The Fifteen Martyrs of Tiberiopolis
On the eastern side of Strumica stands the church of the city's own patron saints: fifteen clergy of the Roman town of Tiberiopolis, killed under emperor Julian the Apostate between 361 and 363 AD and buried where the church now stands.
The building above them is modern and the ground below is ancient. That combination, a 1970s church over a 5th-century basilica and a 9th- or 10th-century predecessor, makes it one of the more intellectually interesting sites in the valley.
Who the fifteen were
Tiberiopolis is the Roman name of Strumica, and its fifteen hieromartyrs were bishops and clergy killed in the persecutions of the 360s. They have been the city's patrons ever since, and their feast day still shapes the local church calendar.
Their joint portrait, painted with crosses in the exonarthex, is described as among the oldest fresco painting in Macedonia, from the 9th or 10th century.
The archaeology under the floor
The oldest structure here is a 5th-century triple-aisled early Christian basilica with a polychrome mosaic floor depicting a cross, built directly over the martyrs' tombs. A vaulted tomb measuring about 2.0 by 0.82 metres lies in the naos.
A cross-shaped martyrium was probably added under Justinian in the 6th century, destroyed in the Slav and Avar invasions, and replaced by another cross-shaped church in the 9th or 10th century. The present single-dome church was finished in 1974, with a wooden iconostasis added in 1976, after the foundations came to light during construction work in 1972.
Visiting the complex
The site works as a church today, with a guest house in the complex, and city walking trails from the Loven Dom and Momin Bunar clusters finish here rather than starting from it.
It is roughly 19 km and about 25 minutes from the retreat, and it slots naturally into a Strumica day between the fortress above the city and lunch on the square.
Why visit
- The tomb of Strumica's fifteen patron saints
- A 5th-century mosaic floor under a working church
- Among the oldest fresco painting in Macedonia
- A building history from the 360s to 1974
- The end point of the city's marked walking trails
Good to know
Getting there
Roughly 19 km and about 25 minutes by road from Gabrovo, on the eastern side of Strumica.
When to go
Year-round. It is busiest on the saints' feast day and around the February carnival, when the city celebrates its patrons.
Good to combine
The fortress above the city, then this church, then the square and market: a half-day that covers Strumica's whole story.
Frequently asked questions
Who were the Fifteen Martyrs?
Is the church itself ancient?
Can we see it with the fortress in one visit?
More to explore
Stay at the hacienda
Add the martyrs' church to any Strumica day. It explains why the city exists where it does, which no other site does as clearly.