The mosaics in Oktisi

      Not far from Struga, another early-Christian basilica has been found, near the village of Oktisi. The excavations have been commenced ever since 1927, and continued in 1958. The basilica is three-naval, with a narthex and baptistery, it is dated around the 5^thth or 6^thth century. The baptistery, which has square basis, is abundant with mosaics with the images of: deer, horses, cantharoses, flowers and trees. What captivates the greatest attention is the mosaic placed in the narthex.

      In a rectangular space marked with a double plait, the subsequent composition has been painted: from the left and from the right side there is a decoration performed by rectangular and rhomboid fields. The central composition represents a facade of a building, frontally with four pillars with a scene – cantharos flanked with two birds drinking water, and between the pillars there is an icon lamp hanging.

      In front of the facade, there is a cantharos where two lambs drink water – a composition that portrays an allusion of the heavenly habitats. In other words the complete composition designates the “Spring of life” – the Fountain of life, which reminds us of the analogous illustrations of the Fountain of life in the Carolinian manuscripts.