After a very steep climb on my hike from Prilep to Treskavec Monastery in Macedonia, I was greeted by this model of a church in the middle of a field which will never be harvested due to its inaccessibility and altitude. I thought I had been duped and that there wasn’t any real monastery and that I had hiked for 10 km into the mountains under the glaring sun to see this toy.

I didn’t mind because the view was spectacular.

After a long rest (with lots of healthy fruits for lunch) I continued and finally found the real Treskavec Monastery.

I actually saw these models of churches many times in Macedonia, often outside the real church, sometimes isolated. Does anyone know anything about their purpose?

(Zur deutschen Fassung.)