Foto: The parliament building of Skopje (bron: Ronald van der Veer)
North Macedonia - The city has a unique architecture. It feels as if all architectural styles have been mixed together. Old and new buildings surround the central square. Ostentatious fountains and numerous statues adorn the square. The overall impression is quite bombastic. At a restaurant along the river, we order a sandwich. On the opposite bank stands the town hall, built in Greek style from white marble. After lunch, we cross the river and walk into the Carsija district—a neighborhood that resembles an eastern bazaar. There are small shops everywhere. Souvenirs, Turkish cafés, but also antiques and military items. We wander through the narrow streets. It’s easy to get lost here. Luckily, the adjacent fortress rises above the district, serving as a good point of orientation. On the way to the fortress, we pass the Jovas Pass Church. This church is built below ground level. In the fourteenth century, Ottoman law forbade churches from being built higher than mosques. By digging the church two meters into the ground, they were still able to build it. The church is open for visits until five o’clock. Although it’s not yet five, the ticket office is already closed. The guard complains that the ticket seller left fifteen minutes early. The manager isn’t in today, so she decided to go home early. He apologizes, saying he’s not allowed to open the church for us. “Come back tomorrow morning,” he sighs. From the fortress, we have a view over the city. The grounds are a bit overgrown and have lost some of their charm. Both museums are closed. We return to the old town to get something to drink.
Church of Saint John in Kaneo
North Macedonia - The Church of Saint John at Kaneo is a Macedonian Orthodox church located on Kaneo beach, overlooking Lake Ohrid in Macedonia. The exact date of its construction is unknown, but archaeologists believe it was built sometime before the rise of the Ottoman ...
The Sveta Jovan mountain monastery
North Macedonia - When we told the campsite owner yesterday that we wanted to visit the Sveta Jovan Monastery, he became immediately enthusiastic. "The road to Debar is so beautiful, with the lakes alongside it," he told us. He insisted we should definitely stop at the ...
The_ancient_city_of_Heraclea_Lyncestis
North Macedonia - Heraclea Lyncestis was an ancient Greek city in Macedon, later ruled by the Romans. The ruins lie two kilometers south of the town of Bitola in Macedonia. It was founded by Philip II of Macedon in the mid-4th century BC. The city was named after the mythological ...