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WIZZ MAGAZINE
JUNE-JULY 2012
FEATURE
SKOP J E
Skopje can trace its history back over 3,000 years. The
city has seen its fair share of historic events, but there
is one date indelibly engraved in local memory –
26 July 1963. Shortly before dawn that day, a powerful
earthquake devastated the city, destroying 80% of the
buildings and killing over 1,000 people.
However, the ancient Turkish quarter of Caršija
largely survived. The Ottoman Turks had ruled for 520
years and bequeathed a rich cultural and architectural
legacy, which lives on around the cobbled streets
of the old bazaar. Grocers, bakers, barbers, tailors,
ironmongers, jewellers and shoemakers all go about
their business in scenes little changed for centuries.
Must-see historic sights in this area include the
ancient Kale Fortress, the Kamen Most (or Stone
Bridge), originally from the 15th Century, and the
arches of the 16th-century Kuršumli An, now a
museum but originally an inn. Sveti Spas, the only
surviving monastery in central Skopje, is from the 1300s
and contains a beautiful church, while the Mustafa
Pasha Mosque was built in 1492 as the city’s biggest
and most decorative Islamic place of worship.
“In the hot summer months, Skopje residents
often head south to Lake Ohrid, attracted by
its cool waters and relaxed vacation vibe”
ABOVE:
LAKE OHRID
IS RICH IN BIRDLIFE,
INCLUDING PELICANS
AND BIRDS OF PREY
NGS IMAGES