Resen (city)
Encyclopedia
Resen is a town in southwestern Macedonia
, with just under 9,000 inhabitants. Resen is approximately equidistant between Bitola
and Ohrid
. The town rises 880 meters above sea level and is situated near Lake Prespa
. Resen is also the only town in the Prespa Lake area and is the seat of Resen Municipality
.
, Bulgarian
and Serbo-Croatian
is Resen (Ресен). In Turkish
it is known as Resne, while in Greek
it is Resna (Ρέσνα). In Albanian
the town is known as Resnjë or Resnja.
may be near Resen.
Resen's history dates back to Roman times
when the famous road Via Ignacia was built, passing through the city.
During the Middle Ages, the Prespa area was part of the Bulgarian empire
under Samuil. After the Battle of Klyuch, some of Samuil's soldiers, who were each blinded in one eye, settled in a village on the shore of Lake Prespa
. The Byzantines called the village Asamati. The Byzantine meaning of this word is "settlement of one-eyed people". From then on, Resen was under Byzantine rule.
Later, Resen became part of the Ottoman Empire, and it was the birth place of Ahmed Niyazi Bey
, an Albanian
officer from a noble family of the town, who was one of the initiators and leaders of the Young Turk Revolution
in the region in 1908. Ahmed Niyazi Bey's most famous monument in Resen is the Saraj
, a French-style estate he built.
. There is also a sizeable minority of Turks
.
One of most important landmarks of Resen's today are the apple orchards, well known for the quality and specific taste of apples.
, which also houses the Dragi Tozija House of Culture, the Keraca Visulčeva Gallery, and a library.
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...
, with just under 9,000 inhabitants. Resen is approximately equidistant between 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 Ohrid
Ohrid
Ohrid is a city on the eastern shore of Lake Ohrid in the Republic of Macedonia. It has about 42,000 inhabitants, making it the seventh largest city in the country. The city is the seat of Ohrid Municipality. Ohrid is notable for having once had 365 churches, one for each day of the year and has...
. The town rises 880 meters above sea level and is situated near Lake Prespa
Lake Prespa
Prespa is the name of two freshwater lakes in southeast Europe, shared by Greece, Albania, and Macedonia. Of the total surface area, belongs to Macedonia, to Greece and to Albania...
. Resen is also the only town in the Prespa Lake area and is the seat of Resen Municipality
Resen municipality
Resen is a municipality in southwestern Republic of Macedonia. Resen is also the name of the town where the municipal seat is found. Resen Municipality is located in the Pelagonia Statistical Region.-Geography:...
.
Name
The name of the city in MacedonianMacedonian language
Macedonian is a South Slavic language spoken as a first language by approximately 2–3 million people principally in the region of Macedonia but also in the Macedonian diaspora...
, Bulgarian
Bulgarian language
Bulgarian is an Indo-European language, a member of the Slavic linguistic group.Bulgarian, along with the closely related Macedonian language, demonstrates several linguistic characteristics that set it apart from all other Slavic languages such as the elimination of case declension, the...
and Serbo-Croatian
Serbo-Croatian language
Serbo-Croatian or Serbo-Croat, less commonly Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian , is a South Slavic language with multiple standards and the primary language of Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro...
is Resen (Ресен). In Turkish
Turkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
it is known as Resne, while in Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
it is Resna (Ρέσνα). In Albanian
Albanian language
Albanian is an Indo-European language spoken by approximately 7.6 million people, primarily in Albania and Kosovo but also in other areas of the Balkans in which there is an Albanian population, including western Macedonia, southern Montenegro, southern Serbia and northwestern Greece...
the town is known as Resnjë or Resnja.
History
The ancient Illyrian city of DamastionDamastion
Damastion was an ancient city in the area of central Balkans. Various sites in Serbia and Macedonia and Albania have been considered as the location of this ancient town....
may be near Resen.
Resen's history dates back to Roman times
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
when the famous road Via Ignacia was built, passing through the city.
During the Middle Ages, the Prespa area was part of the Bulgarian empire
First Bulgarian Empire
The First Bulgarian Empire was a medieval Bulgarian state founded in the north-eastern Balkans in c. 680 by the Bulgars, uniting with seven South Slavic tribes...
under Samuil. After the Battle of Klyuch, some of Samuil's soldiers, who were each blinded in one eye, settled in a village on the shore of Lake Prespa
Lake Prespa
Prespa is the name of two freshwater lakes in southeast Europe, shared by Greece, Albania, and Macedonia. Of the total surface area, belongs to Macedonia, to Greece and to Albania...
. The Byzantines called the village Asamati. The Byzantine meaning of this word is "settlement of one-eyed people". From then on, Resen was under Byzantine rule.
Later, Resen became part of the Ottoman Empire, and it was the birth place of Ahmed Niyazi Bey
Ahmed Niyazi Bey
Ahmed Niyazi Bey was the Ottoman bey of the Resen area in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. An ethnic Albanian, he was a member of the Young Turk Revolution.Ahmed Nyazi Bey is also known for the Saraj, a French-style estate he built in Resen....
, an Albanian
Albanians
Albanians are a nation and ethnic group native to Albania and neighbouring countries. They speak the Albanian language. More than half of all Albanians live in Albania and Kosovo...
officer from a noble family of the town, who was one of the initiators and leaders of the Young Turk Revolution
Young Turk Revolution
The Young Turk Revolution of 1908 reversed the suspension of the Ottoman parliament by Sultan Abdul Hamid II, marking the onset of the Second Constitutional Era...
in the region in 1908. Ahmed Niyazi Bey's most famous monument in Resen is the Saraj
Saraj (Resen)
The Saraj is a historic neoclassical estate in Resen, Macedonia. It was built in the early 20th century by local Ottoman bey, Ahmed Niyazi Bey. The Saraj's architectural style makes it unique in Macedonia....
, a French-style estate he built.
Demographics
Most of the people in the municipality are MacedoniansMacedonians (ethnic group)
The Macedonians also referred to as Macedonian Slavs: "... the term Slavomacedonian was introduced and was accepted by the community itself, which at the time had a much more widespread non-Greek Macedonian ethnic consciousness...
. There is also a sizeable minority of Turks
Turkish people
Turkish people, also known as the "Turks" , are an ethnic group primarily living in Turkey and in the former lands of the Ottoman Empire where Turkish minorities had been established in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Romania...
.
| Number | % | |
| TOTAL | 8,748 | 100 |
| Macedonians Macedonians (ethnic group) The Macedonians also referred to as Macedonian Slavs: "... the term Slavomacedonian was introduced and was accepted by the community itself, which at the time had a much more widespread non-Greek Macedonian ethnic consciousness... |
7,011 | 80.14 |
| Turks Turkish people Turkish people, also known as the "Turks" , are an ethnic group primarily living in Turkey and in the former lands of the Ottoman Empire where Turkish minorities had been established in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Romania... |
1,119 | 12.79 |
| others | 618 | 7.06 |
Climate
Resen has a mild continental climate with cold winters and warm summers, which makes it a tourist attaction, especially in summer. The climate and the quality of soil are key factors for Prespa's region to have a long tradition of agriculture.One of most important landmarks of Resen's today are the apple orchards, well known for the quality and specific taste of apples.
Culture
Resen is home to Prespa's Ceramic Colony, established in the 1970s, which attracts renowned artists from all over the world. The organization is included in the UNESCO International Academy of Ceramics. It is housed in the SarajSaraj (Resen)
The Saraj is a historic neoclassical estate in Resen, Macedonia. It was built in the early 20th century by local Ottoman bey, Ahmed Niyazi Bey. The Saraj's architectural style makes it unique in Macedonia....
, which also houses the Dragi Tozija House of Culture, the Keraca Visulčeva Gallery, and a library.