The monastery bears the name of Serbian Prince Marko, who reigned at the time of its completion in the 14th century.

[1] The Holy Mother of God, the twelve great feasts, Jesus Christ, and Saint Nicholas are some of the subjects depicted in the frescoes.

Before Ottoman rule, the monastery had a school and many monks and priests would write manuscripts.

[5] In 1392, Skopje fell under Ottoman rule, which led to the destruction of many churches and monasteries in the area.

[3] Frescoes showing the ktetor King Vukašin and his son Prince Marko were the most defaced by overpainting with a fat-based paint in 1894, an act of national fanaticism ordered by the Bulgarian metropolitan of Skopje.