet were created from the 14th to the 16th century.

The oldest and most luxurious manuscripts in the collection are created in the scriptorium centers around Constantinople and Salonika from the first half of the 10th century, while the majority are copied from local clergy for liturgical needs.

Important places in this collection take 14 manuscripts with musical notations with ecphonetic signs and with neumas, making it one of the richest collections of such manuscripts in the region. Particular significance among these has the Stychirion, written in 11th century in the vicinity of Constantinople, which is a precious example of early Byzantine neumatsic notation.

Manuscripts that are preserved op to date, with varied content and ornamental illumination in different styles, text with music notes, manuscripts with Service of St. Clement of Ohrid, samples connected to the scriptorium centers in Constantinople, authentic manuscripts written by local priests, remarkable for the variety of documents of historical importance, make this collection extremely important with great scientific, cultural and artistic value.

© 2017 NI Institute for protection of monuments of culture and museum - Ohrid
Developed by Webmaster