The
Republic of Macedonia is a small country in Balkan Peninsula. But there is so much
to see. Rich with its natural beauties and with history, Macedonia has so much to show.
I
will try to present a small part of the Macedonian natural and history treasure.
Stobi
Stobi
(located near little town Gradsko) is the most famous archaeological site in
the Republic of Macedonia.
Stobi
was an ancient town of Paeonia, later conquered by Macedon, and later
turned into the capital of the Roman province of Macedonia
Salutaris. It is located on the main road that leads from the Danube to
the Aegean Sea. Stobi was built where the Erigón River (mod. Crna)
joins the Axiós River (mod. Vardar), making it strategically important as
a center for both trade and warfare.
The
city existed until the 5th century. In 479, it was robbed by Theodoric, an Ostrogothic king,
in 518 it was struck by a powerful earthquake and finally Avaro-Slavic
invasions in the 6th century destroyed the city's economy and infrastructure.
Today
at the site there are well preserved ancient buildings, like Northern Basilica,
Central Basilica and synagogue,
House of the Psalms, Via Axia as one of the main streets in Stobi, Main
Town Public Fountain, Magnae Thermae, House of Peristerius, Palace of Theodosius, House of Partenius, Episcopal Basilica.
Heraclea Lyncestis
Its
ruins are situated 2 km south of the present-day town of Bitola.
Heraclea
Lyncestis was an ancient Macedonian city. It
was founded by Philip II of Macedon in the middle of the 4th century
BC. The city was named in honor of the mythological Greek hero Heracles.
The name Lynkestis originates from the name of the ancient kingdom,
conquered by Philip, where the city was built.
Heraclea
was a strategically important town during the Hellenistic period, as it
was at the edge of Macedon's border with Epirus to the west and Paeonia to
the north. During The Roman Empire the main Roman road in the area, Via
Egnatia went through Heraclea, and Heraclea was an important stop. In the
early Christian period, Heraclea was an important Episcopal seat.
Some of its bishops are mentioned in synods in Serdica and other
nearby towns.
The
city was gradually abandoned in the 6th century AD following an earthquake and
Slavic invasions.
Today you can
see very well preserved ancient buildings.
Samuel's Fortress
Samuel's
Fortress is a fortress in the old town of Ohrid.
During
the rule of Tsar Samuel at the turn of the 10th century, this
fortress was the seat of his Empire.The fortress was renovated in 2003 and today
this historical monument is a major tourist attraction.
According
to recent excavations, it was contended that this fortress was built on the
place of an earlier fortification, dated to the 4th century BC, which was
probably built by King Philip II of Macedon.
Monastery of Saint
Naum
The Monastery
of Saint Naum is an Eastern Orthodox monastery in the Republic
of Macedonia, named after the medieval Saint Naum who founded it. It
is situated along Lake Ohrid, 29 kilometres south of the city of Ohrid.
The
monastery was established by St Naum of Ohrid himself in 905. St Naum is
also buried in the church.
Monastery of Saint
Jovan Bigorski
The Monastery
of Saint Jovan Bigorski is a Macedonian Orthodox monastery
located in the western part of Macedonia, near the road connecting the
towns of Debar and Gostivar.
The
monastery church is dedicated to St. John the Baptist. One of its most
valuable treasures is the iconostasis, created by Petre Filipovski Garkata
from the nearby village of Gari, and considered one of the finest examples
of wood-carved iconostases.
According
to its 1833 chronicle, the monastery was built in 1020 by Ivan I Debranin.
The Ottomans destroyed the monastery in the 16th century, but it was restored
in 1743 by the monk Ilarion, who also constructed a number of cells for monks.
The archimandrite Arsenius further expanded the monastery between 1812 and
1825.
The
monastery has a large collection of holy relics including John the Baptist, Clement
of Ohrid, Lazarus of Bethany, Saint Stephen, Saint Nicholas, Saint
Barbara, Paraskevi of Rome, Tryphon, Respicius, and Nympha, and part
of the Holy Cross.
Another
valuable monastery treasure is an icon dating from 1020 with
supposedly miraculous healing power.
Monastery of
Treskavec
The Monastery
of Treskavec , or St. Bogorodica, is a monastery situated on the
rocky Mount Zlatovrv, 8 km north of Prilep. The Monastery was
build in the 12th century.
The
monastery possesses a large collection of Byzantine frescoes. The
oldest remaining date from the 15th century.
It
was rebuilt in the 14th century by Serbian kings Stefan Milutin and Stefan
Dušan. In the mid-16th century it was renovated by knez Dimitrije
Pepić (d. 1566) of Kratovo.
The
Church of the Dormition of the Virgin is widely considered to be one of the
most important churches in Macedonia. Though set in a remote location, it still
serves as an important pilgrimage site in the region, visited once a year by a
group of pilgrims on the Dormition of the Virgin Mary holiday, and by
adventurous tourists.
Monastery of St.
Joachim of Osogovo
The
Monastery of St. Joachim of Osogovo or Osogovo Monastery is a Macedonian
Orthodox monastery located near Kriva Palanka,10 kilometres from the Bulgarian border
on Osogovo Mountain.
The
monastery was founded in the 12th century, though there are no remains of the
original monastery. The smaller church in today's monastery complex got its
present look in the 14th century, while the larger one was built in the 19th
century. The monastery consists of two churches including the larger
"Saint Joachim of Osogovo" and the smaller "Holy Mother of God".
Matka Canyon
Matka is
a canyon located west of central Skopje. Matka is one of the most popular
outdoor destinations in Macedonia and is home to several medieval monasteries.
The Matka Lake within the Matka Canyon is the oldest artificial lake in the
country.
The
Matka Canyon is has ten caves, with the shortest in length being 20 metres
(65.6 feet) and the longest being 176 metres (577.4 feet). The canyon also
features two vertical pits, both roughly extending 35 metres (114.8 feet) in
depth.
The
most famous cave at Matka Canyon is Vrelo Cave. It is located on the right bank
of the Treska River. The Vrelo Cave was listed as one of the top 77
natural sites in the world in the New 7 Wonders of Nature project.
Vrelo
Cave has many stalactites including a large one in the middle of the cave known
as the "Pine Cone" due to its shape. There are two lakes at the end
of the cave, with one larger than the other. The smaller lake is 8 metres (26.2
feet) at its longest length and 15 metres (49.2 feet) in depth at its deepest
point. The larger lake is 35 metres (114.8 feet) at its longest length, and 18
metres (59 feet) at its deepest point.
Though
the exact depth of the cave is unknown, some speculate that it could be the
deepest underwater cave in the world.
Matka
Canyon is also home to a wide variety of plants and animals, some of which are
unique to the area. Roughly 20% of plant life is found only at Matka. The
canyon is also home to 77 indigenous species of butterfly and large populations
of bats.
The
canyon area is home to several historic churches and monasteries. St. Andrew's
Monastery is situated in the gorge of the Treska River. Built in 1389
by King Vukašin's son Andrijaš, it contains frescoes painted by Jovan the
Metropolitan.
Matka
Monastery, or Monastery of the Holy Mother of God, built in the 14th century, is
located on the left bank of the Treska. According to an inscription on the
church, someone named Milica found the church in poor condition and without a
roof in 1497. She replaced the roof, added new frescoes, built a portico and
created a vineyard.
St.
Nicholas Monastery is located on a cliff above the canyon and St. Andrew's
Monastery. The date of construction of the church is unknown. The first mention
of it was in the 17th century, during Ottoman rule. The iconstasis of the
church was painted in 1645, while the western side was frescoed in 1630. The
monastery was deserted in the 18th century. An archmonk found the church
roofless in 1816 and attempted to revive it, though it was again deserted in
1897. The monastery offers a unique view high above the canyon.
Mavrovo
Mavrovo is
a valley region in the northwest of the Republic of Macedonia.
It is a National Park and a winter sports center. Some of the villages and
smaller hamlets include: Mavrovo, Nikiforovo, Leunovo, and Mavrovi
Anovi.
The
region's location at Bistra mountain and the Lake Mavrovo have
helped it grow into a year-round tourist center. Mavrovo is the most popular ski
center in Macedonia.
The Mavrovo
lake lies at an altitude of 1220 m. It is 12 km long, 3 km wide and covers
an area of 13.3 square kilometers. The coast is 24 km long. The deepest
measured spot of the lake is 48 m deep.
The
National Park of Mavrovo has the highest mountain peaks in Macedonia. Mavrovo
and the surrounding mountains provide magnificent visual landscapes. They also
offer some of the best skiing courts in the Balkans. Mavrovo’s impressive
forests contain more than 100 rare species of trees and its hilltops are rich
in wild teas and herbs that can be easily gathered by hand.
These are only
few things you can see if you visit Macedonia. There are a lot of other things
you can see and explore. Just visit Macedonia.