The history
In a city with an unbroken history of nearly two and a half millennia, one can feel the spirit of many different eras, from Hellenism to socialism. It is well known that in the 3rd century BC there was a Greek settlement called Lihnidos in this place, but it is very unlikely that it was founded by Philip of Macedonia as claimed by Ohrid tourist guides, a few (or none) are likely that Philip and his son Alexander belonged to the same people who live here today ... However, with the arrival of the Romans in these parts, Ohrid became a significant regional center, and in the 5th century, it became the center of Christianity.
The present name was given to Ohrid by the Slavs, by the position of the city above the lake: "in the cliff", or on the cliff. Cyril and Methodius, who spread Christianity and literacy among the Slovenes, acted from here in the ninth century, and this mission is continued by their disciples Clement and Naum, brothers from Ohrid, whose cult is still more alive today than ever. At the turn of the ninth and tenth centuries, Ohrid is the capital of Samuel's empire, ever since the fortress at the highest point of the city originated. Of course, local guides will also declare Samuel Macedonian and his empire Macedonian, though his origins have not been historically established and the empire could be called Bulgarian or even South Slavic rather than purely Macedonian ... But a systematic twist of history to create a false tradition today Macedonian state is a story for itself ...
The Middle Ages were a very turbulent period for the entire Balkans, and so from the Xth to the 14th centuries Ohrid is part of many different states: first conquered by the Normans, then by the Bulgarians, followed by Byzantium, then by Dusan's Serbian Empire, and finally also came the Turks, who ruled these regions until 1912, when all present-day Macedonia belonged to the Kingdom of Serbia and then to Yugoslavia. Since 1991, Macedonians finally have their own state ... in which the Albanian language can be heard almost as much as the Macedonian ... What does tomorrow bear, none of us can know ...
Architecture
A stroll through the old part of Ohrid is a stroll through the centuries, each of which has left its architectural footprint. Until the middle of the last century, it was believed that only fragments remained of Hellenistic buildings, and then in 1935 the remains of an ancient amphitheater, built around 200 BC, were discovered for the first time. data. Excavations continued in the early 1960s, and the entire amphitheater was finally discovered in 2001.
At the dominant position above the city is Samuel's Fortress, built at the turn of the ninth and tenth centuries. The fortress was significantly damaged in the Middle Ages and was rebuilt in 2003, since it is one of the most important tourist attractions of the city. Entrance to the fort is charged, and the price of the ticket only gives the opportunity to walk on the top of the walls, which admittedly offers a very nice view of the city and the surrounding area.
However, the most significant architectural monuments in Ohrid are of sacral type. The largest and most prominent church in the city is the Church of St. Panteleimon in the Plaosnik locality, which has had a continuity of religious gathering since the early Christian period. Today's church is an excellent reconstruction of the temple that was erected by St. Clement himself in the late ninth century and demolished by the Turks at the beginning of the seventeenth century.
Prior to the arrival of the Turks, Ohrid had a total of 365 churches, and today this number is many times smaller. They survived the most valuable thanks to the fact that during the Ottoman rule they were converted into mosques. Such was the fate of the oldest preserved church in Ohrid, the imposing church of St. Sophia, which was originally built as a three-nave early Christian basilica in the ninth century, and today it has got its appearance in the fourteenth century, after several upgrades. Saint Sophia is considered one of the most important cultural monuments in Macedonia, primarily because of its historical background, but also its exceptional architecture and rich collection of frescoes dating from the XI and XII centuries.
A frequent motif on postcards and magnets for the Ohrid fridge is the church of St. John, better known as St. John Kaneo, named after the village near which it was built, which today is only part of Ohrid. The church was probably built in the fourteenth century, strongly influenced by Armenian architecture, and is characterized by its prominent position on a cliff high above the lake.
A significant monument is a church of Our Lady Perivlepte from the end of the 13th century, in which the gallery of icons is located today. Some sources claim that King Milutin married one of his first four wives in this church, which is not likely to be true because the temple had not yet been built in his life.
The most visited site outside Ohrid itself and an unavoidable tourist destination is the monastery of Saint Naum, some thirty kilometers south of the city, on the border with Albania. The monastery was founded at the beginning of the 10th century by St. Naum himself, who was also buried in the monastery church, and the core of the complex has not changed significantly since its founding, despite the turmoil in these parts.
Sacred monuments in Ohrid not only include Christian (Orthodox), but there are several mosques in the city as well. The largest and most famous is the Ali-Pasha mosque from the late 15th century, which was closed for reconstruction at the time of our visit. A prominent place in the city center is occupied by the Zaynel Abidin-Pasha mosque, whichever side turns between the higher or lower minarets ...
The architecture of the old part of the city is colorful but unfortunately less and less authentic. The main pedestrian streets are home to high-rise buildings, mostly of oriental type, so the promenades have a typical Balkan make-up despite recent buildings and dubious art. Uphill to the fort can already be found preserved townhouses from the nineteenth century, and for every praise, there is newer construction, which in its appearance imitates this style in detail, so at first glance it is difficult (laymen probably impossible) to recognize that these are objects raised in recent years. The most famous building of this type is the Robev House, a magnificent residence of local greats, completed in 1863.
Outside of the city center, Ohrid's architecture is mostly reduced to socialist realism and is not interesting for sightseeing. Although it may seem as if there are many significant architectural monuments in the city, all the most important buildings in the old part of the city can be visited in one afternoon.
Culture and art
The entire old part of Ohrid, simply called Varos, is itself a huge cultural monument. It was also recognized by UNESCO, which, due to the urban values of this part of the city, placed Ohrid on the World Heritage List in 1979. However, although the whole of the old town can be considered a museum, there are only a few real museums and galleries in the city and its surroundings, of which we have already mentioned the icon gallery in the port of the Church of Our Lady Perivlepte.
Ohrid is first and foremost a center of artistic crafts, and the most famous handicraft product is the famous Ohrid pearls. Fine pearl items can be purchased at virtually every corner of the city, but the most expensive jewelry is traditionally made by the Filev and Talev families. As part of one of their stores in the town of Fileva they have something they call the "Ohrid Pearl Museum", and in reality, there are only a couple of showcases with pictures of celebrities with pearls of this shop, most of the singers. There is a folk saying about shame and pride, but tastes should not be discussed.
Less known, and extremely interesting, is a small handmade paper workshop where demonstrations of this long-extinct skill are held for free. The workshop also features an authentic replica of Gutenberg's Press, one of two active in Europe, where it is possible to print a souvenir on the spot at a really ridiculous price.
Not far from the city, about halfway to St. Naum's Monastery, is the Archeological Museum, the so-called Bone Bay. The set consists of the reconstruction of a prehistoric settlement discovered at this site and an exhibition of objects found in the waves. The reconstructed settlement is very attractive to tourists, but it is actually made on the "what if it was" principle and in all likelihood, it is very far from what the settlement might have looked like.
Natural beauties
To talk about Ohrid not to mention Ohrid Lake is simply unthinkable. Ohrid Lake is considered one of the largest natural lakes in Europe, and is considered one of the oldest, if not the oldest, lake on the continent. When added to the basin of over 40 watercourses and a maximum depth of nearly 290 meters, there is no doubt that this is a natural phenomenon that fully deserves its place on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Apart from purely numerical indicators, Ohrid Lake is also distinguished by its rich flora and fauna, with a huge number of endemic species, the most famous of which are Ohrid trout and Ohrid sponge.
In addition to the lake, it would not be fair to neglect the mountains surrounding Ohrid, namely Galicica (the highest peak of Magaro, 2254 meters above sea level) and Jablanica (the highest peak of Black Stone, 2275 meters above sea level), and only fifty kilometers away is Pelister. the oldest national park in the former Yugoslavia and the third oldest in the Balkans.
In the heart of Ohrid, there is also one interesting monument of nature: large canvas hundreds of years old, some say as many as a thousand. Legend has it that he was planted by anyone other than St. Clement, and the name of the tree "china rot" does not have some secret meaning as it can be read on some domestic sites, but in Macedonian simply means "plane tree".
Although it is located on the shore of the lake, the entertainment facilities in Ohrid have a classic "coastal" character. Along the coast near Ohrid, beaches, marinas, parks and landscaped beaches alternate, so the feeling is practically the same as in smaller towns in the coastal countries of the Balkans, with all the positive and negative phenomena that it brings with it. This includes swimming on several well-kept beaches, which, of course, are far from the sea, but were good enough for a Tito who had a summer residence here (used for the same purposes by the President of Macedonia). Of course, there are also tourist boat rides, sailing, boating, paragliding and the like, but also the inevitable evening walks along the coast accompanied by live music from countless cafes.
The musical taste of the residents of Ohrid (or their guests) is not particularly sophisticated, ranging from light folk to light pop with folk songs to light acoustic renditions of foreign hits with slightly softer folk songs ... Ohrid is also known for festivals (folk) songs and games, the most famous of which is the international folklore festival that brings together ensembles from across the region.
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