| Built on a rocky plateau, the monastery of the Holy Mother of God Eleusa is located in the village of Veljusa, about seven kilometers west of Strumica. The bishop Manuel of Strumica made this monastery, dedicated to the Holy Mother of God (Holy Virgin) Eleusa of Tenderness, in 1080. In 1913, having decided to abandon the monastery, the monks set it on fire. This event damaged the fresco painting to a great extent. Today, the monastery’s original architecture has been preserved and it represents a rare structure of the 11th century in Macedonia. Today, the monastery is the home of the monastic sisterhood of Strumica. There are auxiliary buildings on the premises including a clock tower, a bakery, an inn, and a small chapel dedicated to the Apostle and Saint Paul and to Saint Gregory Palamas.
|