The Monastery of Mesopotamia in Albania is located in the southern part of the village of Mespotam in the district of Saranda , very close to Finiq . In the beginning, there was a pagan temple and the Church of Saint Kolli was built on its ruins, it is thought to have been built at the time of the Byzantine emperor Constantine IX Monomachus.
The Church of St. Nicholas has a very special Byzantine-style architecture. The ruins of the surrounding walls covering an area of about 100 m are preserved from the monastery and are controlled by 7 rectangular towers. The surrounding walls are earlier than the church that still exists. The rooms of the monastery were built later. This is one of the largest and oldest churches of the Byzantine period that preserves great values.
The outer walls are built of large limestone stones. It is notable for the ornamentation and mosaics with animal motifs as well as for the brick decoration of the exterior walls. The wall decorations are in different forms, for example: an eagle, two dragons and a lion on one side, while on the other side there is a mythological animal. The church has a large hall inside and two small ones.
The still-preserved hall mosaic depicts a dragon with open wings. The church had two reconstructions in the years 1793 and 1845, these reconstructions have greatly changed the appearance of the church and it is thought that it has lost many values.
