As part of a daytrip from Tetovo we visited two churches in the village Zubovce. The church dedicated to St Marena is known under several names such as St Great Martyr Marina (in Western Christianity known as St Margaret of Antioch) and Ognena Marija (Mary of Fire).
According to a marmer plaque in the church, St Marena was built in 1851 and renovated in 1990. Remarkably, Wikipedia gives 1845 as date of construction. A wooden sign outside the church says that the ancillary buildings around the church were built in 2013-2014. The inside of the church is quite modest and not very spectacular.
The feast of St. Marina takes place on July 30, when the church grounds can accommodate quite a large celebration. There is extensive outdoor seating, giving the area almost the feel of an open-air restaurant. Location.
We were lucky to meet the caretaker of St Marena at the cemetery of Zubovce, when we had a look at the Church of St Nikola. The caretaker came with us to open St Marena for us.
The church of St Nikola is located on the cemetery of Zubovce. The exact construction date of St Nikolas is unknown, it is suggested to be from the 19th century and the bell tower is from 2004. Location.
Other places that we visited during this daytrip from Tetovo were the Church of St Nikola in Chelopek, the ruins of St Mala Bogorodica and St Ilija in Stenche, the springs of the river Vardar and St Archangel Michael in Vrutok. The next and last stop was St Nikola in Galate.
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