About Skopje

Things to do and must see…

Stone Bridge

Stone Bridge in Vardar River is connecting Old Skopje Bazaar and Macedonia Square in the new part of the city. There are a lot of assumptions about the time of the construction of the bridge, ranging from VI (early byzantine period) to XIV century (Serbian period) or XV century (Ottoman period). Whole bridge is built in stones; therefore, the name is Stone Bridge. The bridge belongs to the group of stone bridges with several arcs that relies on riverbed grounded pillars. It has 13 arches that increase in size going from the ends to the middle. This creates specific height line which violates in the middle. On the both sides of the pillars, from ground to middle, there are stone fractions “bills” with a purpose to protect the bridge from destruction. Some bills are scale like and it is known that this scale was used to determine the water level. The oldest document that speaks about this bridge, originates from 1469, Turkish period.

Skopje Fortress "Kale"

The Fortress is situated in the center of the city, on the left coast of Vardar River, on the hill Gradishte. It is a fortified city, with elements from different period and double walls on the southern part.

In antique time on the area of Skopje Fortress there was a settlement. Chronologically, it was Salkuca-Bubanj-Hum period of culture, end of Neolith (IV-III millennium BNC). This area was settled once more in VII-VI century BNC, and excised until IV-III c.bc. with good fortifications.

According to the archeological findings, the Fortress was reconstructed in 535, with the establishment of Justinijana Prima as a prefecture North Iliric center and a city of bishop Antist. From X century to the end of the medieval period, the Fortress was a part of the medieval Byzantine-Slovenian city Skopje. After the Ottoman conquest in 1392 until 1912, Skopje Fortress existed as a settlement. In 2008 and 2010 was conducted restoration on the south defense wall on the first defense line (300 m long) with two towers, four towers counter fort (buttress), five Buttress and one gate.

Skopje Old Bazaar

Skopje Old Bazaar is the biggest Bazaar in the Balkans outside Istanbul. It is located on the east coast of the Vardar River. The Bazaar was a trade center since XII century. The culmination of its growth was during the Ottoman rule, when there were constructed a lot of mosques (more then 30) and other Turkish buildings and monuments. Although the Islam architecture is dominant in the Bazaar there are few churches there, some museums and other cultural facilities. You can drink Turkish coffee or tea in picturesque surrounding and eat delicious traditional sweets.

Churches & Mosques

Church "Sv.Spas" with iconostas and grave of Goce Delcev

The Church is a museum.

There is a service only one day per year, on Spasovden, its Celebration Day.

It is constructed at the end of XVII and beginning of XVIII century on an older church foundation from XVI-XVII century, according the paintings. The cravings originate from 1824.

The church interior is formed in XIX to the middle of XX century. In the west part of the church there is a women gallery. Most specific about this church is the remarkably beautiful cravings of the Iconostas, Throne, Preacher, Singing chapel and Stand for icons. The Iconostas is 10 meters long and 6 meter high. It is the ultimate achievement of Macedonian craving art. The authors of the cravings are Petre and Marko Filipovski and Makarie Frchkovski. In the Church yard there is a Memorial Grave of Goce Delcev, the vanguard of the Macedonian revolutionary movement whose political genius, moral authority and charisma helped sustain a formidable national struggle against the Ottoman Empire and the expansionist efforts of the neighboring countries.

Kursumli an

It is assumed that the interior was constructed by Muslihudin Abdul Gani, known as Muzein-odza Al-madini, in XVI century. It is consisted of two parts. The first sector was used for accommodation of traders and their merchandise and in the other sector was located the stall, the servants rooms and other facilities. This sector has two entrances: one from the street directly and the other is from the yard in which you can get to from the main entrance, the Bazaar side. The main part of the An has quadrate basis and is consisted of ground level and a floor, with an array of chambers, surrounding the yard which has wide vestibule with arcades on both the ground level and the floor. In the yard there is a fountain with beautiful and authentic stone cup.

Mustafa Pasha Mosque

It was erected in the last decade of XV century, 1492, by Mustafa Pasha. In the earthquake in 1963, it was damaged, but later it was repaired.

Mustafa Pasha was very important person in the Ottoman country, while Sultans Bajazit II (1481-1512) and Selim I (1512-1520) rule. There is little known about him, because in his time there were several prominent persons named Mustafa Pasha

In the Mosque complex, there were few objects for living, used by religious people. Mustafa Pasha died in 1519, according to the inscription on his Turbe (mausoleum), located near the Mosque. Today, preserved items that can be seen are the Turbe of Mustafa Pasha, a sarcophagus, assumed to be Umises (one of his daughters) and few gravestones from the old cemetery.

Museums

Museum of Macedonia

The complex in which the museum is situated has 9560 m2. It has several connected objects, which enables continuous movement trough the museum. It holds around 100 000 museum items that have archeological, ethnological, historical, art historical value. In the archeological collection there are items from Neolithic to late medieval period. In this collection belong the stone monuments that are located in the Lapidarium in Kursumli ann.

The first Archeological museum in Macedonia was established in 1924. In 1945 is formed the National Museum of Macedonia. In 1976 is build the complex of the Museum of Macedonia. The integration of three museums- Archeological, Ethnological and Historical in the present Museum of Macedonia happened in 1984. In 1991 was formed a separate section for Art.

Museum of contemporary art

The construction of the Museum began in 1969, the 5 of April and finished on 13 November 1970. The construction is a donation from the government of Poland, which announced a call for projects (89), from which one was chosen. The object has two levels and one partially underground area, used for storage, conservation and propulsion. It has 5.428m2, from which 3.000 m2 are exhibition space and the rest is storage, administration and other facilities. The Museum hosted and organized over 1000 domestic and international exhibition, amongst them the Vienna Biennale presentation (1976, 1993, 2003 and 2005) and a number of exhibitions of Macedonian art in Paris, London, Rome, Munich, Tokyo, Stockholm,Athens, Belgrade, Zagreb, Sofia, Sarajevo etc.

Memorial House of Mother Teresa

The desire to pay respect to one of the most famous persons from Skopje and Nobel Prize winner from Macedonia led to opening of the Memorial house dedicated to Mother Teresa in 2010-2011 (on the 30-th of January 2009).

The location of the Museum is not randomly chosen. On this place, there was an old Catholic Church, named “Sacred heart of Jesus”, where Mother Teresa, as Gonja Bojadziu was baptized, only one day after her birth and where she received her first communion and found her inner peace after her father’s death, when her family was in very difficult condition.

This place had a great importance and influence in the life and character of young Gonja Bojadziu and her desire to help the poor people and become one of the greatest humanitarians of the world.

Mother Teresa is proclaimed honored citizen of Skopje. In Square Pela, on the place of her old house, was build a monument that must be visited.

enjoy history & Nature

Canyon Matka

Canyon Matka, 5000 ha, is located 17 km southwestern from Skopje. It is a canyon on the Treska River, which flows into Vardar River from its right side.

The highest above sea level is 1401 meter and the lowest 350 meters. The geological formations in the canyons of the Treska River Valley are dominated by carbonate sedimentary rocks suspended in the deep seas and shallow waters for several geological eras.

There are 1000 species of plants recorded here, from which 20 % are endemic or relict. In the protected area there are 34 species of mammals, 22 species of reptiles and 133 species of birds.

Aqueduct

The precise period of the construction of the Aqueduct is still undetermined. The assumption range from VI century (in the time of the Buzantine emperor Justinijan I, when many cities from the Dardania Province were renewed, after the earthquake in 518) till XV century when almost every inns in Skopje were build, so the city had extremely high requirements for water.

The aqueduct was part of the water supply system that carried water from Skopska Crna Gora to Skopje Fortress. It is a single aboveground pipeline type of object, long 386 meters and consisted of two parts: upper and lower part.

Millennium Cross

This contemporary monument is situated on the top of Vodno Mountain; build in 2002, as a symbol of the entry in a new millennium. It is 66 m high and 46 m wide. In 2008, an elevator was installed inside the cross so that visitors can enjoy the incredible sight of Macedonian capital city, Skopje.

Millennium Cross Cable Car, 570 meters above sea level and 480 meters difference in high, has a route long 1600 meters. The speed of the Cable Car is 6 meters per second, so the ride last 4 minutes and 18 seconds. There are 28 regular gondolas for eight people and 2 gondolas for 4 people. It has maximum capacity of 1160 passengers in one hour.