The old church at Drev is built on a knoll amid an ancient landscape full of early remains. The church is the oldest preserved church in this province, dating from around 1170. There are traces of blocked-up doorways and windows in the walls. The men’s entrance was on the south side, the women’s on the north. the priest entered the chancel directly from the south.
The interior is richly decorated with paintings and carved wooden furnishings. The pews were built in 1669, the galleries in 1697 and the pulpit in 1702. The ceiling paintings by J.C. Zschotzsher from 1751 were paid for by the church’s patron, Benzelstierna, whose coat of arms can be seen on the choir ceiling. To the sides of the altar, the list of kings and the list of this diocese’s bishops respectively are painted.
The church was abandoned in 1868 when the new church was finished. It stood empty for 40 years before being restored to use.
References:The Walls of Constantinople are a series of defensive stone walls that have surrounded and protected the city of Constantinople (today Istanbul) since its founding as the new capital of the Roman Empire by Constantine the Great. With numerous additions and modifications during their history, they were the last great fortification system of antiquity, and one of the most complex and elaborate systems ever built. They were also the largest and strongest fortification in both the ancient and medieval world.
Initially built by Constantine the Great, the walls surrounded the new city on all sides, protecting it against attack from both sea and land. As the city grew, the famous double line of the Theodosian Walls was built in the 5th century. Although the other sections of the walls were less elaborate, they were, when well-manned, almost impregnable for any medieval besieger.