Opening of the House of the Miyaks ethno-restaurant

“House of the Miyaks” or “Bigorski Anovi” is the first ethno-restaurant built by Bigorski Monastery, which aims to develop religious and rural tourism in the Miyak region of Western Macedonia. On the eve of the patronal feast day of Bigorski Monastery of St. John the Baptist, Metropolitan Debarsko-kichevski Timotej blessed the building.

The first ethno-restaurant dedicated to Miyak culture and tradition is located on the corner of the road that leads to the Monastery, right next to the regional road to Debar. It is far more than an ethno-restaurant, it is, in fact, a kind of restaurant-museum of Miyak culture, built entirely in the spirit of Miyak tradition. The House of the Miyaks will be managed by Jonche Nikolovski from Tetovo.

The building captivates the eye with its architecture, built of stone, and is completely in the spirit of traditional Miyak culture. The House of Miyaks consists of a ground floor and two upper floors. There are four guest rooms for overnight stays. The other two floors with an area of about 500 m2 are intended for the multi-room restaurant, decorated with traditional wooden ceilings and rosettes, fireplaces, mosaics, harmoniously playful ornamentation in the revival style, characteristic of the Miyak region in the 19th century, antique chandeliers and lamps, wooden benches and screens… An additional contribution to the authenticity of the setting is that the waiters and other employees will be dressed in stylized Miyak costumes.

A special beauty of the restaurant is added by the two spacious open verandas, one on the ground floor and the other on the first floor, which is distinguished by its beautiful view of the Radika River and the green mountain forest. Also, a pleasant and peaceful place to sit is the wide summer garden, located in the yard.

Apart from the beautiful ornamentation, the walls of the House of the Miyaks are also decorated with black and white photos of prominent Miyak clergy, voivods, revivalists, teachers, social workers, and artists…, but also of segments of daily Miyak life, customs, costumes, and more. Together, the architecture, interior and exterior, furniture, decorations, photos, food, music, and ambiance, make the House of the Miyaks much more than an ordinary ethno-restaurant. In fact, it is a kind of restaurant museum, a kind of memorial to the celebrated Miyaks’ past.

Indeed, the House of the Miyaks is a beautiful decoration for the valley of the clear Radika River, an ornament so harmoniously integrated with the surrounding nature that when you look at it, you have the impression that it is simply fused and related to the whole environment and ennobles the whole area. It is a place where one can rest free from everyday responsibilities and worries, and calmly sail through the past centuries, learn something more about the history of the region and enjoy the wonderful atmosphere and food, says Bigorski Monastery.

The whole restaurant was originally envisioned by Fr. Partenij, abbot of Bigorski Monastery.

“It is believed that the celebrated Miyak tribe, which produced our most prominent churches, educational, cultural, and social figures, comes from an old noble family. Apart from this idea, we have the highly developed spiritual and material culture of the Miyaks. Throughout history, they have been distinguished by the noblest human characteristics: faith, piety, patriotism, chastity, learning, diligence, courage, and determination. Nourished by the pure waters of the Orthodox Christian faith, they left a great and lasting mark on the spiritual culture of the Macedonian people, which, in turn, had a strong impact on our material culture as well,” points out Fr. Partenij.

“In this way, a special Miyak culture was created, which is characterized by its high aesthetic achievements. To this day, the Miyaks are widely known for their particularly beautiful architecture, their unique, aristocratic costumes, and deeply meaningful folk customs... And there is, of course, traditional Miyak food, recognizable by its refined, gourmet taste. The House of the Miyaks is built completely in traditional Miyak style, aiming to bring the spirit of the Miyak culture to visitors and guests in every aspect: location, ambiance, history, food,” explains Fr. Partenij.

This ethno-restaurant is a great place for all those who come to visit the monastery, especially those who organize baptisms and weddings there, who can then enjoy wonderful Miyak cuisine after the ceremony with their friends.