ANTIQUE HERITAGE

The Ancient city of SKUPI is an archaeological site from Roman period located 5 km from the centre of Skopje. The ancient city was inhabited from the 1st-6th century AD. In the year of 518 it was destroyed by a disastrous earthquake. The archaeological excavation revealed wonderful architectonic buildings, numerous public baths, a theatre built in a Roman style, a large basilica with mosaics, etc…

The Old Aqueduct is cultural-historical monument and an archaeological site located 2 km north-west from the centre of Skopje, dating originally probably from the middle of the 6th century.

The remains of the ancient city of Heraclea Linkestis, established as a significant strategic centre by King Philip II of Macedon in the 4th century B.C. is only 2 km south of Bitola. After Rome conquered Macedonia in 148 B.C. Heraclea Linkestist was very important because of its location on the VIA IGNATIA, one of the most significant Roman roads which connected ancient Rome with Constantinople stretching from Albania across Greece and ending in Turkey. In the Early Christian period (4th century A.D.), Heraclea Linkestis was a bishop's seat and in 518 A.D it was destroyed by a disastrous earthquake.
 
A lot of buildings have been excavated by now including the Courthouse where the statue of the goddess of justice, Nemesis was discovered; churches from early Christian period with the mosaics which cover 100m2, known for their exquisite beauty made of small stones in 27 different colours; the Theatre with 20 preserved rows for spectators made from a first-class marble from quarries around Prilep and an underground tunnel which runs from the courthouse to the theatre

The big archaeological site is located on a hill above Gevgelija, next to the E-75 highway. The earliest traces unearthed with the archaeological excavations, date from the Iron Age (13th century B.C.) but life flourished until 2nd century B.C., from the early ancient to the Hellenistic period. Most of the rich cultural layers with artefacts and architecture belong to the ancient Macedonian settlements prior to and after the reign of Alexander the Great. The archaeological materials and findings are displayed at the City Museum in Gevgelija. Vardarski Rid is also a great spot for picnicking and camping.

The ancient city of Antigonia, predecessor of Negotino, was situated 12 Roman miles south from the antique town of Stobi, on the road to Thesaloniki, at today's place of the archaeological site Gradiste, by the railway station of Negotino. It was built by the Macedonian ruler Antigon Gonat. Later at this place, coins, precious jewellery and other archaeological findings from the period of Roman and Byzantium reign were discovered. The ancient town existed until the 6th century when it was destroyed by a disastrous earthquake which hit almost all the roman cities on the territory of Macedonia.

The archaeological site of Isar Marvinci is on a location which can be found once you go out of the canyon of Demir Kapija, near the village of Marvinci. Located on important traffic direction, and spread out on a space of 5 hectares, it contains cultural layers of Paeonian settlements from 6th century B.C., through the Hellenistic and Roman period, until 4th century A.D. The archaeological site contains a lot of architectonic remnants, including the Roman temple dating from 181 BC, dedicated to the Roman emperor Comodus. Archaeological excavations discovered a wealth of other objects such as ceramics pots, terracotta, glass, metal pots, jewellery, weapons, stone plastic, tombs, coins

The antique theatre was built in the 3rd century BC and later it was adapted and used by the ancient Roman. It could received 4 500 to 5000 spectators. After abandonment of the theatre, elements of the building material were used for the construction of other buildings. The reconstruction was completed in 2002 and after restoration today it hosts a lot of different events and functions.

The archaeological site from antiquity (3rd century B.C. - 3rd century A.D.) located in the village of Chepigovo, by the Crna River. The Greek historian and geographer Strabo wrote that in the time of its peak the city had more than 20.000 inhabitants, mostly army veterans who used to receive big properties and land for their merits after the military service. Almost 30 marble sculptures have been excavated, as well as a lot of architectural objects such as a gymnasium, houses and a temple.

This ancient fortified city of the Paionians mentioned by Polybius, is located on the archaeological site of Gradiste, near the village of Knezje. Due to its perfect geo-strategic position it was a major “shield” for the Paeonic and the Macedonian state to the north and an important administrative centre for five centuries. The unearthed evidence bears witness to a rich history among those valuable walls from the 7th to 2nd centuries B.C., or until 167 when the town was destroyed and afterwards the area fell under the Romans. The excavations of the imposing town that is supposed to have covered 20 ha have shown the walls of an acropolis, defence towers, the gate, the town square, a temple and valuable movable material.

The Via Egnatia was a road constructed by the Romans in the 2nd century BC. It crossed the Roman provinces of Illyricum, Macedonia, and Thrace, running through territory that is now part of modern Albania, the Republic of Macedonia, Greece, and European Turkey. Starting at Dyrrachium (now Durrës) at the Adriatic Sea, the road followed a difficult route along the river Genusus (Shkumbin), over the mountains and thence to the highlands around Lake Ohrid and ancient Lychidos (today Ohrid). Then it turned south at Heralclea Lyncestis (present Bitola) in Republic of Macedonia, following several high mountain passes to reach the northern coastline of the Aegean Sea at Thessalonica. From there it ran through Thrace to the city of Byzantium (later Constantinople, now Istanbul). It covered a total distance of about 1,120 km (696 miles / 746 Roman miles). Like other major Roman roads, it was about six metres (19.6 ft) wide, paved with large polygonal stone slabs or covered with a hard layer of sand. Such route was of strategic importance both in ancient times and today, when the flow of the sources of energy and the information, which are crucial to the development of many continental areas, are more evident.
Originally a military road, it served economic and social functions for more than two millennia. After the decline of the Roman Empire the Byzantines used and protected the road. After them came the Ottomans, who send their tax collectors and trade-caravans along its trail. Used by soldiers and later by crusaders, preachers and bandits, merchants and peasants on their way to the local market, tax collectors, caravans with up to two hundred mules and donkeys, loaded with skins, wines, wood and sulphur, the road served local as well as inter-local purposes. Many different ethnic groups made use of the Via Egnatia, and met each other along its trails, in its caravanserais: Greeks and Jews, Vlachs and Pomaks, Turks, Venetians, Egyptians and Roma.
  
Today, the road Via Egnatia enriched with a lot of cultural heritage from all the period along its trace, as well as the natural environment, is one of the most desirable tourist destinations of our common heritage.
Many remains along Via Egnatia are still visible in the Republic of Macedonia. The city of Lychnidos (Ohrid) and Heraclea Lyncestis (Bitola), as well as the National Park Pelister and the Baba Mountain are real palimpsest when it refers to written and unwritten history, since this region is not passed only through its beauty and mystique, but also through time capturing the moments that have long been hiding from curious eyes of the explorers, scientists and adventurers. Here passed the Via Egnatia, the bond between the Western and the Eastern Roman Empire, one of the 28th Roman highways. One of the ways to discover and experience Macedonia is to visit this road where you can travel, plan visit the archaeological locations, citadels and churches going along the route of this road.

The remains of Stobi are located on the river Vardar and as considered by many explorers and travellers, this is the biggest and the most famous archaeological site in the Republic of Macedonia. Located in the heart of Macedonia, on the crossroads between the Aegean World and the Central Balkan, during the whole period of its existence it was a place where cultural achievements of the ancient world gathered in a unique way. Today, the remains of this famous archaeological site are equally easily approachable from the E-75 corridor of the international highway, thus making it very popular tourist destination in Macedonia. The nocturnal illumination of the city walls and preserved monuments, additionally emphasize its beauty and attractiveness.
The ancient town of Stobi was mentioned for the first time in 197 B.C., but the beginnings of the town can be traced back at least 400 years earlier and also there are traces from prehistory in the vicinity. The old city of Stobi “…Stobis, vetus urbs…”, as the Roman historian Livy named it, at the confluence of rivers Crna and Vardar, was the largest city in the northern part of the Roman province Macedonia, later capital city of the Roman province of Macedonia - Secunda, an important urban, military, administrative, trade and religious center of two large empires: the Roman and Early Byzantine.
The preserved buildings of the town include a theater built in the 2nd century A.D., luxurious palaces with fountains and mosaics, as well as church buildings of the basilica type with floor mosaics, wall mosaics and fresco-paintings. The Partenius' palace, where Emperor Teodosius was a guest in 388 A.D. and the Peristerius and Partinius palaces are also of exceptional beauty.
Tour: A a half day tour throughout Stobi with licensed guide, includes some of the monumental objects such as: the Northern Basilica, the Central Basilica, the Synagogue, the House of the Psalms, the Public Fountain, the House of Peristerius, the Palace of Theodosius, the House of Partenius, the Episcopal basilica and the residence, the public fountain, the Large and the Small bath, the Casino, the Building with arches (Roman forum), the streets that intersected the city and the Theater.
Web site: http://stobi.mk
The Episcopal basilica – This is the most significant Christian building in Stobi, built in the 4th century, which makes it the oldest church in R. Macedonia. The preservation of the frescoes from the 4th century, on the south and north wall, are unique, and the mosaic floor depicts animals and geometrical motifs.
The House of the Psalms – This house is also known as the House of the Psalms due to the mosaic floor divided in a couple of zones, of which the most significant of all is the zone where psalm 42 is illustrated. Probably the house was erected in the 2ndcentury during the period of the Synagogue and in the beginning it was used for that purpose.
The Large bath - The Bath consist of three rooms: apoditerium (a dressing room), frigidarium (a room with cold water) and the caldarium (a room with hot air). The caldarium has an apse on the eastern side and five praefurnia (fireplaces) on the outside. The Large Bath was built at the end of the 3rd century AD.
The House of Peristerius - This was a large living complex for several families and had shops. The central part is a courtyard, in the eastern part there are floor mosaics and in the middle there is a marble fountain. The complex dated between 4th and 5thcentury.
The Theodosian Palace - The most representative residential building in Stobi is located in the center of the town, between the streets of Via Principalis Inferior and Via Principalis Superior. The name was applied by the assumption that the emperor Theodosius I was accommodated here during his visit of Stobi in 388 AD.
The streets - A few streets that intersected the city were discovered in Stobi: the Sacra, Via Principalis Superior and Via Principalis Inferior, Via Theodosia and Via Axia. Some of the streets are still covered with sandstone slabs.
The Building with arches (the Roman forum) - This object was erected in the 1st or 2nd century AD. It has a rectangular plan with two apsidal halls on the western side. The walls are made of tiles and stone with massive pilasters connected by arches. It is still not completely excavated, and was probably located close to the town’s forum.
The Theater - The first phase of this object dates from the end of the 1st century and in the middle of the 2nd century the theatre construction was restarted, with a different concept. The seats were grouped in 33 – 35 rows, divided in two zones and calculations suggest the auditorium could have accepted 7 600 spectators.

Bargala (village Goren Kozjak) is an archaeological site located 20 km northeast of Shtip, on the lower slopes of the Plachkovica Mountain. Bargala was a fortified town constructed between the 4th and 6th century A.D., a period spanning between Late Antiquity and Early Byzantium. Archaeological excavations have uncovered a basilica, trade quarters, a water tank, a bath, and a fortification system with an impressive main gate and infrastructure. Near the city walls of Bargala, to the west, an old Christian building dating from the end of the 4th century was discovered in 1984. It is an extra muros three-nave basilica, with a protruding apse, a narthex and an exonarthex, and a floor covered with stone plaques, which were luxuriously ornamented.