In the suburb of Elbasan, near the highway to Tirana, in the village of Shijon stands a charming church dedicated to St. John Vladimir (Kisha e Shën Gjon Vladimirit), former ruler of Doclea and Serbia. It was built in 1381, making it one of the oldest surviving churches in all of Albania. It is the centre of the Orthodox monastery, which gradually grew up around the church.
In the 18th century, the church became the seat of the newly established Archdiocese of Durrës. The Elbasan Gospel Manuscript, the oldest piece of Albanian Orthodox literature, was written there by one of the archbishops from 1768 to 1772. It is noteworthy since it is the sole surviving document written in the so-called Elbasan alphabet of Albanian.
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