The North Basilica is one of the three Early Christian churches at Stobi which have a baptistery. The building was discovered in 1937 and there were some excavations in 1955 as well. The term North Basilica was applied according to its location, at the north part of the town.

THE NORTH BASILICA

Previous Next

The Basilica has three aisles with an open atrium at the western side which can be entered by the steps from the street of Via Principalis Inferior. The floor of the atrium is paved with sandstone slabs. Very interеsting is the small pool formed by marble slabs above which there is a three partite niche. From the atrium one can enter the narthex or the other rooms around the nave.

 

The floor of the nave is paved with tiles and the aisles are separated by colonnades. The columns are founded on stylobate constructed from the marble seats of the theatre.

 

At the north side of the church there is a baptistery with a hexagonal piscina. The baptistery was entered from a small rectangular room with a mosaic floor, determined as a cathecumenion. The room is also connected with the atrium. The mosaic is divided in eight squares containing representations of birds and a kantharos. 

 

The church was built towards the end of the 5th or the beginning of the 6th century AD. Later, during the Middle Ages, the area of the ruined basilica was used as a cemetery. There are 23 graves from the 9th – 12th century discovered and only one from the 14th century. The last grave contained 80 silver coins of Serbian kings and the Venetian Republic. There also was a silver plate with a relief decoration which might have been produced somewhere in the West.

Archaeological lexicon

© 2010 Stobi | Powered by Seavus

Contact Us +389 43 251 026