Memorial House of Mother Teresa was built to commemorate Mother Teresa, whose real name was Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu, a Roman Catholic nun and a saint. She was Albanian-Indian and was born in Skopje, North Macedonia. Because of her missionary work, she won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979. She died in India in 1997 and was made a saint in 2017.
The location of the memorial building is not the place where Mother Teresa was born, but where she was baptized. She lived in Skopje from her birth until 1928.
The municipality of Skopje wanted to pay homage to her, so they built the Memorial House of Mother Teresa in 2009. The construction began in 2008 with the help of the Macedonian Government. Vangel Božinovski, the architect of the project, wanted to bring out the cultural situation of the era in which Mother Teresa was born. North Macedonia, back then, was part of the Ottoman Empire and it was a place where many cultures met. So, he added different elements to the design of the memorial. It is a modern, transformed version of Mother Teresa’s birth house with a sacral character.
The windows are reminiscent of Ottoman architecture while the chapel enclosed with glass panels incorporates traditional Macedonian craftsmanship with a futuristic touch. The memorial house has a museum, a chapel, and an amphitheater. The museum displays the handwritten and printed documents signed by Mother Teresa, her belongings and photographs, and her life-size statue. Honorary masses are held to commemorate her life and work
The public has criticized the cost of the memorial of someone who preached poverty for her entire life. The design of the building has been criticized as well since it combines many elements that do not represent the ascetic lifestyle of Mother Teresa.
