Architecture of the Republic of Macedonia
Encyclopedia
Architecture of the Republic of Macedonia refers to architecture
ever practised on the territory of present-day Republic of Macedonia
.
The several groups of people that have settled or controlled today's Republic of Macedonia have influenced the country in many ways; one of the most visible being architecture. These groups of people include the Paionians, Illyrians
, Ancient Macedonians
, Romans
, Byzantines
, Bulgarians
, Serbs
and the Ottomans
.
and consist of structures associated with Megalith culture. Kokino
is the fourth oldest megalithic observatory in the world. The site consists of rocks crafted in a way that lets one observe celestial objects.
Remnants of the architecture from the times of the ancient Macedonian Kingdom are scattered throughout the Republic of Macedonia, especially in the south of the former territory of Macedon
Heraclea Lyncestis
, founded in the middle of the 4th century BC, was an important strategical town as it bordered Epirus
to the west and the Paeonian kingdoms to the north Roman
architecture dominates the site today because of the level of the excavations which are exposing the layers from the Roman times
The Antique Theatre in present-day Ohrid was built during the 1st century BC. It was part of the ancient town of Lychnidos. It is reconstructed and in use today. Its location between two hills that surround it keep it protected from winds that could interfere with acoustics during performances.
Roman architecture
is scattered throughout the country. Skopje
is home to a few examples of this type of architecture. One is the Skopje Aqueduct
, the only aqueduct in Macedonia. It consists of 55 stone arches. Another example is Scupi
. Although not much remains of this archaeological site, burial grounds and a theatre are somewhat visible.
Although it was founded by the Ancient Macedonians
, most of the remains of Heraclea Lyncestis
are from Roman occupation. These remains include a portico
and a large theatre.
Other examples of Roman archiecture in the Republic of Macedonia includes the many Roman ruins in and around the town of Strumica
. One of the largest is a well-preserved Roman therma, built during Late Antiquity
.
is one of the most prominent forms of architecture in the Republic of Macedonia. It is mostly seen in churches and monasteries, such Treskavec monastery
near Prilep
.
controlled the land of present-day Macedonia for about five centuries. They left their mark with the many mosques and other Islamic buildings they constructed.
Ottoman architecture is predominant in some parts of Skopje
, especially the city's old town
. Mustapha Pasha Mosque
is one of the most famous Ottoman buildings in Macedonia. Built in 1492, the mosque is square in shape and the diameter of the dome is 16 meters. The pillars of the porc hare decorated by stalactite decorations that are typical of Ottoman architecture.
Ottoman architecture can also been seen in Bitola
and Tetovo
.
Most of the modern buildings in Macedonia are located in central
Skopje
. One example is the MRT Center
(the national TV broadcast station), which is the tallest building in the country, rising to 230 ft (70.1 m) (70 m).
Examples of modern architecture are also found in other cities, mainly Bitola
and Gostivar
.
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
ever practised on the territory of present-day Republic of Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
.
The several groups of people that have settled or controlled today's Republic of Macedonia have influenced the country in many ways; one of the most visible being architecture. These groups of people include the Paionians, Illyrians
Illyrians
The Illyrians were a group of tribes who inhabited part of the western Balkans in antiquity and the south-eastern coasts of the Italian peninsula...
, Ancient Macedonians
Macedon
Macedonia or Macedon was an ancient kingdom, centered in the northeastern part of the Greek peninsula, bordered by Epirus to the west, Paeonia to the north, the region of Thrace to the east and Thessaly to the south....
, Romans
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
, Byzantines
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
, Bulgarians
Bulgarians
The Bulgarians are a South Slavic nation and ethnic group native to Bulgaria and neighbouring regions. Emigration has resulted in immigrant communities in a number of other countries.-History and ethnogenesis:...
, Serbs
Serbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
and the Ottomans
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
.
Megaliths
The earliest example of architectural activity in Macedonia date from the NeolithicNeolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
and consist of structures associated with Megalith culture. Kokino
Kokino
Kokino is an important archaeological site and a megalithic observatory discovered in 2001 by archeologist Jovica Stankovski in the northeastern Republic of Macedonia, approximately 30 km from the town of Kumanovo, near the village of Staro Nagoričane Latitude: 42.260000N Longitude: 21.850000E....
is the fourth oldest megalithic observatory in the world. The site consists of rocks crafted in a way that lets one observe celestial objects.
The architecture of Ancient Macedonia
Macedon
Macedonia or Macedon was an ancient kingdom, centered in the northeastern part of the Greek peninsula, bordered by Epirus to the west, Paeonia to the north, the region of Thrace to the east and Thessaly to the south....
Heraclea Lyncestis
Heraclea Lyncestis
Heraclea Lyncestis also spelled Herakleia Lynkestis was an ancient Greek city in the north-western region of the ancient kingdom of Macedon. It was founded by Philip II of Macedon in the middle of the 4th century BC in Lynkestis, after its conquest. The town was named in honor of the mythological...
, founded in the middle of the 4th century BC, was an important strategical town as it bordered Epirus
Epirus
The name Epirus, from the Greek "Ήπειρος" meaning continent may refer to:-Geographical:* Epirus - a historical and geographical region of the southwestern Balkans, straddling modern Greece and Albania...
to the west and the Paeonian kingdoms to the north Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
architecture dominates the site today because of the level of the excavations which are exposing the layers from the Roman times
The Antique Theatre in present-day Ohrid was built during the 1st century BC. It was part of the ancient town of Lychnidos. It is reconstructed and in use today. Its location between two hills that surround it keep it protected from winds that could interfere with acoustics during performances.
Roman architecture
Roman architecture
Ancient Roman architecture adopted certain aspects of Ancient Greek architecture, creating a new architectural style. The Romans were indebted to their Etruscan neighbors and forefathers who supplied them with a wealth of knowledge essential for future architectural solutions, such as hydraulics...
is scattered throughout the country. Skopje
Skopje
Skopje is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Macedonia with about a third of the total population. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre...
is home to a few examples of this type of architecture. One is the Skopje Aqueduct
Skopje Aqueduct
The Skopje Aqueduct is an archaeological site located in the village of Vizbegovo 2 km northwest from central Skopje, Macedonia. The Skopje Aqueduct is the only aqueduct in Macedonia, and one of three largest and well preserved in the former Yugoslavia along with Diocletianus Aqueduct near...
, the only aqueduct in Macedonia. It consists of 55 stone arches. Another example is Scupi
Scupi
Scupi is an archaeological site located between Zajčev Rid and the Vardar River, several kilometers from the center of Skopje, in the Republic of Macedonia. A Roman military camp was founded here in the second decade BC on the site of an older Dardanian settlement...
. Although not much remains of this archaeological site, burial grounds and a theatre are somewhat visible.
Although it was founded by the Ancient Macedonians
Ancient Macedonians
The Macedonians originated from inhabitants of the northeastern part of the Greek peninsula, in the alluvial plain around the rivers Haliacmon and lower Axios...
, most of the remains of Heraclea Lyncestis
Heraclea Lyncestis
Heraclea Lyncestis also spelled Herakleia Lynkestis was an ancient Greek city in the north-western region of the ancient kingdom of Macedon. It was founded by Philip II of Macedon in the middle of the 4th century BC in Lynkestis, after its conquest. The town was named in honor of the mythological...
are from Roman occupation. These remains include a portico
Portico
A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls...
and a large theatre.
Other examples of Roman archiecture in the Republic of Macedonia includes the many Roman ruins in and around the town of Strumica
Strumica
Strumica is the largest city in eastern Macedonia, near the Novo Selo-Petrich border crossing with Bulgaria. About 100,000 people live in the region surrounding the city. The city is named after the Strumica River which runs through it...
. One of the largest is a well-preserved Roman therma, built during Late Antiquity
Late Antiquity
Late Antiquity is a periodization used by historians to describe the time of transition from Classical Antiquity to the Middle Ages, in both mainland Europe and the Mediterranean world. Precise boundaries for the period are a matter of debate, but noted historian of the period Peter Brown proposed...
.
Byzantine architecture
Byzantine architectureByzantine architecture
Byzantine architecture is the architecture of the Byzantine Empire. The empire gradually emerged as a distinct artistic and cultural entity from what is today referred to as the Roman Empire after AD 330, when the Roman Emperor Constantine moved the capital of the Roman Empire east from Rome to...
is one of the most prominent forms of architecture in the Republic of Macedonia. It is mostly seen in churches and monasteries, such Treskavec monastery
Treskavec monastery
The Monastery of Treskavec , or St. Bogorodica, is a monastery situated on the rocky Mount Zlatovrv, 8 km north of Prilep, in the Republic of Macedonia. Built in the 12th century, it is known for being very inaccessible and has only one monk....
near Prilep
Prilep
Prilep is the fourth largest city in the Republic of Macedonia. It has a population of 66,246 citizens. Prilep is known as "the city under Marko's Towers" because of its proximity to the towers of Prince Marko.-Name:...
.
Ottoman architecture
The OttomansOttoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
controlled the land of present-day Macedonia for about five centuries. They left their mark with the many mosques and other Islamic buildings they constructed.
Ottoman architecture is predominant in some parts of Skopje
Skopje
Skopje is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Macedonia with about a third of the total population. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre...
, especially the city's old town
CAIR
- Fictional :* Cair Andros, a fictional island in Tolkien's fiction* Cair Paravel, a castle from C. S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia- Acronyms :* Council on American-Islamic Relations, American Muslim civil rights advocacy organization...
. Mustapha Pasha Mosque
Mustapha Pasha Mosque
Mustafa Pasha Mosque is a mosque located in the Old Bazaar of Skopje, Macedonia. It stands on a plateau above the old bazaar and is one of the most beautiful Islamic buildings in Macedonia. It was built in 1492 by Mustafa Pasha, vizier on the court of Sultan Selim I. The mosque is elegant and...
is one of the most famous Ottoman buildings in Macedonia. Built in 1492, the mosque is square in shape and the diameter of the dome is 16 meters. The pillars of the porc hare decorated by stalactite decorations that are typical of Ottoman architecture.
Ottoman architecture can also been seen in Bitola
Bitola
Bitola is a city in the southwestern part of the Republic of Macedonia. The city is an administrative, cultural, industrial, commercial, and educational centre. It is located in the southern part of the Pelagonia valley, surrounded by the Baba and Nidže mountains, 14 km north of the...
and Tetovo
Tetovo
Tetovo is a city in the northwestern part of Macedonia, built on the foothills of Šar Mountain and divided by the Pena River.The city covers an area of at above sea level, with a population of 86,580 citizens in the municipality. Tetovo is home to the State University of Tetovo and South East...
.
Modern architecture
Centar municipality
Centar is the central municipality of the ten municipalities that compose the city of Skopje, the capital of the Republic of Macedonia. Centar is home to the Parliament and Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia.-Geography:...
Skopje
Skopje
Skopje is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Macedonia with about a third of the total population. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre...
. One example is the MRT Center
MRT Center
MRT Center is a high-rise building in Skopje, Macedonia. At a height of 70 m , it is the tallest building in the country. Constructed in 1984, the MRT Center is completely owned by Macedonian Radio-Television, as its headquarters.-External links:* *...
(the national TV broadcast station), which is the tallest building in the country, rising to 230 ft (70.1 m) (70 m).
Examples of modern architecture are also found in other cities, mainly Bitola
Bitola
Bitola is a city in the southwestern part of the Republic of Macedonia. The city is an administrative, cultural, industrial, commercial, and educational centre. It is located in the southern part of the Pelagonia valley, surrounded by the Baba and Nidže mountains, 14 km north of the...
and Gostivar
Gostivar
Gostivar , is a city in the Republic of Macedonia, located in the upper Polog valley region. It is one of the largest municipalities in the country with a population of 81,042, and the town also covers . Gostivar has good road and railway connections with the other cities in the region, such as...
.