Skopje Map

• The Flag of Skopje is a red vertical banner in proportions 1:2 with a gold-coloured coat of arms of the city positioned in the upper-left corner.

• The coat of arms of the city was adopted in the 1950s. It has the form of a shield whose upper side is an arch turned inwards. The left and right upper-corners of the shield are formed by two italic lines, whereas the bottom sides are rounded arches that end with a peak in the middle at the bottom. Shown on the shield are the Stone Bridge with the Vardar River, the Kale Fortress and the snow-capped peaks of the Vodno Mountain.

• Skopje has a diversity of churches and monasteries built in different styles - from Byzantine to modern architecture. One of the Byzantine examples is the Church of St. Panteleimon in Gorno Nerezi, near Skopje. The church contains Comnenian art and it was finished in the 1164. The church is known for its frescoes, representing a pinnacle of the 12th-century trend of intimacy and spirituality. They are often compared with similarly delicate works by Giotto, who worked 140 years later. Another notable example of Byzantine architecture is Marko's Monastery which was built by Prince Marko in the 1366. The Churches of St. Nikita and St. Andrea both date from the 1300s and share Byzantine characteristics. The Church of Holy Mother of God was built in 1204 and later completely destroyed in a fire. The old church was previously rebuilt and consecrated in 1835, but destroyed during the 1963 Skopje earthquake. The present-day church's reconstruction began on 2 October 2002. Despite Ottoman policies prohibiting the building of churches, there are a few churches in Skopje built during that period. The Church of Holy Salvation was built in the 16th century and is located between the Old Bazaar and Skopje Fortress. The revolutionary Goce Delčev is buried in the church courtyard. The Church of Saint Demetrius was built in the 18th century on the grounds of an older church from the 13th century. This church was an Orthodox cathedral church before the construction of the present-day cathedral church of St. Clement of Ohrid, which is an example of modern architecture. Built in 1972, the church was consecrated in 1990, on the 1150th anniversary of the birth of the church patron, St. Clement of Ohrid. There is also a Catholic church named Holy Heart of Jesus in the center of the city.

• The largest concentration of the mosques in the city is in the Old Bazaar, a part of the city with typical Ottoman Islamic architecture. One of the most eminent mosques is the Mustapha Pasha Mosque which was built in 1492 by Mustafa Paşa on an older Christian site. It is an endowment of Mustapha Pasha, an eminent figure in the Turkish state during the rule of Sultan Bayezid II and Sultan Selim I. Other important mosque include Isa Bey Mosque. Situated on the outskirts of the bazaar, this mosque was built as a memorial for Isa Bey after his death. The mosque has two dominant domes and five smaller ones above the porch area. The Ishak Bey Mosque was constructed in 1439 in the northern part of the Old Bazaar. The mosque's minaret rises 30 meters (98.4 feet). Ishak Bey, who retired in the city, is buried in the türbe behind the mosque.

• Skopje is the cultural hub of the Republic of Macedonia and, therefore, is home to many of the country's most important museums. One of these is the Museum of Contemporary Arts which is devoted to the preserving of contemporary art. Тhe museum was created as part of the reconstruction following 1963 earthquake. The International Association of the Plastic arts called upon the artists of the world to assist in creating a collection of works of art by which they would support the vision of the city's reconstruction. The government of Poland held a national competition for the design of the building of the Museum of Contemporary Art and donated it to Skopje. The large park areas, which now contain many sculptures, surround the museum. The Museum of Macedonia, the Natural History Museum, and the Archives of Macedonia are other significant museums in Skopje.

• 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. 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 International Festivals and Events Association (IFEA) and it includes musical concerts, operas, ballets, plays, art and photograph exhibitions, movies, and multimedia projects that gather 2,000 participants from around the world each year including St Petersburg Theatre, the Chamber Orchestra of the Bolshoi Theatre, Irina Arkhipova, Viktor Tretiakov, The Theatre of Shadows, Michel Dalberto, 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. Another opera festival, the Open Youth Theatre Festival, was established in May 1976 by a group of young opera enthusiasts. More than 250 theatrical performances have been presented at this festival so far, most of them being alternative, experimental theatre groups engaging young writers and actors. Recently, the festival became a member of the Brussels Informal European Theatre Meeting (IETM). Within the framework of the Open Youth Theatre, a Macedonian National Centre of the International Theatre Institute (ITI) was established, and at the 25th ITI World Congress in Munich in 1993, it became a regular member of the theatre association. The festival is now an international one representing groups from the former Yugoslavia, the United States, France, the former Soviet Union, Spain, Japan, Poland, Italy, the United Kingdom, India and other countries.

• The present Skopje Fortress was originally built by the Byzantines in the 6th century. After the 1963 Skopje earthquake, the fortress's circular, rectangular and square towers were conserved and restored. It is today one of the most popular tourist spots in the city. The Stone Bridge was built under the patronage of Sultan Mehmed II the Conqueror between 1451 and 1469. This bridge represents the connection between Skopje’s past and present, and is featured in the Coat of arms of Skopje. The bridge connects Skopje's main square, Macedonia Square, to the city's Old Bazaar. The square was dramatically increased in size by the destruction of the massive neoclassical National Bank and Army House during the 1963 earthquake. Another well-known Skopje building is Ristiḱ Palace. In 2010, two monuments of Goce Delcev and Dame Gruev were erected near the Stone Bridge.

• The Old Town was one of the largest and most significant oriental bazaars in the Balkans. It is situated on the eastern bank of the Vardar River and represents a mixture of Eastern and Western culture. It features mosques, inns, a clocktower, a bezisten, Turkish baths, churches, and various shops.

• The bezisten, a covered market, was built in the 15th century by Gazi Ishak Bey, the Sultan's Skopje regent. It was destroyed by a fire in 1689 and was later rebuilt. The bezisten has looked the same since its renovation in 1899. Skopje's clock tower, built in the 16th century on the foundations of an older edifice, is located just north of the Sultan Murad Mosque. The Čifte Hammam, a Turkish bath, is located in the centre of the Old Bazaar and was built under Isa Bey. The Daut Paşa Hammam, built under Daut Paşa, Grand Vesir of East Rumelia, dates from the 15th century. Today the both hammams are art galleries.

• The bazaar also includes medieval inns like the Kapan An, Suli An, and the Kuršumli An. The latter features architecturally significant arches and domes. Because lead was used to top the structure, it became known as the Lead Inn. It was built by Musein Odza, the son of a scientist of Sultan Selim II’s court, in the 16th century. The building today features exhibits from the National Museum of Macedonia. Although Islamic architecture is predominant in the bazaar, there are several churches as well.

• The Millennium Cross, situated on the peak of the mountain Vodno, is a tourist attraction. It was built to celebrate 2000 years of the existence of Christianity. The cross was built on the highest point of Vodno Mountain on a place known since the time of the Ottoman Empire as "Krstovar", meaning "Place of the cross", as there was a smaller cross situated there. There are several landmarks of Mother Teresa in Skopje, the city of her birth and childhood, including a marker of her birthplace, a statue, and a memorial house. The Memorial House of Mother Teresa was opened in early 2009. An ancient Roman aqueduct survives to the north of the city, near the village of Vizbegovo. The date of its erection is unclear. During the Ottoman Empire, it provided water for public baths. Today, 55 of its stone arches remain standing.