Located along the important trade route of Via Egnatia, Heraklea Linkestis thrived as a commercial hub. Well-preserved remains of this once thriving settlement can now be seen at the site, including a theatre and baths as well as a Jewish temple and a church. One of the most celebrated aspects of Heraklea Linkestis is its series of vivid mosaics.

Heraklea Linkestis history

Heraklea Lynkestis was an urban settlement from ancient Macedonian times to the Middle Ages. It was founded in the middle of the 4th century BC by King Philip II of Macedon, as an important strategic point.

In the middle of the 2nd century BC the Romans conquered Macedonia, destroying its political power, making it a province, disintegrated it into four districts. Heraclea which belonged to the fourth district, prospered a lot during this time, mainly due to Via Egnatia road, on which this town was an important station.

During this period, Heracles became a strong economic and political centre, with its permanent Roman representative and its own Roman army. All this reflected on the appearance of the city so that Roman architecture was largely represented, although traditional influences and historical benefits still gave the city its whiteness. In 473, during the invasion of the south, the Goths under Theodimer also conquered Heracles.

A few years late in 479 the same Goths, this time led by Theodoric, the son of the late Theodimer, arrived again in Heracles and the city was burned. During the 6th century the city was attacked again and by the end of the 6th century the city was abandoned.

During the study and research of the site, the remains of the former town were discovered, and its appearance was reconstructed. Key points of interest are the statue of Titus Flavil Orestes, the Thermae of Heracles, the ancient theatre and the sacral buildings with floor mosaics.

Heraklea Linkestis today

Only a small part of the old town has been uncovered and excavated. Historical records show that there are still a number of houses and tombs of the rich and famous at the time to be found. Several important relics and buildings have already been uncovered including the amphitheatre, baths, basilicas and some impressive mosaics, only some of which are on show in the summer.

There is a small museum, a cafe, and a souvenir shop with books on the site in English available for sale. Most of the more important statues are on display in the town museum or in the National Museum in Skopje.

Getting to Heraklea Linkestis

Heraclea Lynkestis is located on the southern outskirts of the town of Bitola, at the foot of Mount Baba. The site lies about 2.5km south of the town centre, a 30 minute walk depending on where you start. The city’s main bus and train stations are no more than a 15 minute walk from Heraclea Lyncestis

The city sits on 3 terraces circled by walls and tells the colourful story of Roman, Byzantine and Slavic settlers each who have left their mark on Stobi.

Stobi history

Whilst the first mention of Stobi dates back to the 2nd century BC, it is thought to have been founded several centuries – perhaps three or four – prior to this. The settlement was an ancient town of Paeonia and was annexed by Philip V of Macedon in 200 BC, as mentioned by the historian Livy. Stobi was at the time a significant economic, strategic trading centre largely because it was positioned along the Danube and Aegean Sea.

In the later 2nd century BC, Stobi came under Roman rule and in 69 AD, under the Emperor Vespasian, it was expanded to become a municipium. The Romans bestowed upon Stobi the rights of Lus Italicum, which without giving the inhabitants citizenship meant they were not just an occupied territory.

The ancient city continued to flourish up to the 6th century AD, when it was an important Christian site that left behind a wealth of preserved mosaics.

Stobi today

Nowadays, the archaeological site of Stobi houses a wealth of ancient ruins, including the remains of palaces, baths, streets, temples and a 2nd century AD theatre – undoubtedly the focal point of your visit to Stobi. Most of the ruins date back to the 3rd century AD, although some, like the theatre, were built earlier. There are also several well-preserved vivid mosaics throughout the site as well as remnants of early Christianity such as numerous basilicas and even an ancient synagogue.

Getting to Stobi

Positioned in central Macedonia, Stobi is close to the town of Kavadarci, Negotino, and Veles. You can get here by taxi  from Kavadarci (around 20 kilometres). Driving from the capital Skopje is also easy which takes exactly an hour. Veles is even closer, and the E75 corridor makes Stobi easily approachable with signs everywhere.

The Skopje Aqueduct history

There are three theories of the Skopje Aqueduct’s historical origins. The first dates the aqueduct back to 1st century Romans, prolific aqueducts builders across Europe. The aqueduct would have fed water to the Legionary settlement in Scupi. Scupi became home to many legionary veterans, founded in the time of Domitian around 81-96 AD.

Scupi was abandoned in 518 AD when an earthquake decimated the city. The Romans built aqueducts as objects of public interest and civic pride, supplying water to baths, latrines, fountains and private homes, as well as supporting mining, farming and milling.

The Skopje Aqueduct’s second history theorises it was built during the Byzantine Empire under Justinian I, shipping water to the new settlement of Justiniana Prima in today’s southern Serbia around 527-554 AD. Justiniana Prima served as the metropolitan seat of the Archbishopric, with jurisdiction over the Diocese of Dacia of the later Roman Empire. For this reason, the aqueduct is sometimes also referred to as ‘Justinian’s Aqueduct’.

The third origin theory of the Skopje Aqueduct dates the structure to the Ottoman Empire: the aqueduct was built in the 16th century for the many public Turkish hamam baths.

The aqueduct was used until the 18th century, taking spring water from Lavovec in the nearby mountains to Skopje’s city centre.

The Skopje Aqueduct today

Today, an impressive 390m of the aqueduct remains, its red-brick structure nestled amongst long grass and sprouting grass along its top. The Skopje Aqueduct is not maintained by any public or private organisation, so continues to fall into ruins and looks somewhat neglected. Neither is the aqueduct situated along any local tours.

However, visitors who take the time to stop will be rewarded by its fifty-five arches, a testament of the great ingenuity and engineering from ancient civilisations.

Getting to The Skopje Aqueduct

The Skopje Aqueduct is only 2km north of central Skopje. The aqueduct is near Ilinden Barracs, just off the Boulevard Slovenia down a bumpy road, so is easily missed when driving. Alternately, visitors can walk from the city’s central park in little under an hour, along and crossing over the river.

Tumba Madzari history

Tumba Madzari was a Neolithic village in the Gazi Baba region, which was settled on a hill or ‘tumba’ and inhabited between 6000 and 4300 BC. During this period, the land was mostly used for agriculture by the Anzabegovo-Vršnik cultural group who lived in small-scale communities and subsisted on domestic planting and animals supported by hunting and foraging.

At Tumba Madzari, the Neolithic inhabitants built a structure thought to have been used as a sanctuary, indicating the community shared religion. The settlement also constructed several Pre-Indo-European sculptures of the Great Mother, of the Cult of the Great Mother Goddess. These sculptures suggested the Neolithic community was matristic, a social system where women held the primary political and moral positions of power unlike later Indo-European cultures.

Excavations of Tumba Madzari were first started in 1978 by the Museum of Macedonia after the site was discovered in 1961 when motorway construction was planned nearby. An area of about 1,400 metres squared was researched, in which ruins and the bases of seven facilities were discovered, of which six were dwellings, and one was the above-mentioned sanctuary.

From 2008, a project to reconstruct the Neolithic village was started based off archaeological remains including clay sacrificial altars and exploring multiple stages of the Neolithic settlement found within a three-foot layer of the ground.

Tumba Madzari today

Today you can not only visit the archaeological remains at Tumba Madzari, but step back into the Neolithic period through the ‘Neolithic village’ open-air museum on the site. The open-air museum is open on mornings from Wednesday through Sunday, and is also open in the afternoons at weekends.

The site’s findings and reconstructions testify to the remarkable material and spiritual life, high artistic and aesthetic achievements of Neolithic Macedonia.

Getting to Tumba Madzari

Tumba Madzari is located 2km north of Macedonia’s capital city, Skopje. To get there using public transport, catch the 43 or 65b bus to Нас. Ченто Пазар, before walking 10 minutes to Tumba Madzari. If driving, Tumba Madzari is found on the left-hand side of the Skopje-Kumanovo-Veles highway, next to a football field.