What is cultural heritage about? Does people from some country can recognize in the present, what kind of category will be included on the heritage list in the future? What are the character and the impact of this heritage projects for the new generations? These are some of the questions I am facing of as an archaeologist and as a professional tourist guide every day. And actually, how it looks like for I day, if you imagine that you are a tourist in your own city, and you hiring a guide to tell you the story.

In his latest project entitled “City Tour 2000-2010“, the artist Zoran Poposki hired me, because I work both, with cultural heritage and with tourism. This time I gave him a tour of the cultural landmarks created during the last decade in Skopje, the city we have lived in since our birth.

In the description of the project, he will write: ”The tour of the new icons of the urban cultural landscape is set out against a background of massive economic and social transformation of public space in this post-socialist city, resulting in an increased need for interpretation of this new topography of meaning”.

Photo documentation of the tour can be seen here.

The photographies are property of @Zoran Poposki

Welcome to my country, a living ethnological land. A lot of customs are still preserved and practicing by natives within Macedonia cities, as the way like it was centuries ago. This is a BBC broadcasts report on Krusevo “Ethno City”, promoting it as tourist destination. Every year in the middle of the summer (15.07-15.08), this event includes about 800 participants, dressed in traditional costumes as insurgents and Turks paraded through the town in commemoration of the anniversary of the Ilinden uprising against Ottoman rule which took place in the city of Krusevo (in macedonian Крушево) in August of 1903.

This is a video clip made by the Turist Biro in Krusevo, explaining why to choose Krushevo andhow to gets to Krusevo, the city full the history which contains preserved traditional architecture, churches and monasteries around, the City museum, as well as the capacities (hotels, private accommodation, restaurants, nightclubs) to host a thousands of tourists during the event or throughout the year.

Personally I support this project which started three years ago and become during the summer a tourist destination N1 (after Ohrid) in Republic of Macedonia.

Departure: from meeting point
Duration: full day tour (up to 8 hours) or weekend tour
Information and contact: info@arheo.com.mk of fill this form

Two weeks ago I had a chance to walk around Yasen – Multipurpose Area with exceptional flora and fauna, once in the time of communism forbidden for the people and now declared to be a reserve. This was not my first visit of Yassen. I have been twice in this wonderful destination, but always I am astonished by the surrounding and untouched environment. For the first time I entered Yassen in 1997/1998 as a member of the Speleological society ‘Peoni’ from Skopje, because we were hired from the ELEM (Macedonian power plants) to map all the caves and shelters in the region cover with the artificial lake of Kozjak today. One year later I back with the Museum of Macedonia for a protective excavation of the cave Golema Pesht, where for the first time in Macedonian archaeology was found Paleolithic site, later dated with C14 at 45/50000 BC (Mousterian period).

This time I was a guest of The Macedonian Chamber of Tourism, having a chance to enter and walk around Yassen throughout two (Katlanovo and Kula) from four natural gates. Also we were hosted by the employers of Yassen with the exceptional lunch made by the pheasant soup and a pheasant meat taken from pheasantry within this region.

Yassen is covering about 32000 square meters of area mostly with forest and there are roads as well as a number of shorter non-asphalt roads. Except from hunting, Yassen sees its future in developing of the natural resources and the eco-tourism. You can alway walking, riding, mountain bycycling, camping by the lakes of Matka and Kozjak, paragliding, fishing, mountain climbing, or just enjoying in the colors and in the ambiance which feels like you are entering into another world. So far away, but only on 30 km from Skopje, the capital of Republic of Macedonia, this reserve open it gates for the visitors just 2 years ago.

These are some of the picture I have been taken during the visit in this multipurpose region of Yassen. The diversity of the landscape, flora and fauna it’s breathtaking and will always brings you back closer to the nature.

Departure: from meeting point
Duration: full day tour (6-9 hours) or weekend tour
Limitation: The tour is for at least 6 visitors.
Information and contact: info@arheo.com.mk of fill this form

Unqualified guide is illegal in Republic of Macedonia.
Make sure your tourist guide is licensed!

]]> http://travel.arheo.com.mk/2010/07/photo-safari-at-yasen/feed/ 1 http://travel.arheo.com.mk/2010/06/the-beauty-of-the-national-park-pelister/ http://travel.arheo.com.mk/2010/06/the-beauty-of-the-national-park-pelister/#comments Mon, 21 Jun 2010 10:04:27 +0000 Vasilka Dimitrovska http://travel.arheo.com.mk/?p=188

Pelister is the third national park in Republic of Macedonia, together with Mavrovo and Galichica. It is located in the vicinity of the city of Bitola, running along the Baba Mountain. National Park Pelister is characterized with unique species of flora and fauna, such as five-needle pine molica (Pinus peuce) – a endemic species of tertiary age being present on only a few mountains in the Balkan Peninsula. Pelister is also known for its two mountain glacial lakes known by the natives as Pelister’s Eyes. The environment with a diverse clime is surounded with well-watered forests, springs, streams, rivers and geological formations, which include layers of Paleozoic and Mesozoic magma rock and layers of quartz.

Pelister National Park also houses numerous cultural and historical monuments, such at Trnovo village, Magarevo village, the churches of St. Georgi and St. Dimitri, and the monasteries of St. Ana and St. Spas.

This video is compliation of photos made by Stefan Petrovski and uploaded on his channel on You Tube.

Ohrid, the cradle of Christianity and cyrilic letter, home of more than 300 churches in the region, mostly of Byzantium period.

This is the front and the revers view of Macedonian 1000 denars (~16EUR), issue 1996 and issue 2003. Front view is taken from the church of St.Vrachi-Mali, Ohrid, early XIV century. The Icon of the Madonna Episkepsis is depicted in its true dimensions, with an image of the Christ Child in the right. The presence of tow angeles in the upper corners of the icon symbolize the depiction of the Sorrowful Virgin.  Reverse view represents detail (external additions built by Archbishop Grigorie in the 14th century) from the church of “St. Sofia” in Ohrid, originally built in X-XI centuries. This church was the seat of the Ohrid archbishopric, and contains many invaluable frescoes from XI ond XIV centuries.

Rich with prehistory and remains form antique period, such as the Ancient theatre, that what is visible currently in Ohrid, is built mainly between the 7th and 19th centuries; it has the oldest Slav monastery (St Pantelejmon) and more than 800 Byzantine-style icons dating from the 11th to the end of the 14th century. After those of the Tretiakov Gallery in Moscow, the Icon Galerry in Ohrid is considered to be the most important collection of icons in the world.

I am guiding a tour in Ohrid. In the back is the church of
St. Jovan Kaneo, 13th century (1,2).

Natural and Cultural Heritage of the Ohrid region, since 1980, is listed on UNESCO heritage list. Ohrid, personally for me is one of the most adorable cities in Macedonia. This is a reportage coved by CNN about Ohrid – Macedonia’s forgotten gem.

I haven’t been in the field since 2006. In 2007 I was working at the Skopje Fortress excavation, but I was responsible for the documentation sector, so mostly I spent my time at the computer.Three years have passed since the beginning of the  excavation but unfortunately the artifacts have not been published yet. In between some of the finds were displayed in the temporary exhibition in the Museum of the city of Skopje. Actually the only visible place about the Skopje Fortress (natives call it Kale, a Turkish word for citadel) is the virtual gallery form the official web site.

On this multi-layered archaeological settlement and cultural-historical monument almost all the civilizations which inhabited the territory of Republic of Macedonia, left traces, because Macedonia has always been a geographical crossroad (both physical and spiritual) between the East and the West.

As archaeologists, unfortunately we do not observe the societies we study, do not read notes and cannot hear the stories of these people. The archaeological job is very difficult because there is no “direct” connection between the matters we study and our present time. We must establish that connection by ourselves. To create authentic stories only on the basis of material fragments which survive the time is great intellectual work, and creative interpretation of the problem that we have before us.

What can we learn from these objects? As a witness from a period of time or space which is sealed in the past, they are trying to reveal the veil of the eternal mystery they are wrapped in. This data will travel a long time, giving us information about the lives and beliefs of their owners. I invite you to browse though the gallery. You will find great stories. Maybe you will have motivation to write a story about the past. Your own, maybe?

Link to the gallery: http://skopskokale.com.mk/en/galleries.php

*** Many thanks to My little treasure for lecturing this article in English.

In certain parts of my country there is a custom associated with the first day of March. It is called “Grandma March” Day. On this day typical red and white tassels, pom-poms or knit (braided) bracelets all known as martinki are exchanged, given to loved ones and they are worn pinned on clothing or tied on the wrist. The red and white woven threads symbolize the wish for good health and prosperity. They are heralds of the coming spring. People wear them until the nature starts to bloom and then hang them on trees.

For english version of the article, click here.

Според одредени верувања ова легенда своите корени ги влече уште од антиката (1,2) иако неоспорен е фактот дека таа била почитувана на целиот Балкан, најисточно вклучително со регионот на Охрид чии траги останеле во помнењето на луѓето за да бидат преточени во песна. Толкувањето на овој празник потекнува оттаму дека Ксантика бил празник на природата, пролетта и цвеќињата, светлината и љубовта, празник на духовноста и убавината, будење на енергијата и почетокот на новиот живот.

Мартинки од личната колекција на мојот брат

Постојат различни обичаи при традиционалното подарување на една мартинка. Генрално, таа секогаш е со конци од црвена и бела боја испреплетени или исплетени, од кои црвената ја симболизира боја на крвта, а белата на чистотата. Се подарува на 1-ви Март во чест на Баба Марта и се носи околу рака или закачена на облеката се додека расцвета првото дрво. Потоа се закачува на него со желби за сопственото и за добро здравје на своите блиски во тековната година. Секако дека постојат варијанти на тема, но ова е основата на обичајот.

Byzantine architecture is the architecture of the Byzantine Empire. Republic of Macedonia as a part of this empire during the centuries has a lot of heritage, mostly in a shape of churches and monasteries. These churches are among the most valuable monuments of the middle age architecture around Skopje, the capital of Macedonia.

“Every year with centuries, in a small city in the most southern part of Macedonia, there is a Carnival. The Strumica carnival has a long tradition with centuries and it was mentioned by the traveler Evlija Chelebija in 1670. The word Carnival is derived from from the Latin carne – meat and vali – goodbye, meaning ”goodbye meat”, which associates the beginning of the fast, in this case the Lenten Fast.”

Trimeri is a very old Christian custom which was practiced a long time ago, from the beginning of Christianity. The name derives from the Greek words ”tris meres”, which means ”three days” according to the length of the beginning of the Lent. Trimeri is a movable feast and it starts after the Day of Forgiveness (Prochka), the first Sunday of Eastern Lent. The Day of Forgiveness according to the Orthodox Church is a feast which precedes the Honorable Fast Season (Great Lent), the greatest fasting period which prepares all Christians for the greatest feast of the church year, Easter. Also in Macedonia there is another carnival for the Day of Forgiveness (Prochka) in a city of Prilep.

This year, according to the media, there were over 50,000 visitors which followed the parade throughout the streets and the town square of Strumica, and about 2,500 masked individuals took part in the event (from Macedonia, Bulgaria, Serbia, Albania, Turkey and Finland). Last Tuesday together with my friends I was a part of this very successfully organized carnival and enjoyed in the masks diversity and the magnificent creations. The Strumica carnival is an international event and since 1995 has been included in the family of carnival cities, i.e. the Federation of European Carnival Cities.

Link: http://www.strumickikarneval.com/

All Images property of http://interpreter.blog.mk
Last one is property of http://kosturanov.com

]]> http://travel.arheo.com.mk/2010/03/carnival-in-strumica-2010/feed/ 0 http://travel.arheo.com.mk/2010/02/official-website-of-skopje-old-bazaar/ http://travel.arheo.com.mk/2010/02/official-website-of-skopje-old-bazaar/#comments Fri, 19 Feb 2010 20:14:10 +0000 Vasilka Dimitrovska http://travel.arheo.com.mk/?p=154

Today I wrote a post about the official website of Skopje Old Bazaar, the most oldest part of the city of Skopje. Global Voices cited me on their web site:

Architecture which is in the program for revitalization

Archaeological Diary informs [MKD] about the opening of the official website [MKD] for governmental Program for Revitalization of the Old Bazaar in Skopje, one of the most significant cultural treasures from the Ottoman period. Archeologist Vasilka Dimitrovska notes that for true revitalization, one has to work on providing content and events that would bring the visitors back into the area, because “the city’s spirit consists of people also, not just architecture.” (via Ping.mk)