Saint Anne’s Church (Panajotopulla) above the village of Derviçan dates back to the 16th century and is a first-category cultural monument, but it is little known by visitors.
The Gjirokastër Regional Directorate of Cultural Heritage provided data on this cultural monument.
The Church of Saint Anne is built on a high plateau above the village of Derviçan, in a territory filled with ruins of an ancient settlement. The church is small with internal dimensions of 4.5 x 2.9 m, but it is interesting in terms of its structural construction. It is in the form of a hall covered with a cylindrical vault. Pillars protrude from the longitudinal walls, which are connected by arches in both directions. The circular arches serve as the ribs of the vault while the longitudinal ones serve as support for this vault, creating niches in the northern and southern walls.
The altar area is separated by an iconostasis wall, which has two entrances and two places for large icons. The apse of the sanctuary extends outward in a circular shape. Lighting is very limited and comes from small windows above the western gate and in the apse.
The steepness of the terrain on which the church is built facilitated the construction of a semi-buried crypt in the rock. It has a square shape with a column in the middle, which is connected to the perimeter walls by arches, creating four square chambers, two of which are covered with domes, while the other two with cylindrical vaults.
The masonry is built with layered stones, with regular placement. The church is devoid of any decorative processing. The only decorative elements are the niche above the gate and the double window above it covered with tufted arches.
