Macedonia

= = =Macedonia - basic facts=

There is a special place waiting for you. A place still unspoiled, yet experienced by more and more nature lovers and adventurers each year. That special place is Macedonia – where beauty and culture blend to create unique experiences. “There, where the sun shines forever - there is Macedonia” is from an old popular song. Macedonia is exactly that - a small country where the sun always shines, in the scenic heart of the Balkans

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Where in Europe.



Capital - Skopje



Macedonian flag



Anthem

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=We come from Negotino=

The municipality of Negotino is spread on an area of 421 sq. km. It is situated in the central part of the Republic of Macedonia, in the region of the middle Povardarie on the both banks of the river Vardar. The motorway M-1 (Skopje—Thessalonici) leads through tne Municipality. The name Negotino is Slavonisized name of the antique settlement ANTIGONEA. It was founded bu the Macedonian emperor Antigon Gonat in the 3rd century BC. Antigonea had been on-the-way stop on Via Ignacia. Today’s town Negotino is founded in the middle age as a craft’s settlement.


 * History**

With the name Negotino, this town was first known as Turkish farmstead in the beginning of XIX century with 30 macedonian houses. They belong to the Hadzi Kazim-beg Sinanovski from Veles and to Sulejman-beg from Pepeliste. In 1821 on the farmstead of Adzi Tiar-aga were built the fair and the Tower with the clock. From the middle of XIX century Negotino is economic center and fair for the Boshavian’s and Vardarian’s villages, that were rich with agriculture products. In Negotino often came dealers from Solun and other towns in Macedonia, and the colony started to grow fast. A reasons for that fast growing are: the good location, the good communication links and the good geographic and climate conditions. In that time in Negotino, fairhas been developed bazaar, church, 100 shops, and a Tower with a clock. Thanks to that progress, to the end of XIX century in Negotino, there’s 2395 residents ( 1925 Macedonians-Christians, 340 Macedonians-Moslems, 60 Romas. Also, contribution for the progress in Negotino had railway station Skopje-Solun in year 1873. Thanks to the railway station Negotino, is starting to breach the Europe culture and the manner of behaving. In the second half of XIX century in Negotino there’s many trade shops. Except the commerce the population in Negotino was residing from the agriculture. Negotino was popular for its wine. In Negotino came many dealers who want to buy wine for its big quality. With the progress of the commerce in Negotino middle class is starting to develop. Because of the aspiration for education, in year 1873 in the church “Saint Atanasie’s” yard the citizens built a small school with one classroom. One of the first teachers in Negotino was Anton Grkov Daskalov from the village Vatasha. Old Negotino The population of Municipaloty of Negotino is 19.212, out of wich 13.500 inhabitans live in the town which is an administrative centre of the Municipality and 5.500 inhabitants live in 12 rural settlements. Negotino is located on an average altitude of 150 meters, with an equable—continental climate, with mild and rainy winters and hot and dry summers. Our distinctive feature is the grades that makes us famous and the high quality wine and grape brandy represent this region.

**Sights**

**Monastery of St. George**

The Monastery of St. George is built by the inhabitants of Negotino in 1860 in the locality of Crkvishte. The Monastery holds its own celebration on the religious holiday The Nativity of the Virgin and iut starts on the 20th of September with the famous “Monastery Evening”.

 **Church of St.Atanasij**



The Church of St.Atanasij was built in the first half of the 19th century. Its patron holiday is on the 31 od January according to the Julian calendar.  **Clock Tower**



A recognizable building from the 19 century is the “Clock Tower” built in 1821, and also a mosque and a bezisten were built. The clock tower in Negotino was raised in the first half of the 19th Century and together with the Bezisten (market place), which suffered the fire in 1913, represents a deed of Tair – Aga Sinan. The Stone Tower with a hexagonal basis is fifteen meters high. Its upper part is built of a wooden construction. A clock, which no longer stands on this place, was set up once. The Tower entrance is located on the West Side and it is made of broken stones with a semicircular arc. **Museum**



Through the scientific research projects, the Museum increased its collection of archeological and ethnological exhibits. Today a bigger part of these exhibits are preserved and exhibited in the permanent museum staging of the Museum of Negotino, thus being available to the wider scientific publicity and the visitors of the Museum. With the help of an Italian donation and financial means provided by the Municipality of Negotino and cooperation with Tikves Wine Route Foundation, an annex to the Museum of Negotino was built with its special part “Museum of the wine” which is the first museum of that kind on the Balkans. Very near by Negotino it was proved that the locality represents a settlement (an acropolis) with an area of 3 hectares. The settlement is entirely surrounded by bulwark. The front door of the acropolis is ascertained and the three time periods referring to the settlement are defined as Macedonian, Hellenistic and Roman.  Old crafts Pottery is one of the oldest crafts that still exist in the Municipaluity of Negotino. The pottery products have a wide use in the floriculture and specially in the catering industry while serving traditional food and beverages. There are lot of young people who pass into the workshop “Old crafts” in Negotino and who inherit the secrets of wood-carving. They take part in different exhibitions, fair and other manifestations. The [|“Old Crafts”] Association in Negotino is one of a kind in Macedonia, and possibly in the broader region. It was founded on April 19, 2004 by six woodcarvers led by Mitko Vasilev, who was the association’s first president. That year, with assistance from USAID and the municipal government of Negotino, the woodcarving workshop was open on September 14 (this date is taken as the anniversary of the workshop) under the project title “The Traditional Woodcarving Workshop – a Path to New Jobs”. The first woodcarving training took place from October 2004 until February 2005. Since then, new trained woodcarvers come out of the workshop almost every year. The workshop has its own office, machines, tools and other equipment. Every year, the association holds its traditional exhibition of the latest works at the Museum of Negotino on St. Trifun (February 14), the patron saint day of the association. The association has had exhibitions in several other towns in Macedonia (Kavadarci, Gevgelija, etc), and participates in various fairs, bazaars and charity events connected to artisanship (Skopje, London). The current and second president of the Association is Lazar Stojkov. The Association logo represents the bird Phoenix, a symbol of the rebirth of the woodcarving trade. Back
 * Wood carving**

=Macedonian Sights=

Lakes
(Macedonian: Охридско Езеро, straddles the mountainous border between the southwestern region of the Republic of Macedonia and eastern Albania. It is one of Europe’s deepest and according to most experts the oldest lake in Europe, preserving a unique aquatic ecosystem with more than 200 endemic species that is of worldwide importance. The importance of the lake was further emphasized when it was declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 1979. There is a legend about the way that Ohrid was created that is told by everyone who lives outside of this amazing city; they say that once God had finished creating the world, he took his rest and during this time Satan created Ohrid. He made it so beautiful with a wonderful lake, steep mountains, lush pastures and a temperate climate. God was totally amazed when he awoke and asked the devil, “What have you done, devil? Your deeds are supposed to be evil!” The twist in the story comes in Satan’s reply, “Oh, wait a minute, God. You haven't seen Ohrid's citizens yet!” Ohrid has 365 churches. Most beutifull are: The church of St. Sofia, St. Clement, The monastery of s.Naum, St. John the Theologian - Kaneo, various cave churches and rural churches, Plaoshnik
 * Lake Ohrid**

You should be there for the Swimming marathon. - According to hearsay, the first massive swimming competition in the Lake Ohrid took place in 1924. Similar contests were organized in 1927 and 1928. There is also a record of the establishment of the first water sports society in 1932 - The Swimming and Rowing Club "Ohrid". In those days, the best swimmers were: Slave Bitrak, Dio Bogdan, Lambe Bido, Boris Filipce, Viktor Boev, Stefan Momir, and others. e first real marathon contest along the route of village Pestani-Struga-Ohrid (36 km) took place in 1962, with 22 participants from 12 countries. Since 1998 the Ohrid Swimming Marathon has entered in the World Swimming Club of the 12 worldwide held marathons under the patronage of FINA-The World Swimming Association
 * Ohrid Swimming marathon**

During King Samuel's reign (976-1014 A.D.) Ohrid was the capital of the first state of the Macedonian Slavs. Samuel’s Fortress in Ohrid dates back to the 3rd century and initially had three entrance gates, of which only one, the Upper Gate, has been preserved to this day. Before and after Samuel’s reign, the fortress had been demolished and rebuilt several times. The highest part of Ohrid, which is 100 meters above the lake level, is surrounded by 10-16m high walls, built of stone, lime, and sand from the lake, and two defense towers. After the arrival of colonizers from Asia, led by their commander Mino, the town started spreading outside the walls, on the surrounding plain. There is a legend about king Samuel. In the many battles fought back then, Samuel's army was defeated by the Byzantines and all the 14000 men in the army had been completely blinded...each 100th soldier had been left with one eye only in order to be able to guide the others back home. When Samuel saw his people blinded, they say he died of a shock and broken heart.
 * King Smuel's fortress**

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