Skopje

Coordinates: 41°59′46″N 21°25′54″E / 41.99611°N 21.43167°E / 41.99611; 21.43167
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Skopje
Скопје (Macedonian)
Shkup (Albanian)
City of Skopje
Clockwise from top: view over central Skopje from Skopje Fortress (Kale); Kuršumli An; Old Bazaar with Mustafa Pasha Mosque in the background; Old Railway Station; Church of St. Clement of Ohrid; and Stone Bridge
UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal codes
МК-10 00
Area code+389 2
ISO 3166 codeMK-85
Car platesSK
HDI (2021)0.802[4]
very high · 1st of 8
ClimateBSk
Websitewww.skopje.gov.mk

Skopje (

largest city of North Macedonia. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre. Skopje lies in the Skopje Basin
.

Scupi is attested for the first time in the second century CE as a city in Roman Dardania.[8][9] When the Roman Empire was divided into eastern and western halves in 395 AD, Scupi came under Byzantine rule from Constantinople. During much of the early medieval period, the town was contested between the Byzantines and the Bulgarian Empire, whose capital it was between 972 and 992.

From 1282, the town was part of the

Vardarska Banovina. In World War II, the city was again captured by Bulgaria and in 1945 became the capital of SR Macedonia, a federated state within Yugoslavia.[11] The city developed rapidly, but this was interrupted in 1963 when it was hit by a disastrous earthquake
.

Skopje is on the upper course of the Vardar River, and is on a major north–south Balkan route between Belgrade and Athens. It is a centre for the chemical, timber, textile, leather, printing, and metal-processing industries. Industrial development of the city has been accompanied by development of the trade, logistics, and banking sectors, as well as an emphasis on the fields of transportation, culture and sport. According to the last official census from 2021, Skopje had a population of 422,540 inhabitants in its urban area and 526,502 in ten municipalities that form the city and, beside Skopje, include many other less urbanized and rural settlements some of which are 20 km (12 mi) away from the city itself or even border the neighbouring Kosovo.[2][failed verification]

Name

Serbian troops overseeing the city's renaming from "Üsküb" to "Skoplje" following Serbia's annexation of Vardar Macedonia in 1912

The city is attested for the first name in

Ottoman Turkish: اسكوب) and it was adapted in Western languages in "Uskub" or "Uskup", and these two appellations were used in the Western world until 1912. Some Western sources also cite "Scopia" and "Skopia".[17] Scopia is in fact the name of the city in Aromanian.[18]

When

Second World War, when standard Macedonian became the official language of the new Socialist Republic of Macedonia
.

Geography

Topography

Skopje is in the north of the country, in the centre of the

Balkan peninsula, and halfway between Belgrade and Athens. The city was built in the Skopje valley, oriented on a west–east axis, along the course of the Vardar river, which flows into the Aegean Sea in Greece. The valley is approximately 20 km (12 mi) wide[19] and it is limited by several mountain ranges to the north and south. These ranges limit the urban expansion of Skopje, which spreads along the Vardar and the Serava, a small river which comes from the north. In its administrative boundaries, the City of Skopje stretches for more than 33 km (21 mi),[20] but it is only 10 km (6.2 mi) wide.[21]

Skopje is approximately 245 m above sea level and covers 571.46 km2.[22] The urbanized area only covers 337 km2, with a density of 65 inhabitants per hectare.[23] Skopje, in its administrative limits, encompasses many villages and other settlements, including Dračevo, Gorno Nerezi and Bardovci. According to the 2021 census, the City of Skopje itself comprised 422,540 inhabitants and 526,502 within administrative limits.[2][failed verification]

The City of Skopje reaches the Kosovo border to the north-east. Clockwise, it is also bordered by the municipalities of Čučer-Sandevo, Lipkovo, Aračinovo, Ilinden, Studeničani, Sopište, Želino and Jegunovce.

  • The city of Skopje; its administrative limits are in red.
    The city of Skopje; its administrative limits are in red.
  • Location of Skopje in North Macedonia
    Location of Skopje in North Macedonia
  • Landscape of the Skopje valley, near Bardovci
    Landscape of the Skopje valley, near Bardovci

Hydrography

The Vardar river, which flows through Skopje, is at approximately 60 km (37 mi) from its source near Gostivar. In Skopje, its average discharge is 51 m3/s, with a wide amplitude depending on seasons, between 99.6 m3/s in May and 18.7 m3/s in July. The water temperature is comprised between 4.6 °C in January and 18.1 °C in July.[24]

Several rivers meet the Vardar within the city boundaries. The largest is the Treska, which is 130 km (81 mi) long. It crosses the Matka Canyon before reaching the Vardar on the western extremity of the City of Skopje. The Lepenac, coming from Kosovo, flows into the Vardar on the northwestern end of the urban area. The Serava, also coming from the North, had flowed through the Old Bazaar until the 1960s, when it was diverted towards the West because its waters were very polluted. Originally, it met the Vardar close to the seat of the Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts. Nowadays, it flows into the Vardar near the ruins of Scupi.[25] Finally, the Markova Reka, which originates in Mount Vodno, meets the Vardar at the eastern extremity of the city. These three rivers are less than 70 km (43 mi) long.[21]

The City of Skopje incorporates two artificial lakes, on the Treska. The lake Matka is the result of the construction of a dam in the Matka Canyon in the 1930s, and the Treska lake was dug for leisure purpose in 1978.[21] Three small natural lakes can be found near Smiljkovci, on the northeastern edge of the urban area.

The river Vardar historically caused many floods, such as in 1962, when its outflow reached 1110 m3/s−1.[24] Several works have been carried since Byzantine times to limit the risks, and since the construction of the Kozjak dam on the Treska in 1994, the flood risk is close to zero.[26]

The subsoil contains a large water table which is alimented by the Vardar river and functions as an underground river. Under the table lies an aquifer contained in marl. The water table is 4 to 12 m under the ground and 4 to 144 m deep. Several wells collect its waters but most of the drinking water used in Skopje comes from a karstic spring in Rašče, west of the city.[23]

  • The Treska lake
    The Treska lake
  • The Vardar and the Stone Bridge, symbol of the city
    The Vardar and the Stone Bridge, symbol of the city
  • The main river running through the centre of Skopje, c. 1950
    The main river running through the centre of Skopje, c. 1950
  • The Serava north of the city
    The Serava north of the city

Geology

The Skopje valley is bordered on the West by the

Jakupica range.[21]

Although Skopje is built on the foot of Mount Vodno, the urban area is mostly flat. It comprises several minor hills, generally covered with woods and parks, such as Gazi Baba hill (325 m), Zajčev Rid (327 m), the foothills of Mount Vodno (the smallest are between 350 and 400 m high) and the promontory on which Skopje Fortress is built.[27]

The Skopje valley is near a seismic fault between the African and Eurasian

tectonic plates and experiences regular seismic activity.[28] This activity in enhanced by the porous structure of the subsoil.[29] Large earthquakes occurred in Skopje in 518, 1555 and 1963.[28]

The Skopje valley belongs to the Vardar geotectonic region, the subsoil of which is formed of Neogene and Quaternary deposits. The substratum is made of Pliocene deposits including sandstone, marl and various conglomerates. It is covered by a first layer of Quaternary sands and silt, which is between 70 and 90 m deep. The layer is topped by a much smaller layer of clay, sand, silt and gravel, carried by the Vardar river. It is between 1.5 and 5.2 m deep.[30]

In some areas, the subsoil is karstic. It led to the formation of canyons, such as the Matka Canyon, which is surrounded by ten caves. They are between 20 and 176 m deep.[31]

Climate

Skopje has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa in the Köppen climate classification).[32][33] with a mean annual temperature of 13.5 °C (56 °F).[34] Precipitation is relatively low due to the pronounced rain shadow of the Accursed Mountains to the northwest, being significantly less than what is received on the Adriatic Sea coast at the same latitude. The summers are long, hot and relatively dry with low humidity. Skopje's average July high is 31 °C (88 °F). On average Skopje sees 88 days above 30 °C (86 °F) each year, and 10.2 days above 35.0 °C (95 °F) every year. Winters are short, relatively cold and wet. Snowfalls are common in the winter period, but heavy snow accumulation is rare and the snowcover lasts only for a few hours or a few days if heavy. In summer, temperatures are usually above 31 °C (88 °F) and sometimes above 40 °C (104 °F). In spring and autumn, the temperatures range from 15 to 24 °C (59 to 75 °F). In winter, the day temperatures are roughly in the range from 5–10 °C (41–50 °F), but at nights they often fall below 0 °C (32 °F) and sometimes below −10 °C (14 °F). Typically, temperatures throughout one year range from −13 °C to 39 °C. Occurrences of precipitation are evenly distributed throughout the year, being heaviest from October to December, and from April to June.

Climate data for Skopje International Airport (1991-2020)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 19.9
(67.8)
24.2
(75.6)
28.8
(83.8)
32.4
(90.3)
35.2
(95.4)
41.1
(106.0)
42.8
(109.0)
43.7
(110.7)
37.0
(98.6)
33.9
(93.0)
28.2
(82.8)
22.1
(71.8)
43.7
(110.7)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 4.8
(40.6)
9.0
(48.2)
14.5
(58.1)
19.4
(66.9)
24.4
(75.9)
29.2
(84.6)
32.0
(89.6)
32.3
(90.1)
26.7
(80.1)
20.1
(68.2)
12.5
(54.5)
5.9
(42.6)
19.2
(66.6)
Daily mean °C (°F) 0.2
(32.4)
3.0
(37.4)
7.7
(45.9)
12.4
(54.3)
17.2
(63.0)
21.7
(71.1)
24.1
(75.4)
24.1
(75.4)
19.0
(66.2)
13.1
(55.6)
6.9
(44.4)
1.8
(35.2)
12.6
(54.7)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −3.3
(26.1)
−1.6
(29.1)
1.9
(35.4)
5.7
(42.3)
10.3
(50.5)
14.3
(57.7)
16.3
(61.3)
16.2
(61.2)
12.2
(54.0)
7.6
(45.7)
2.8
(37.0)
−1.4
(29.5)
6.7
(44.2)
Record low °C (°F) −25.8
(−14.4)
−21.8
(−7.2)
−10.8
(12.6)
−5.8
(21.6)
−1.0
(30.2)
3.0
(37.4)
7.0
(44.6)
7.0
(44.6)
−2.0
(28.4)
−6.4
(20.5)
−12.2
(10.0)
−22.9
(−9.2)
−25.8
(−14.4)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 30
(1.2)
29
(1.1)
38
(1.5)
40
(1.6)
43
(1.7)
54
(2.1)
38
(1.5)
36
(1.4)
34
(1.3)
49
(1.9)
45
(1.8)
48
(1.9)
483
(19.0)
Average precipitation days 10 9 10 10 11 10 7 6 6 7 9 11 106
Average snowy days 5 5 3 0.2 0 0 0 0 0 0.1 2 5 20
Average
relative humidity
(%)
83 75 68 66 66 61 56 56 63 74 82 85 70
Mean monthly sunshine hours 86.9 112.5 161.1 198.4 245.2 276.3 323.0 305.4 247.5 188.2 114.8 79.6 2,339
Source 1: Pogoda.ru.net,[35] World Meteorological Organization (precipitation days)[36]
Source 2:
NOAA (sun, 1961–1990)[37]

Environment

The City of Skopje encompasses various natural environments and its fauna and flora are rich. However, it is threatened by the intensification of agriculture and the urban extension. The largest protected area within the city limits is Mount Vodno, which is a popular leisure destination. A cable car connects its peak to the downtown, and many pedestrian paths run through its woods. Other large natural spots include the Matka Canyon.[23]

The city itself comprises several parks and gardens amounting to 4,361 hectares. Among these are the City Park (Gradski Park), built by the Ottoman Turks at the beginning of the 20th century; Žena Borec Park, in front of the Parliament; the university arboretum; and Gazi Baba forest. Many streets and boulevards are planted with trees.[38]

Skopje experiences many environmental issues which are often overshadowed by the economic poverty of the country. However, alignment of North Macedonian law on European law has brought progress in some fields, such as water and waste treatment, and industrial emissions.[39] Skopje remains one of the most polluted cities in the world, topping the ranks in December 2017.[40]

Steel processing, which a crucial activity for the local economy, is responsible for

soil pollution with heavy metals such as lead, zinc and cadmium, and air pollution with nitrogen oxide and carbon monoxide.[23] Vehicle traffic and district heating plants are also responsible for air pollution. The highest pollution levels usually occur in autumn and winter.[39]

Water treatment plants are being built, but much polluted water is still discharged untreated into the Vardar.[23] Waste is disposed of in the open-air municipal landfill site, 15 km (9.3 mi) north of the city. Every day, it receives 1,500 m3 of domestic waste and 400 m3 of industrial waste. Health levels are better in Skopje than in the rest of North Macedonia, and no link has been found between the low environmental quality and the health of the residents.[41]

A panoramic view of Skopje as seen from Mount Vodno.

Urbanism

Urban morphology

Skopje urban plan for 2002–2020:
  City centre
  Collective housing
  Individual housing
  Industrial areas

The urban morphology of Skopje was deeply impacted by the 26 July 1963 earthquake, which destroyed 80% of the city, and by the reconstruction that followed.[28] For instance, neighbourhoods were rebuilt in such a way that the demographic density remains low to limit the impact of potential future earthquakes.[42]

Reconstruction following the 1963 earthquake was mainly conducted by the Polish architect Adolf Ciborowski, who had already planned the reconstruction of Warsaw after World War II. Ciborowski divided the city in blocks dedicated to specific activities. The banks of the Vardar river became natural areas and parks, areas between the main boulevards were built with highrise housing and shopping centres, and the suburbs were left to individual housing and industry.[43] Reconstruction had to be quick to relocate families and to relaunch the local economy. To stimulate economic development, the number of thoroughfares was increased and future urban extension was anticipated.[44]

Skopje as seen by the SPOT satellite. Mount Vodno is visible on the bottom left of the picture.

The south bank of the Vardar river generally comprises highrise tower blocks, including the vast Karpoš neighbourhood which was built in the 1970s west of the centre. Towards the East, the new municipality of

Kenzo Tange. The centre is surrounded by a row of long buildings suggesting a wall ("Gradski Zid").[42]

On the north bank, where the most ancient parts of the city lie, the Old Bazaar was restored and its surroundings were rebuilt with low-rise buildings, so as not to spoil views of the Skopje Fortress. Several institutions, including the university and the Macedonian academy, were also relocated on the north bank to reduce borders between the ethnic communities. Indeed, the north bank is mostly inhabited by Muslim Albanians, Turks and Roma, whereas Christian ethnic Macedonians predominantly reside on the south bank.[43]

The earthquake left the city with few historical monuments, apart from the Ottoman

modernist but grey city. At the end of the 2000s, the city centre experienced profound changes. A highly controversial[45] urban project, "Skopje 2014", was adopted by the municipal authorities to give the city a more monumental and historical aspect, and thus to transform it into a proper national capital. Several neoclassical buildings destroyed in the 1963 earthquake were rebuilt, including the national theatre, and streets and squares were refurbished. Many other elements were also built, including fountains, statues, hotels, government buildings and bridges. The project has been criticized because of its cost and its historicist aesthetics.[46] The large Albanian minority felt it was not represented in the new monuments,[47] and launched side projects, including a new square over the boulevard that separate the city centre from the Old Bazaar.[48]

Some areas of Skopje suffer from a certain anarchy because many houses and buildings were built without consent from the local authorities.[49]

  • Vapcarov Street, in the city centre
    Vapcarov Street, in the city centre
  • A street in the Old Bazaar
    A street in the Old Bazaar
  • Highrise housing in Karpoš
    Highrise housing in Karpoš
  • "Macedonian Cross" and Cevahir Towers.
    "Macedonian Cross" and Cevahir Towers.
  • The archeological museum, one of the elements of "Skopje 2014"
    The archeological museum, one of the elements of "Skopje 2014"

Urban sociology

Kapištec neighbourhood, developed during the 1970s. Some post-earthquake prefabricated houses can be seen in the foreground.

Skopje is an ethnically diverse city, and its urban sociology primarily depends on ethnic and religious belonging.

Roma account respectively for 20% and 6%.[50] Each ethnic group generally restrict itself to certain areas of the city. Macedonians live south of the Vardar, in areas massively rebuilt after 1963, and Muslims live on the northern side, in the oldest neighbourhoods of the city. These neighbourhoods are considered more traditional, whereas the south side evokes to Macedonians modernity and rupture from rural life.[51]

The northern areas are the poorest. This is especially true for

Šuto Orizari municipality, which are the two main Roma neighbourhoods. They are made of many illegal constructions not connected to electricity and water supply, which are passed from a generation to the other. Topaana, close to the Old Bazaar, is a very old area: it was first mentioned as a Roma neighbourhood in the beginning of the 14th century. It has between 3,000 and 5,000 inhabitants. Šuto Orizari, on the northern edge of the city, is a municipality of its own, with Romani as its local official language. It was developed after the 1963 earthquake to accommodate Roma who had lost their house.[52]

The population density varies greatly from an area to the other. So does the size of the living area per person. The city average was at 19.41 m2 (208.93 sq ft) per person as of 2002[update], but at 24 m2 (258 sq ft) in

Šuto Orizari, the average was at 13 m2 (140 sq ft).[50]

Localities and villages

Gorno Nerezi, a village on the northern side of Mount Vodno

Outside of the urban area, the City of Skopje encompasses many small settlements. Some of them are becoming outer suburbs, such as

Saraj municipality, which is the most rural of the ten municipalities that form the City of Skopje.[54]

Some localities outside the city limits are also becoming outer suburbs, particularly in

airport, in Petrovec.[54]

Pollution

Pollution contributors in the area of Skopje

Air pollution is a serious problem in Skopje, especially in winter. Concentrations of certain types of particulate matter (PM2 and PM10) are regularly over twelve times the WHO recommended maximum levels. In winter, smoke regularly obscures vision and can lead to problems for drivers. Together with India and Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia is one of the most polluted places in the world.[55]

Skopje's high levels of pollution are caused by a combination of smoke from houses, emissions from the industry, from buses and other forms of public transport, as well as from cars, and a lack of interest in caring for the environment. Central heating is often not affordable, and so households often burn firewood, as well as used car tyres, various plastic garbage, petroleum and other possible flammable waste, which emits toxic chemicals harmful to the population, especially to children and the elderly.[56]

The city's smog has reduced its air quality and affected the health of many of its citizens, many of which have died from pollution-related illnesses.

An application called AirCare ('MojVozduh') has been launched by local eco activist Gorjan Jovanovski to help citizens track pollution levels. It uses a Traffic light system, with purple for heavily polluted air, red for high levels detected, amber for moderate levels detected, and green for when the air is safe to inhale.[57] The application relies on both government and volunteer sensors to track hourly air pollution. Unfortunately, government sensors are frequently inoperable and malfunctioning, causing the need for more low-cost, but less accurate, volunteer sensors to be put up by citizens. Faults on government sensors are especially frequent when the pollution is measured is extremely high, according to the AQILHC (Air Quality Index Levels of Health Concern).[58]

In 2017, as part of the city’s efforts to reduce pollution, a CityTree was installed, and promoted by German ambassador Christine Althauser.[59]

On 29 November 2019, a march, organized by the Skopje Smog Alarm activist community,[60][61] attracted thousands of people who opposed the government's lack of action in dealing with the city's pollution, which has worsened since 2017, contributing to around 1300 deaths annually.[62][61]

A panoramic view of the smog in the central area of Skopje

History

Timeline of Skopje
Historical affiliations

 

Dardanian Kingdom
, 230–28 BC
 Roman Empire, 28 BC–395
 Byzantine Empire, 395–836
 First Bulgarian Empire, 836–1004
 Byzantine Empire, 1004–1093
 Grand Principality of Serbia, 1093–1097
 Byzantine Empire, 1098–1203
 Second Bulgarian Empire, 1203–1246
 Empire of Nicaea, 1246–1255
 Second Bulgarian Empire, 1255–1256
 Empire of Nicaea, 1256–1261
 Byzantine Empire, 1261–1282
Kingdom of Serbia, 1282–1346
Serbian Empire, 1346–1371
District of Branković, 1371–1392
Ottoman Empire, 1392–1912
Kingdom of Serbia 1912–1915
Tsardom of Bulgaria 1915–1918
Kingdom of Yugoslavia[Note 1] 1918–1941
Tsardom of Bulgaria 1941–1944
Democratic Federal Yugoslavia (Democratic Federal Macedonia) 1944–1946
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Socialist Republic of Macedonia) 1946–1992
 North Macedonia[Note 2] 1992–present

Origins

The rocky promontory on which Skopje Fortress stands was the first site to be settled in Skopje. The earliest vestiges of human occupation found on this site date from the Chalcolithic (4th millennium BC).[63]

Although the Chalcolithic settlement must have been of some significance, it declined during the

Balkan and Danube cultures, and later with the Aegean. The locality eventually disappeared during the Iron Age[64] when Scupi emerged on Zajčev Rid hill, some 5 km (3.1 mi) west of the fortress promontory. At the centre of the Balkan peninsula and on the road between the Danube and Aegean Sea,[65] it was a prosperous locality, although its history is not well known.[65]

During the Iron Age, the area of Skopje was inhabited by the

Macedon, and it seems most likely that Dardania lost its independence in 28 BC.[67]

Roman Scupi

A "Venus Pudica" found in Scupi, dated from the 2nd century AD[68]

Roman expansion east brought Scupi under Roman rule as a colony of legionnaires, mainly veterans of the

Thracian origin.[73]

The city population was very diverse. Engravings on tombstones suggest that only a minority of the population came from Italy, while many veterans were from

An ancient funeral inscription of the Illyrian tribe Albanoi was found in Scupi.[75]

In its heyday, Scupi covered 40 hectares and was closed by a 3.5 m (11 ft) wide wall.[76] It had many monuments, including four necropoles, a theatre, thermae,[71] and a large Christian basilica.[77]

Middle Ages

Skopje Fortress

In 518, Scupi was destroyed by a violent earthquake,

Barbarian invasions, and the city inhabitants had already fled to the forests and mountains before the disaster occurred.[79] The city was eventually rebuilt by Justinian I. During his reign, many Byzantine towns were relocated on hills and other easily defendable places to face invasions. It was thus transferred on another site: the promontory on which the fortress stands.[80] However, Scupi was sacked by Slavs at the end of the 6th century and the city seems to have fallen under Slavic rule in 595.[81] The Slavic tribe which sacked Scupi was probably the Berziti,[16] who had invaded the entire Vardar valley.[82] However the Slavs did not settle permanently in the region, which had been already plundered and depopulated, but continued south to the Mediterranean coast.[83] After the Slavic invasion it was deserted for some time and is not mentioned during the following centuries.[16] Perhaps in the late 7th or the early 8th century the Byzantines again settled at this strategic location. Along with the rest of the Upper Vardar valley it became part of the expanding First Bulgarian Empire in the 830s.[84][85]

The coronation of emperor Dušan in Skopje[b]

Starting from the end of the 10th century Skopje experienced a period of wars and political troubles. It served as the Bulgarian capital from 972 to 992, and

Peter Delyan's command,[89] and in 1072 under the orders of Georgi Voyteh.[90] In 1081, Skopje was captured by Norman troops led by Robert Guiscard and the city remained in their hands until 1088. Skopje was subsequently conquered by the Serbian Grand Prince Vukan in 1093, and again by the Normans four years later. However, because of epidemics and food shortage, Normans quickly surrendered to the Byzantines.[91]

During the 12th and 13th centuries, Bulgarians and Serbs took advantage of Byzantine decline to create large kingdoms stretching from

Constantine Tikh gained the upper hand and ruled until Europe's only successful peasant revolt the Uprising of Ivaylo
deposed him.

In 1282, Skopje was captured by Serbian king

Stefan Dušan made it the capital of the Serbian Empire. In 1346, he was crowned "Emperor of the Serbs and Greeks" in Skopje.[16] After his death the Serbian Empire collapsed into several principalities which were unable to defend themselves against the Turks. Skopje was first inherited by the Lordship of Prilep and finally taken by Vuk Branković in the wake of the Battle of Maritsa (1371)[98] before becoming part of the Ottoman Empire in 1392.[16]

In 1330, Serbian king Stefan Dečanski mentioned Albanians as being in the district of Skopje and regularly going to the Fair of Saint George which convened near the city.[99]

Ottoman period

First May Day celebration of the Ottoman period in Skopje, 1909

The

baths.[101]

In the cadastral register of 1451-52, the Skopje neighborhood Gjin-ko - (Gjinaj), is mentioned, being named after the medieval Albanian Gjini family. The neighbourhood displayed mixed Christian Albanian anthroponomy with cases of Slavicisation present (e.g Palić; Pal + Slavic suffix ).[102] During this time period, a number of timariotes of the city are recorded as bearing the name Arnauti (Albanian) alongside a Muslim name, i.e Hamza Arnauti, Shahin Arnauti, Jusuf Arnauti. Another group bore Christian/Slavic names, while also carrying bearing the surname Arbanas/Arnaut, i.e Bogdan Arbanas, Bogoslav Arbanas, Milosh Arbanas, Bozhidar Arnaut etc. These individuals are not noted as having the Slavic appellatives došlac, prišlac or uselica, which were given by Ottoman authorities to new settlers of a given region, likely indicating they were locals.[103] In the year 1451/53 a neighborhood was registered bearing an Aromanian name, Mahalle-i Todor Vlaja-Vlaha. Among the 45 family heads of this neighborhood , Christian-Slavic and Albanian anthroponyms were recorded (Gjon-çe, son of Noriç, Koljko Bibani, Tusho, son of Rada etc), while a sizeable number of individuals bearing mixed Slavic-Vlach anthroponyms are also registered, such as: Petko, son of Vllah (Iflak), Petru son of David, Andreja, kozhuhar, Nikul Çikun, etc.[104]

In the mahallah Ahrijan Hasan in the year 1451/53, a head of the family from noble Albanian Muzaka family, who had converted to Islam, was re-registered among the Muslim heads of the family. In the other register of 1467/68, now in the Christian mahallah named Svetko Samarxhi, among the 29 heads of families with Slavic Christian anthroponyms, a number also carry Albanian anthroponyms.[105] In the neighborhood of Jazixhi Shahin, among the residents with Muslim names, the head of the family was registered only with the surname Zenebishi, without mentioning his social position or his profession, indicating a higher social status. This may suggest a relation to Hasan Bey Zenebishi adescendant of the Zenebishi family and the Soubashi of the Nahiyah of Kalkandelen. Individuals bearing Albanian anthroponyms, be they in conjunction with Oriental/Islamic, Slavic or Christian ones, also appear in the neighbourhoods of Kasim Fakih, Dursun Saraç, Kujumxhi Mentesheli, Çerep, Jandro, Stanimir, Vllah Dançu and Rela.[104] A number of Sipahis were also of Albanian origin, with these individuals holding timars in areas which had a Christian Albanian symbiosis with Slavic anthroponyms in the vicinity of Skopje. The defters noted that these were old were old Sipahis, likely having been landowners. These individual Sipahis were closely related by descent and blood, and taking account kinship ties, even though they had heterogeneous, Christian, Slavic and Oriental names, they appear to have been Albanians. Some have names indicating their origin, such as Shimerd Vardarli from Skopje, making it likely these timariotes were locals.[106]

The 15th-century Mustafa Pasha Mosque

Around 1529, the Christians of Skopje were mostly non-converted

Armenian tradesmen.[107] Mustafa Pasha Mosque, built in 1492, is reputed to be "one of the most resplendent sacral Islamic buildings in the Balkans."[108] In 1535 all churches were demolished by decree of the (Ottoman) governor.[109][dubious ] In 1555, the city was hit by another severe earthquake, collapsing much of the city. The Old Bazaar of Skopje, the columns of the Stone Bridge, and the murals in the upper parts of the Church of Saint Panteleimon, Gorno Nerezi were all severely damaged.[110] Some modern sources estimate this earthquake to have been a category XII (Extreme) on the Modified Mercalli intensity scale, although others believe this is an overestimate.[28]

In 1623-1624, the Catholic

Pjeter Mazreku reported the town was inhabited by 'Turks (Muslims), majority of them being Albanians, the rest are of Asiatic origin', Mazreku further wrote; 'there are also Jews, Serbs and some Greeks in the town'.[111][112] In the Ottoman period, 'Turk' was used within Christian writings as a name for a Muslim or for Islamised Albanians.[113][114]

Until the 17th century, Skopje experienced a long golden age. Around 1650, the number of inhabitants in Skopje was between 30,000 and 60,000, and the city contained more than 10,000 houses. It was then one of the only big cities on the territory of future

Petar Karposh, who was impaled on Skopje Stone Bridge.[120]

After the war, Skopje was in ruins. Most of the official buildings were restored or rebuilt, but the city experienced new

Janissaries or Hajduks.[121] An estimation conducted by French officers around 1836 revealed that at that time Skopje only had around 10,000 inhabitants. It was surpassed by two other towns of present-day North Macedonia: Bitola (40,000) and Štip (15–20,000).[122]

Skopje began to recover from decades of decline after 1850. At that time, the city experienced a slow but steady demographic growth, mainly due to the rural exodus of Slav Macedonians. It was also fuelled by the exodus of Muslims from

Kosovo Vilayet, which encompassed present-day Kosovo, northwestern Macedonia and the Sanjak of Novi Pazar
.

In statistics gathered by Vasil Kanchov in 1900, the city of Skopje was inhabited by 31900 people, of whom 15000 were Turks, 13000 Christian Bulgarians, 1920 Romani, 800 Jews, 450 Vlachs, 150 Christian Albanians, 50 Christian Greeks, 30 Circassians and 500 inhabitants of various other origins.[125] The Bulgarian researcher Vasil Kanchov wrote in 1900 that many Albanians declared themselves as Turks. In Skopje, the population that declared itself Turkish "was of Albanian blood", but it "had been Turkified after the Ottoman invasion, including Skanderbeg", referring to Islamization. Jordan Ivanov, professor at the University of Sofia, wrote in 1915 that Albanians, since they did not have their own alphabet, due to a lack of consolidated national consciousness and influenced by foreign propaganda, declared themselves as Turks, Greeks and Bulgarians, depending on which religion they belonged to. Albanians were losing their mother tongue in Skopje. .[126] German linguist Gustav Weigand described that the Skopje Muslim population of "Turks" or Ottomans (Osmanli) during the late Ottoman period were mainly Albanians that spoke Turkish in public and Albanian at home.[127] In 1905, the city had 32,000 inhabitants, making it the largest of the vilayet, although closely followed by Prizren with its 30,000 inhabitants.[17] At the beginning of the 20th century, local economy was focused on dyeing, weaving, tanning, ironworks and wine and flour processing.[17]

Skopje was one of the five main centres of the

Bashibozuks
and moved to Bulgaria.

Following the Young Turk Revolution in 1908, the Ottoman Empire experienced democracy and several political parties were created.[16] However, some of the policies implemented by the Young Turks, such as a tax rise and the interdiction of ethnic-based political parties, discontented minorities. Albanians opposed the nationalist character of the movement and led local uprisings in 1910 and 1912. During the latter they managed to seize most of Kosovo and took Skopje on 11 August. On 18 August, the insurgents signed the Üsküb agreement which provided for the creation of an autonomous Albanian province and they were amnestied the day later.[129]

Balkan Wars to present day

Skopje after being captured by Albanian revolutionaries in August 1912 after defeating the Ottoman forces holding the city
Peter I of Serbia visiting Skopje in 1914

Following an alliance contracted in 1912, Bulgaria, Greece and Serbia declared war on the Ottoman Empire. Their goal was to definitively expel the Ottomans from Europe. The First Balkan War started on 8 October 1912 and lasted six weeks. Serbians reached Skopje on 26 October. Ottoman forces had left the city the day before.[16] During the conflict, Chetniks, a Serb irregular force razed the Albanian quarter of Skopje and killed numerous Albanian inhabitants from the city.[130] The Serbian annexation led to the exodus of 725 Muslim families which left the city on 27 January 1913. The same year, the city population was evaluated at 37,000 by the Serbian authorities.[107]

A view of the centre of Skopje in the 1930s
A Bulgarian officer looking at Skopje's centre, April 1941

In 1915, during the

Second World War, Skopje experienced strong economic growth, and its population increased. The city had 41,066 inhabitants in 1921, 64,807 in 1931, and 80,000 in 1941.[107] Although in an underdeveloped region, it attracted wealthy Serbs who opened businesses and contributed to the modernization of the city.[135] In 1941, Skopje had 45 factories, half of the industry in the whole of Socialist Macedonia.[136]

The national theatre and the fortress around 1920

In 1941, during the Second World War, Yugoslavia was invaded by

Treblinka where almost all of them were killed.[139]

.

After

Socialist Yugoslav policies which encouraged industry and the development of Macedonian cultural institutions. Consequently, Skopje became home to a national library, a national philharmonic orchestra, a university and the Macedonian Academy. However, its post-war development was altered by the 1963 earthquake which occurred 26 July. Although relatively weak in magnitude, it caused enormous damage in the city and can be compared to the 1960 Agadir earthquake.[144] The disaster killed 1,070 people, injuring 3,300 others. 16,000 people were buried alive in ruins and 70% of the population lost their home.[42] Many educational facilities, factories and historical buildings were destroyed.[43]

American soldiers in Skopje after the 1963 earthquake
Monument to the Macedonian partisans – Liberators of Skopje, next to the Government building

After the

modernist architecture. Demographic growth was very important after 1963, and Skopje had 408,100 inhabitants in 1981.[146] After 1963, rural youth migrated to Skopje and were involved in the reconstruction process resulting in a large growth of the urban Macedonian population.[147][148][149] The Albanian population of Skopje also increased as people from the northern villages migrated to the city and others came from Kosovo either to provide manpower for reconstruction or fled the deteriorating political situation, especially during the 1990s.[145] However, during the 1980s and the 1990s, the country experienced inflation and recession and the local economy heavily suffered. The situation became better during the 2000s thanks to new investments. Many landmarks were restored and the "Skopje 2014
" project renewed the appearance of the city centre.

Emblems

The Flag of Skopje[150] is a red banner in proportions 1:2 with a gold-coloured coat of arms of the city positioned in the upper-left corner. It is either vertical or horizontal, but the vertical version was the first to be used.[151]

The coat of arms of the city was adopted in the 1950s. It depicts the

Šar mountains.[152]

Administration

Status

Greater Skopje among the municipalities of North Macedonia

Being the capital and largest city of North Macedonia, Skopje enjoys a particular status granted by law. The last revision of its status was made in 2004. Since then, the City of Skopje has been divided into 10 municipalities which all have a council and a mayor, like all of the country's municipalities. Municipalities only deal with matters specific of their territory, and the City of Skopje deals with matters that concern all of them, or that cannot be divided between two or more municipalities.[153]

The City of Skopje is part of the Skopje Statistical Region, which has no political or administrative power.[153]

City Council

The City Council consists of 45 members who serve a four-year term. It primarily deals with budget, global orientations and relations between the city and the government. Several commissions exist to treat more specific topics, such as urbanism, finances, environment of local development.

SDSM.[154]

Following the 2017 local elections, the City Council is constituted as follows:[154]

Party / List Seats My Parliament2323
SDSM 21
VMRO-DPMNE 17
DUI 3
BESA 2
AA 1
The Left 1
Total 45

Mayor

The Mayor of Skopje is elected every four years. The mayor represents the City of Skopje and can submit ideas to the council, manages the administrative bodies and their officials.[155]

Municipalities

Skopje was first divided into administrative units in 1945, but the first municipalities were created in 1976. They were five:

Aerodrom Municipality separated itself from Kisela Voda, and Butel Municipality from Čair.[153]

Municipalities are administered by a council of 23 members elected every four years. They also have a mayor and several departments (education, culture, finances...). The mayor primarily deals with these departments.[156]

Name Size
(km2)[22]
Population 2002[50] Population 2021[2]
Aerodrom
20 72,009 77,735
Butel
54.79 36,144 37,968
Centar
7.52 45,412 43,893
Čair
3.52 64,773 62,586
Gazi Baba
110.86 72,617 69,626
Ǵorče Petrov 66.93 41,634 44,844
Karpoš
35.21 59,666 63,760
Kisela Voda
34.24 57,236 61,965
Saraj
229.06 35,408 38,399
Šuto Orizari
7.48 22,017 25,726
City of Skopje 571.46 506,926 526,502
  1. Centar
    (Центар)
  2. Gazi Baba
    (Гази Баба)
  3. Aerodrom
    (Аеродром)
  4. Čair
    (Чаир)
  5. Kisela Voda
    (Кисела Вода)
  6. Butel
    (Бутел)
  7. Šuto Orizari
    (Шуто Оризари)
  8. Karpoš
    (Карпош)
  9. Ǵorče Petrov (Ѓорче Петров)
  10. Saraj
    (Сарај)

Economy

Economic weight

The small business district

Skopje is a medium city at European level. Being the capital and largest city of North Macedonia, Skopje concentrates a large share of the national economy. The Skopje Statistical Region, which encompasses the City of Skopje and some neighbouring municipalities, produces 45.5% of the Macedonian GDP.[157] In 2009, the regional GDP per capita amounted to US$6,565, or 155% of the Macedonian GDP per capita.[158] This figure is, however, smaller than the one of neighboring Sofia (US$10,106),[159] Sarajevo (US$10,048)[160] or Belgrade (US$7,983),[161] but higher than the one of Tirana (US$4,126).[162]

Because there are no other large cities in the country, and because of political and economical centralization, a large number of Macedonians living outside of Skopje work in the capital city. The dynamism of the city also encourages

rural exodus, not only from North Macedonia, but also from Kosovo, Albania and Southern Serbia.[163]

Firms and activities

In 2009, Skopje had 26,056 firms but only 145 of them had a large size. The large majority of them are either small (12,017) or very small (13,625).[164] A large share of the firms deal with trade of goods (9,758), 3,839 are specialized in business and real estate, and 2,849 are manufacturers.[165] Although few in number, large firms account for 51% of the local production outside finance.[54]

Imperial Tobacco, and Ohis (fertilizers). Two special economic zones also exist, around the airport and the Okta refinery. They have attracted several foreign companies, such as Johnson Controls, Johnson Matthey and Van Hool.[167]

As the country's financial capital, Skopje is the seat of the Macedonian Stock Exchange, of the National Bank and of most of the country's banking, insurance and telecommunication companies, such as Makedonski Telekom, Komercijalna banka Skopje and Stopanska Banka. The services sector produces 60% of the city GDP.[54]

The Zelen Pazar ("green market")

Besides many small traditional shops, Skopje has two large markets, the "Zelen Pazar" (green market) and the "Bit Pazar" (flea market). They are both considered as local institutions.[51] However, since the 1970s, retailing has largely been modernized and Skopje now has many supermarkets and shopping centres. The largest, Skopje City Mall, opened in 2012. It comprises a Carrefour hypermarket, 130 shops and a cinema, and employs 2,000 people.[168]

Skopje City Mall

Employment

51% of the Skopje active population is employed in small firms. 52% of the population work in the services sector, 34% in industry, and the remaining is mainly employed in administration.[54]

The unemployment rate for the

Roma people, who represent 4.63% of the city population but affects 70% of the active population in the community.[52]

The average net monthly wage in Skopje was at €400 in October 2010, which represented 120% of the national figure.[170] The average wage in Skopje was then lower than in Sarajevo (€522),[171] Sofia (€436),[172] and in Belgrade (€440).[173]

Demographics

Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
192141,000—    
193168,880+5.32%
194888,355+1.48%
1953120,130+6.34%
1961166,870+4.19%
1971314,552+6.54%
1981448,200+3.60%
1991444,760−0.08%
2002506,926+1.20%
2021526,502+0.20%
Source: [50][174][175]

Population

People on Macedonia street, the main pedestrian axis of the city

According to the results of the 2002 census, the City of Skopje itself had 428,988 in its urban area and 506,926 inhabitants within administrative limits that encompass many villages and other settlements, including

Veles, Kumanovo and Tetovo, and totaling more than one million inhabitants.[176]

Skopje contains roughly a quarter of North Macedonia's population. The second most populous municipality, Kumanovo, had 107,632 inhabitants in 2011,[177] and an urban unit of 76,272 inhabitants in 2002.[50]

Before the

1689 Great Fire, Skopje was one of the biggest cities in the Balkans, with a population estimated between 30,000 and 60,000 inhabitants.[16] After the fire set by the reatreating Austrian forces, it experienced a long period of decline and only had 10,000 inhabitants in 1836.[122] However, the population started to rise again after 1850 and reached 32,000 inhabitants in 1905.[17] In the 20th century, Skopje was one of the fastest-growing cities in Yugoslavia, and it had 448,200 inhabitants in 1971. Since then, the demographic growth has continued at a steady pace.[174]

Ethnic groups

Ethnic groups in the Greater Skopje include:

Ethnic group 2002 2021
Number % Number %
Macedonians 338,358 66.75 309,107 58.71
Albanians 103,891 20.49 120,293 22.85
Turks 8,595 1.70 8,524 1.62
Roma 23,475 4.63 18,498 3.51
Vlachs 2,557 0.50 2,778 0.53
Serbs 14,298 2.82 9,478 1.80
Bosniaks 7,585 1.50 7,365 1.50
Others 8,167 1.61 6,284 1.19
Administrative sources n/a n/a 44,175 8.39
Total 506,926 100 526,502 100

Skopje, just like North Macedonia as a whole, is characterized by a large ethnic diversity. The city is in a region where Macedonians and Albanians meet, and it welcomed Romani, Turks, Jews and Serbs throughout its history. Skopje was mainly a Muslim city until the 19th century, when large numbers of Christians started to settle there. According to the 2021 census, Macedonians were the largest ethnic group in Skopje, with 309,107 inhabitants, or 58.71% of the population. Then came Albanians with 120,293 inhabitants (22.85%), Roma people with 18,498 (3.51%), Serbs (9,478 inhabitants), Turks (8,524), Bosniaks (7,365) and Aromanians (also known as "Vlachs", 2,778). 6,284 people did not belong to any of these groups.[50]

Macedonians form an overwhelming majority of the population in the municipalities of

Šuto Orizari, on the northern edge of the city, is predominantly Roma.[50] When an ethnic minority forms at least 20% of the population in a municipality, its language can become official on the local level. Thus, in Čair and Saraj schools and administration use Albanian, and Romani in Šuto Orizari.[181] The latter is the only municipality in the world where Romani is an official language.[52]

Relations between the two largest groups, Macedonians and Albanians, are sometimes difficult, as in the rest of the country. Each group tolerate the other but they tend to avoid each other and live in what can appear as two parallel worlds.[182] Both Macedonians and Albanians view themselves each as the original population of Skopje and the other as newcomers.[183][145][147] The Roma minority is on its side very deprived. Its exact size is not known because many Macedonian Roma declare themselves as belonging to other ethnic groups or simply avoid censuses. However, even if official figures are underestimated, Skopje is the city in the world with the largest Roma population.[52]

Religion

The church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary

Religious affiliation is diverse: Macedonians, Serbs, and Aromanians are mainly Orthodox, with the majority affiliated to the

Roman Catholic Albanian minority, into which Mother Teresa was born; the Roma (Gypsies) represent a mixture (in almost equal numbers) of Muslim and Orthodox religious heritage.[184]

According to the 2002 census, 68.5% of the population of Skopje belonged to the

Byzantine Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of Macedonia
.

2002 2021
Number % Number %
TOTAL 506,926 100 526,502 100
Orthodox 348,837 68.8 264,872 60.3
Christians 216 0.49 50,624
Catholics 2,506 0.04 2,044
Islam 143,770 28.4 155,245 29.5
others 11,597 1.81 9,542 1.81
Administrative sources 44,175 8.39

Until

Nazis. After the war, most of the survivors settled in Israel.[118][186]
Today the city has around 200 Jewish inhabitants (about 0.04% of the population).

Because of its 520-year Ottoman past, and the fact that many of its inhabitants today are Muslims, Skopje has more mosques than churches. Religious communities often complain about the lack of infrastructure and new places of worship are often built.

madrasahs, a Roman Catholic cathedral and a synagogue.[188]

Health

Skopje has several public and private hospitals and specialized medical institutions, such as the Filip II Hospital, a psychiatric hospital, two obstetric hospitals, a gerontology hospital and institutes for respiratory and ocular diseases.[189] In 2012, Skopje had a ratio of one physician per 251.6 inhabitants, a figure higher than the national ratio (one per 370.9). The ratio of medical specialists was also higher than in the rest of the country. However, the ratio of hospital beds, pharmacists and dentists was lower in Skopje.[190] The population in Skopje enjoys better health standards than other Macedonians. In 2010, the mortality rate was at 8.6‰ in Skopje and 9.3‰ on the national level. The infant mortality rate was at 6.8‰ in Skopje and 7.6‰ in North Macedonia.[190]

Education

Faculty of Economics, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University.

Skopje's citizenry is generally more educated than the rest of the country. For one, 16% of Skopjans have graduated from university in contrast to 10% for the rest of the country. The number of people with a complete lack of education or ones who received a partial education is lower in Skopje at 9% compared to the provincial average of 17%. 80% of Macedonian citizens who hold a PhD take up residence in Skopje.[191]

Skopje has 21 secondary schools; 5 of which serve as general high-school gymnasiums and 16 vocational schools.[192] The city is also host to several higher education institutions, the most notable of which is Ss. Cyril and Methodius University, founded in 1949. The university has 23 departments, 10 research institutes and is attended by an average of 50,000 students.[193] After the country's declaration of independence in 1991, several private universities were brought to existence. The largest private universities in Skopje are European University Skopje with 7 departments[194] and FON University with 9 departments respectively.[195]

Media

The Macedonian Radio-Television headquarters

Skopje is the largest media centre in North Macedonia. Of the 818 newspapers surveyed in 2000 by the Ministry of Information, over 600 had their headquarters in Skopje. The daily

Vreme (15,000 copies). Magazines Fokus (12,000 copies), Start (10,000 copies), and Denes (7,500 copies) also have their headquarters in Skopje.[196][197]

The city is home of the studios of

Kanal 5, Telma, Alfa TV and AlsatM are another major private television companies.[198] MRT also operates radio stations with national coverage, the private station Skopje's Kanal 77 is the only one to have such a span. Radio Antenna 5 and Metropolis are two other major private stations that have their headquarters in Skopje.[199]

Also, the city boasts big news agencies in the country, both public, as the Media Information Agency, and private, such as the Makfax.[196]

Sports

As the capital and largest city of North Macedonia, Skopje has many major sporting facilities. The city has three large swimming pools, two of which feature Olympic pools. These pools are particularly relevant to coaching water polo teams. Skopje also boasts many football stadiums, like Ilinden in Čair and Železarnica, which can accommodate between 4,000 and 4,500 spectators. The basketball court Kale can accommodate 2,200 people and the court of Jane Sandanski has a 6,000 seat capacity.[200]

The Toše Proeski Arena

The largest stadium remains Toše Proeski Arena. The stadium, built in 1947 and named until 2008, City Stadium Skopje[201] experienced a total renovation, begun in 2009 to meet the standards of FIFA. Fully renovated the stadium contains 33,460 seats,[202] and a health spa and fitness area. The Boris Trajkovski Sports Center is the largest sports complex in the country. It was opened in 2008 and named after former president Boris Trajkovski, who died in 2004. It includes rooms dedicated to handball, basketball and volleyball and host 6,250 seats, a bowling alley, a fitness area and an ice hockey court. Its main hall, which regularly hosts concerts, holds around 10,000 people.[203]

Manchester United

Transport

Main connections

Skopje bypass

Skopje is near three other capital cities,

Black sea
in Bulgaria. Corridor X links Skopje to Thessaloniki, Belgrade and Western Europe, while Corridor VIII links it with Tirana and Sofia.

Corridor X locally corresponds to the M-1 motorway (E75), which is the longest highway in North Macedonia. It also corresponds to the Tabanovce-Gevgelija railway. Corridor VIII, less developed, corresponds to the M-4 motorway and the Kičevo-Beljakovce railway. Skopje is not quite on the Corridor X and the M-1 does not pass on the city territory. Thus the junction between the M-1 and M-4 is some 20 km (12 mi) east, close to the airport. Although Skopje is geographically close to other major cities, movement of people and goods is not optimized, especially with Albania. This is mainly due to poor infrastructure. As a result, 61.8% of Skopjans have never been to Tirana, while only 6.7% have never been to Thessaloniki and 0% to Sofia. Furthermore, 26% of Thessalonians, 33% of Sofians and 37% of Tiranans have never been to Skopje.[205]

The first highways were built during Yugoslav period, when Skopje was linked through the Brotherhood and Unity Highway to, what was then, Yugoslav capital Belgrade to North, and Greek border to South.

Rail and coach stations

Main railway station as seen from Mount Vodno

The main railway station in Skopje is serviced by the

Veles.[206]

Skopje has several minor railway stations but the city does not have its own railway network and they are only serviced by intercity or international lines. On the railway linking the main station to Belgrade and Thessaloniki are Dračevo and Dolno Lisiče stations, and on the railway to Kičevo are Skopje-North, Ǵorče Petrov and Saraj stations. Several other stations are freight-only.[210]

Skopje coach station opened in 2005 and is built right under the main railway station. It can host 450 coaches in a day.[211] Coach connections reach more destinations than train connections, connecting Skopje to many domestic and foreign destinations including Istanbul, Sofia, Prague, Hamburg and Stockholm.[212]

Public transport

A red Yutong City Master double-decker bus in Skopje

Skopje has a bus network managed by the city and operated by three companies. The oldest and largest is JSP Skopje, a public company founded in 1948. JSP lost its monopoly on public transport in 1990 and two new companies, Sloboda Prevoz and Mak Ekspres, obtained several lines. However, most of the network is still in the hands of JSP which operates 67 lines out of 80. Only 24 lines are urban, the others serving localities around the city.[213] Many of the JSP vehicles are red Yutong City Master double-decker buses built by Chinese bus manufacturer Yutong and designed to resemble the classic British AEC Routemaster.[214]

A tram network has long been planned in Skopje and the idea was first proposed in the 1980s. The project became real in 2006 when the mayor Trifun Kostovski asked for feasibility studies. His successor Koce Trajanovski launched a call for tenders in 2010 and the first line is scheduled for 2019.[215]

A new network for small buses started to operate in June 2014, not to replace but to decrease the number of big buses in the city centre.

Airport

The airport was built in 1928. The first commercial flights in Skopje were introduced in 1929 when the Yugoslav carrier

JAT Yugoslav Airlines
, which linked Skopje to a number of domestic and international destinations until the dissolution of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s.

Nowadays, Skopje International Airport is in Petrovec, some 20 km (12 mi) east of the city. Since 2008, it has been managed by the Turkish TAV Airports Holding and it can accommodate up to four million passengers per year.[217] The annual traffic has constantly risen since 2008, reaching one million passengers in 2014.[218]

Skopje's airport has connections to several European cities, including

Doha, Qatar
.

Culture

Cultural institutions

Macedonian Opera and Ballet

Skopje is home to the largest cultural institutions of the country, such as the National and University Library "St. Kliment of Ohrid", the Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts, the National Theatre, the National Philharmonic Orchestra and the Macedonian Opera and Ballet. Among the local institutions are the Brothers Miladinov Library which has more than a million documents, the Cultural Information Centre which manages festivals, exhibitions and concerts, and the House of Culture Kočo Racin which is dedicated to contemporary art and young talents.[219]

Skopje has also several foreign cultural centres, such as a

American Corner.[223]

The city has several theatres and concert halls. The Univerzalna Sala, seating 1,570, was built in 1966 and is used for concerts, fashion shows and congresses. The Metropolis Arena, designed for large concerts, has 3,546 seats. Other large halls include the Macedonian Opera and Ballet (800 seats), the National Theatre (724), and the Drama Theatre (333).[224] Other smaller venues exist, such as the Albanian Theatre and the Youth Theatre. A Turkish Theatre and a Philharmonic hall are under construction.[225][226]

Museums

Museum of the Macedonian Struggle

The largest museum in Skopje is the

Christo.[228]

The

Skopje City Museum is inside the remains of the old railway station, destroyed by the 1963 earthquake. It is dedicated to local history and it has four departments: archeology, ethnology, history, and art history.[229] The Memorial House of Mother Teresa was built in 2009 on the original site of the church in which the saint had been baptized.[230] The Museum of the Macedonian Struggle is dedicated to the modern national history and the struggle of Macedonians for their independence. Nearby is the Holocaust Memorial Center for the Jews of Macedonia. The Macedonian Museum of Natural History showcases some 4,000 items[231] while the 12-ha Skopje Zoo is home to 300 animals.[232]

Architecture

Ruins of Roman Scupi

Although Skopje has been destroyed many times through its history, it still has many historical landmarks which reflect the successive occupations of the city. Skopje has one of the biggest Ottoman urban complexes in Europe, with many Ottoman monuments still serving their original purpose. It was also a ground for

modernist experiments in the 20th century, following the 1963 earthquake. In the beginning of the 21st century, it is again the subject of massive building campaigns, thanks to the "Skopje 2014" project. Skopje is thus an environment where old, new, progressist, reactionary, eastern and western perspectives coexist.[135]

Skopje Aqueduct

Skopje has some remains of Prehistorical architecture which can be seen on the Tumba Madžari Neolithic site.[233] On the other side of the city lie the remains of the ancient Scupi, with ruins of a theatre, thermae and a basilica.[71] The Skopje Aqueduct, between Scupi and the city centre, is rather mysterious because its date of construction is unknown. It seems to have been built by the Byzantines or the Turks, but it was already out of use in the 16th century.[234] It consists of 50 arches, worked in cloisonné masonry.[235]

Church of Saint Panteleimon

Italian primitives.[236]

Aladža Mosque and its türbe

Examples of

Turkish baths and the Stone Bridge, first mentioned in 1469.[101][237]

The oldest churches in the city centre, the Ascension and St Dimitri churches, were built in the 18th century, after the 1689 Great Fire. They were both renovated in the 19th century. The Church of the Ascension is particularly small it is half-buried in order not to overlook neighbouring mosques.[238] In the 19th century, several new churches were built, including the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, which is a large three-nave building designed by Andrey Damyanov.[239]

Main post office and the Communication Centre

After 1912, when Skopje was annexed by Serbia, the city was drastically westernized. Wealthy Serbs built mansions and town houses such as the 1926

Slavko Brezovski designed the Church of St. Clement of Ohrid.[240] These two buildings are noted for their originality although they are directly inspired by brutalism.[135]

The reconstruction turned Skopje into a proper modernist city, with large blocks of flats, austere concrete buildings and scattered green spaces. The city centre was considered as a grey and unattractive place when local authorities unveiled the "Skopje 2014" project in 2010.[241][242] It made plans to erect a large number of statues, fountains, bridges, and museums at a cost of about €500 million.[243]

The project has generated controversy: critics have described the new landmark buildings as signs of reactionary

theme park,[245] which is viewed as nationalistic kitsch,[246] and has made Skopje an example to see how national identities are constructed and how this construction is mirrored in the urban space.[247]

Festivals

The Skopje Jazz Festival has been held annually in October since 1981. It is part of the European Jazz Network and the European Forum of World Wide Festivals. The artists' profiles include fusion, acid jazz, Latin jazz, smooth jazz, and avant-garde jazz. Ray Charles, Tito Puente, Gotan Project, Al Di Meola, Youssou N'Dour, among others, have performed at the festival. Another music festival in Skopje is the Blues and Soul Festival. It is a relatively new event in the Macedonian cultural scene that occurs every summer in early July.[248] Past guests include Larry Coryell, Mick Taylor & the All-Stars Blues Band, Candy Dulfer & Funky Stuff, João Bosco, the Temptations, Tolo Marton Trio, Blues Wire, and Phil Guy.

The Skopje Cultural Summer Festival is a renowned cultural event that takes place in Skopje each year during the summer. The festival is a member of the

David Burgess
.

May Opera Evenings is a festival that has occurred annually in Skopje since 1972 and is dedicated to promoting opera among the general public. Over the years, it has evolved into a stage on which artists from some 50 countries have performed. There is one other major international theatre festival that takes place each year at the end of month September, the Young Open Theater Festival (MOT), which was organized for the first time in May 1976 by the Youth Cultural Center – Skopje.[249] More than 700 theatrical performances have been presented at this festival so far, most of them being alternative, experimental theatre groups engaging young writers and actors. The MOT International theatre festival is also a member of the International Network for Contemporary Performing Arts or IETM.[250] Within the framework of the MOT Festival, the Macedonian National Center of the International Theater Institute (ITI) was established, and at the 25th ITI World Congress in Munich in 1993, it became a regular member of this theatre association. The festival has an international character, always representing theatres from all over the world that present and enhance exchange and circulation of young-fresh-experimental-avant-garde theatrical energy and experience between its participants on one side and the audience on the other.

The Skopje Film Festival is an annual event held in the city every March. Over 50 films are shown at this five-day festival, mostly from North Macedonia and Europe, but also including some non-commercial film productions from all over the world.

Nightlife

Panorama of Skopje at night

Skopje has a diverse nightlife. There is a large emphasis on casinos, many of which are associated with hotels, such as that of the Holiday Inn. Other casinos include Helios Metropol, Olympic, Bon Venon, and Sherry.

national government has created a project to revive nightlife in the Old Bazaar. The closing time in shops, cafés and restaurants was extended due to the high attendances recorded. In the bazaar's restaurants, along with the traditional Macedonian wine and food, dishes of the Ottoman cuisine are also served.[255]

People from Skopje

International relations

Soravia Center Skopje

Twin towns – sister cities

Skopje is

twinned with:[256]

Partnerships

See also

Notes

  1. ^ This name was also in use in English for a time.
  2. Alfons Mucha
    , 1926
  1. ^ Officially known as the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes until 1929
  2. ^ See Macedonia naming dispute

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