LYCHNIDOS

Ohrid is one of the rare cities in the Balkans, such as Thessalonika, Odessa and Dyrachion that had thrived uninterruptedly throughout the classical period. They survived the decline of the classical civilization and continued to live under their new names till the present time. The soil of this ancient city has seen numerous changes of civilization achievements followed by the inevitable falls and rises.

The contemporary city of Ohrid is a descendant of the antique town of Lychnidos. This was confirmed by several Byzantine sources in which it was written "the town is situated on a high hill near the large lake of Lychnidos, by which also the town was named Lychnis, previously known as Dyassarites". The existence of this town is also evident from numerous Roman documents. According to them, Lychnidos was located by the Via Egnatia, the oldest and most important Roman roadway in the Balkans. It started with two routes from Apollonia and Dyrachia and reached to Lychnidos through Candavian Mountains. Long before the Romans came into the region this route had been used as a communicational link between the coast and the internal parts of Illyria and Macedonia. Via Egnatia was the shortest route from Rome to the Eastern Empire.

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The earliest inhabitants of the widest Lake Ohrid region that can be identified by name were Brigians and Enhelians. Brigians are the same as Phrygians. According to Herodotus, the Phrygians from Asia Minor used to live in Europe in the vicinity of the Macedonians and were called Brigians. After the Troy War they migrated to Asia Minor and changed their name into Phrygians.

Historically, Enhelians have been identified as Illyrians. However, it should be underlined that Herodotus, and some other historians, distinguish them from the Illyrians.

The origin of their name, Enhelians, derives from encheleus -"eel", "serpent", and connects this people with the Lychnidos Lake since it is rich in eel. During the Roman conquests, towards the end of III and the beginning of II century BC, Desaretes and the region Desaretia were mentioned, as well as the town of Lychnidos, Lychnidus and the region Lychnis. Desaretia was a vast region that stretched from Devol in the west to the Macedonian regions of Orestidia and Lynkestidia to the east. Lychnitidia, the region around Lake Ohrid, in the beginning emerged as a separate region outside the borders of Desaretia.

After the Roman conquest, the name Desarets appeared as the joint name of all tribes that lived in the mountainous region inside the area of Macedonia and South Illyria, stretching from the border with Epirus in the south to the Parthynes and Phenestes in the north and Lynkestes in the east.

LYCHNIDOS

Data on the political development of the Lychnidos region in the classical period is scarce and comes from preserved written documents. The first indicators of the political character of the region relate to the V century BC when, during the Pelophonnesus War in Greece on the northern border of Macedonia, a political community emerged. This community, named "Illyrians" by the classical writers, seriously threatened the safety of the Macedonian State at times.

It is said that the Illyrians held Macedonia enslaved before Philip II of Macedonia come power. With the arrival of Philip II the power shifted. This happened after the battle that most probably took place in Lynchestidis, today the Bitola Plain. The victorious party was the Macedonians. This battle was crucial for the further development of the relations between Illyria and Macedonia. It marked the end of the Illyrian domination over Macedonia. The Illyrians had to leave the region east of the northern shore of Lychnidos Lake.

In the year 335 BC, while Alexander III of Macedonia was on the river Danube, the Illyrian king Klit organized an insurrection against Macedonia. The sources do not mention the consequences of Alexander's victory over Klit. Several indirect data have shown that as a result Illyria was annexed to Macedonia, probably as a province under the administration of a strategist, as was the case with Trachia ever since the rule of Philip II.

During this period the region of Lychnidos was part of the Hellenic civilization and did not belong to the Latin speaking regions.

LYCHNIDOS

In the III century BC Rome expressed its aspiration towards the Balkans. Military actions begun and the Illyrian territories were used as starting bases in the war against the mighty Macedonian State. The Roman Empire lead three wars against Macedonia where the Macedonians, during the rules of Philip V and Perseus, tasted defeat for the first time. The whereabouts of these defeats are not precisely known. Perhaps they even happened in the region of Lychnidos. After the Third Macedonian War against King Perseus, Lychnidos became the main Roman base in the northern regions of Macedonia. It was at this exact time that the name was frequently heard.

In 148 BC Macedonia became a Roman colony that stretched to the Adriatic Sea to the west. The situation remained unchanged throughout the Early Roman Empire. Within the province, Dasaretia together with Lychnidos retained its status of a free community - one chronicle writer described Dasaretians as libera gens.

As a main centre of Dasaretians, Lychnidos had a great significance during the period of Roman Republic. The importance of Lychnidos is evident from numerous epigraphic monuments found in Ohrid. These monuments were erected by Dasaretians and their governmental bodies and are amongst the most important remnants of ancient Ohrid.

During the Late classical period Lychnidos was mentioned as an episcopal centre. The exact date of the foundation of the Lychnidos Episcopacy is not known. It was first mentioned in the acts of the church conclave in Serdika (343 AD) where Dionysius de Macedonia de Lychnido appears as one of the signatories. In fact, Dionysius is the only known bishop in Lychnidos in IV century.

Lychnidos was last mentioned on the occasion of its destruction. Among all the rest of heavy disasters that struck the Roman Empire during the reign of Ustinian (wars, floods, plague), earthquakes were also noted. According to the historical sources, in the earthquake that occurred on 29th and 30th May 526 AD, several thousand people from Lychnidos were killed. There are no further records of Lychnidos in historical documents. It also remains unclear whether or not Justinian rebuilt the town?

Mapa

SAINT CLEMENT AND SAINT NAUM

As early as the second part of the VIII century the region of Ohrid was an area of affinity for the Bulgarian State. During the reign of the Bulgarian Czar Boris the Macedonian territories were incorporated into several "komitati" (units of local authority). Ohrid was under a "komitat" that covered the regions of Ohrid and Devol. By incorporating the majority of "sclavinias" into the Bulgarian State, their independent development was interrupted.

In Ohrid region Christianity was inaugurated as the official religion as early as IV century AD Since the first part of IV century the town of Lychnidos became an episcopal centre. When the region of Ohrid fell under the reign of the Bulgarian State, Duke Boris imposed Christianity because he wanted to strengthen his power through the church. Christianization in the region of Ohrid became particularly intense after 846 AD when Boris approved the baptism of his subjects by Greek priests.

After a short stay on the Bulgarian court, in 886 Clement (of Ohrid) was sent to Macedonia on a mission of importance for the state. He was sent to the region called Kutmicevica as a teacher. This region covered southwest Macedonia and southern Albania, with their respective capitals of Ohrid and Devol. Both towns were religious centres with cathedrals. During his teaching activity Clement had numerous students. There were approximately 3,500 "chosen" students. By developing so many Slavic clergyman in a short period Clement succeeded to introduce the Slavic religious service in the reconstructed and newly built churches throughout Ohrid region and Macedonia. This activity of Clement denoted the foundation of the Slavic church in Macedonia. After seven years of teaching, in 893 the new Bulgarian ruler Simeon (893-927) promoted Clement into Bishop of Drembica (or Bishop of Velika) and his teaching post was entrusted to Naum. His teaching activity was mainly centered in Ohrid. This is evident form the existence of the Monastery built on the Lakeshore.

The teacher and Bishop Clement, together with Naum, were the founders of the so-called Ohrid Glagolitic Literary School. Clement also wrote or translated about 50 works, thus enhancing the bases of the Macedonian and pan-Slavic literature and culture. The pursuits of Clement and Naum in the second half of IX century lead to Ohrid becoming one of the most developed and most famous medieval centres of Slavic culture. The solid bonds of Clement and Naum with this region are evident from the fact that both were buried in the Monasteries built by themselves on the shore of Lake Ohrid. Naum died in 910 and Clement in 916.

MAIN GEOGRAFIC - HYDROGRAFIC FEATURES

Lake Ohrid, that came into being between four to ten million years ago, is Europe's oldest lake, and is amongst the oldest in the world. It is a typical oligotrophic lake, meaning that it contains low levels of nutrients. By its origin the lake is a tectonic one and belongs to the so-called group of "Dasaretian lakes" (named by an ancient region called Dasaretia). The Lake came about in the tertiary period, prior to the glaciation.

Otherwise, most of the lakes of the world came into being immediately after the end of the latest glaciation period. Only a few lakes in the world are older than this one. Famous examples are Lake Baikal, Caspian Lake, and Lake Tanganyka and just a few lakes situated on Celebes, Philippines and China.

Research on the living world of the Lake Ohrid has shown the existence of an exquisit flora and fauna, prolific in endemic, as well as relic fauna forms. Thus, the Lake is thought to be unique in Europe. Similarities can be found only with Lake Baikal and with the Caspian Lake.

Lake Ohrid lies in the valley between Ohrid and Struga, in the border region between Macedonia and Albania. It is situated on 41 degree northern latitude and 20 - 21 degrees eastern longitude, and its altitude is 695 metres above sea level. It covers an area of 358.2 square kilometres, two thirds of which belong to the Republic of Macedonia, and the rest to the Republic of Albania. The shoreline is 87.5 kilometres long - the maximum length being 30.8 kilometres, and its maximum of 14.8 kilometres. The average depth is 164 metres, and the maximum depth 289 metres. The Lake is sorrounded by mountain ranges of Mount Mokra (Mokra Planina - 1589 m.) and Jablanica (1945 m) on the Albanian side and by the limestone ridge of Mount Galicica (2255m) on the eastern side.The surrounding mountains are extremely karstic.

Neolithic and eneolithic period

In the Ohrid region there are several Neolithic settlements: Dolno Trnovo in Ohrid and Zlastrana in the village of Gorno Sredorece (Debarca), as well as the Kutlina site in the village of Velmej (Debarca) that dates back to the Eneolithic period. There are also several sites from the Bronze Age: Lakoceresko Gradiste, Koselsko Gradiste, Tumba near the village of Svinista, and the recently discovered lake-dwelling settlement "Ploca Micov Grad" located near Gradiste peninsula on the eastern shore of Lake Ohrid.

Excavations carried out in the three Neolithic settlements have shown the presence of the remains of buildings, graves and ceramics. On the surface of the sites Lakocersko Gradiste and Koselsko Gradiste fragments of ceramic pots as well as stone and bone tools were found.

Most probably the Neolithic sites now known in the Ohrid region date back from IV - III millenium BC

The Iron Age

Excavations carried out near the village of Gorenci, around 9 km from Ohrid (Suva Cesma, Tri Celusti and Vrtulka), have shown the presence of certain material indicating that the site dated back from the late period of the Iron Age II. Going back chronologically through the Iron Age in Macedonia, new cultural developments can be traced back to the VI and V century BC This period is marked as the Iron Age III, or the period of formation of the Macedonian archaic style manifested by the "principal's crypts". These tombs were discovered in the necropolis "Trebenista" near village Gorenci. Another necropolis from the same period was discovered near the village Recica, northern of Ohrid.



In the archaeological excavations that started in 1918 and were carried out with interruptions until 1972 a total of 56 burial structures were discovered. The majority of them contained wealthy funeral artifacts.

During the VI century BC formation and presence of certain ethnic groups in the Balkans was already evident. In the Ohrid region, the Enhelians were mentioned. The most significant findings are the golden funeral masks contained in the rich "principal" crypts in Gorenci. The masks were made out of golden tin and they are subjects of a series of observations in the scientific world. According to some scientists, the characteristics of their style, i.e. the incrusted ornamental patterns, are characteristic for the Greek art from VI century BC Others claim that these patterns can be related only to the Macedonian art.

Today the precious findings of the necropolis "Trebenista" beautify the exhibition stands of the museums in Sofia - Bulgaria and Belgrade - FR Yugoslavia.

PREHISTORICAL AND CLASSICAL MONUMENTS OF CULTURE

Classical period

From the time of Philip II of Macedonia entering in the region of Lychnidos, the cultural influences of the Greek-Macedonian world were more present. This notable culture left its mark in this territory and various artifacts have been found: from marble molds, through ceramic and bronze pots, to small pieces of jewelry made of gold, semiprecious gems and glass paste.

Recent archeological examinations have shown that the line starting from St. Erasmus through Gabavci, Paterica and Kozluk to Koselska Reka was an urban entity. This entity in archaeology is known as "Hermeleia". The acropolis is located high in the hill of Gabavsko. Its southeast footage is the lower town, and the sacred and secular buildings are located on the eastern and western sides.

Two necropolises from ancient times were discovered near Ohrid. One of them is located in Trebenisko Kale, and the other was discovered on the site Crvenica near Prentov Most. On the ruins of the former a stronghold was found built in several different periods, as well as ceramic pots and 17 grave units. On the site near Crvenica, 143 tombs dating back to the Hellenic period and the early Middle Ages were found.

Also one Macedonian crypt was found in the area of Varosh, the old part of Ohrid. On the locality Deboj, the central necropolis of Lychnidos and the medieval Ohrid were discovered.

There is another building that is usual for this period - the Roman theatre. It is located in Varos (the old part of Ohrid). It was built in accordance with the Greek and Roman type of theatres. The first findings of this monumental structure, without which a town centre in the classical period would have been inconceivable, date from the beginning of the 20th century, with two relief plates depicting Dionysus with the Muses. The first archaeological probes were carried out during 1959 - 1960, when nine rows of seats in the theatre were discovered. Some of the stone seats contain inscriptions of the names of the families that had subscriptions.

The theatre covers an area of around 4,000 m2. In the excavations carried out in three occasions, the locations of the entrances, theatre building, orchestra with seats reserved for honourable people as well as the arena volume were defined.

In this period in the region of Lychnidos the presence of religion was rather significant. One notable sculpture found in the region of Lychnidos is the goddess of human destiny, Isis.

Lychnidos. Many towns of that period, with the consent of the Macedonian rulers, used the mines and minted coins with the common inscription of MAKEDONWN and the name of the region. Only in the case of Ohrid, the name of the town was also imprinted.

MUSICAL CULTURE

Musical culture was developed in the period of the revival of Ohrid and the nearby rural settlements. This period is closely connected with the work of the "Ohrid Trumpeters" who cherished the "songs of the city". That was the period after 1850. The first generation musical bends worked under the guide of Angele Karagule. Even today the public can enjoy the songs such as: "Despina", "They'll abduct me, Nane…", Joje rows his boat", Fance went to Kalista" and others thanks to the talent of Karagule.



When talking about the musical folklore of Ohrid one cannot avoid mentioning the song "Biljana was bleaching the linen". The time when this song was created cannot be determined. The widely spread interpretation is that the song was sung by the people in the past when the caravans traveled on the Via Egnatia, dispatching wine from Macedonia to the other European countries. However, based upon the research of the melody structure, one might conclude that it is a song from more recent times (most probably from XIX century) when the music in these parts of the world was under great influence of the West European musical creation. Even today "Biljana was bleaching linen" is sort of an ode to Ohrid.

Significant improvement of church musical art can be noticed in the period between XVI and XIX century. A great number of songs had been created in that period. The same songs are sung in the course of the religious services even today. The most prominent composers of the time were Daniel Prvopevec, Jovan Trapezunski, Petar Bereket, Petar Efeski, Todor Fokejski, Jakov Peloponeski, Manuil Vizantiec, Grigorij Levitski, Georgi Kritski, Petar Lampadarij and others. Their work has been created on the basis of the liturgies and the religious services. One must state that these pieces of art are highly artistic. However, after the abolishment of the Ohrid Archiepiscopate, the conditions got worse. Thus, no significant religious songs were created.

In the XIX century, the so-called "neume" manuscripts originated. They were created in 1818. The manuscripts cover the renewal of the connections between Ohrid and Constantinople. They are part of the anthology handbooks of spiritual music that enriched the everyday religious services with quality musical creations. A more organized activity of training religious singers can be noticed with the coming of Naum Miladinov from Struga, the brother of Dimitrija and Konstantin Milandinov. He established a musical school where the theory of religious singing was taught. Haum Miladinov also wrote a textbook, the first of its kind in Macedonia.

During the revival, a tendency of inserting elements of local music was present. Jovan Harmosin from Ohrid initiated the process, but he also, having completed his education, and made an attempt to resolve the problem of providing Slavic texts and appropriate melodies. Not knowing the Old-Slavic language, Harmosin went to the monastery Saint Bogorodica Precista in Kicevo to learn the language from the monks. After that, he translated a number of musical texts from Greek into Old-Slavic very successfully. In the course of the translation he partly reconstructed the Slavic religious singing. In addition, Harmosin published two books of collected religious melodies.

The lake Ohrid and geography

Lake Ohrid (Macedonian: Охридско Езеро, Ohridsko Ezero; Albanian: Liqeni i Ohrit) straddles the mountainous border between the southwestern Republic of Macedonia and eastern Albania. It is one of Europe's deepest and oldest lakes, preserving a unique aquatic ecosystem with more than 200 endemic species that is of worldwide importance.^[1] The importance of the lake was further emphasized when it was declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 1979. However, human activity on the lake shores and in its catchment area is resulting in the ecosystem coming under stress.
Lake Ohrid is the deepest lake of the Balkans, with a maximum depth of 288 m (940 ft) and a mean depth of 155 m (508 ft). It covers an area of 358 km² (138 sq mi), containing an estimated 55.4 km³ of water. It is 30.4 km long by 14.8 km wide at its maximum extent with a shoreline length of 87.53 km, shared between the Republic of Macedonia (56.02 km) and Albania (31.51 km).

Origin

The Ohrid and Prespa Lakes belong to a group of Dessaret basins that originated from a geotectonic depression during the Pliocene epoch up to five million years ago^{[citation needed]} on the western side of the Dinaric Alps. Worldwide, there are only a few lakes with similarly remote origins with Lake Baikal and Lake Tanganyika being the most famous. Most other, short-lived lakes have a life span of less than 100,000 years before they are eventually filled up with sediments. It is believed that in the case of Lake Ohrid this process was delayed by its great depth and small sediment input from its filtered spring inflows. Moreover the Ohrid-Korca graben to the south of the lake is still tectonically active and might compensate sedimentation by subduction. In contrast to Lake Ohrid, Lake Prespa is likely to have turned dry several times in its history, as a result of its karstic underground. In 2008, Macedonian media reported that international experts will be researching the lake in order to determine its age.

fauna

While Lake Ohrid is special as such, by far the most spectacular quality is its impressive endemism. Similar to Lake Baikal or Lake Tanganyika, Lake Ohrid harbors endemic species covering the whole food-chain, from phytoplankton and sestile algae (20 species; e.g., Cyclotella fottii), over plant species (2 species; e.g., Chara ohridana), zooplankton (5 species; e.g., Cyclops ochridanus), cyprinid fish (8 species; e.g., Pachychilon pictus), to predatory fish (2 trout species; Ohrid trout Salmo letnica and "Belvica" Acantholingua ohridana) and finally its diverse endemic bottom fauna (176 species; e.g. Ochridagammarus solidus), with particularly large endemism among crustaceans, molluscs, sponges and planarians. Whereas the endemic species list cited above is based on morphological and ecological characteristics, some recent applications of molecular genetic techniques underline the difference of the fauna from common European taxa, as well as the old age of the lake.

Lake Ohrid

Lake Ohrid straddles the mountainous border between the southwestern Republic of Macedonia and eastern Albania. It is one of Europe's deepest and oldest lakes, preserving a unique aquatic ecosystem with more than 200 endemic species that is of worldwide importance.^[1] The importance of the lake was further emphasized when it was declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 1979. However, human activity on the lake shores and in its catchment area is resulting in the ecosystem coming under stress.

Hotel Metropol

Hotel Metopol is located between the shore of Lake Ohrid and the green forests of the Galicica National park, boasting amazing views of the lake and the mountains.

All rooms are stylishly decorated; they have air conditioning and all necessary amenities.

A sauna and massages are available as well.

Savour authentic regional cuisine as well as international dishes accompanied by the sound of traditional music while enjoying an amazing lake view. Benefit from the banquet hall as well as the conference hall. Informal conferences as well as large meetings can be organised at the Metropol.

If you prefer to spend your holiday actively, there are volleyball and basketball playgrounds, table tennis, and a dancing bar for your entertainment.

The hotel is part of a resort including the Metropol hotel, the Bellevue and the Tourist hotel and you can use the facilities of all of them.

Hotel Rooms: 120.

Villa Americano

Established in 1987, the Villa Americano has become one of the most popular places to stay in Ohrid, offering exclusively furnished apartments and delicious food.

The founder’s mission was to create an inviting ambience, characterized by high-quality accommodation and cuisine and an attentive staff. Villa Americano offers you 6 spacious air-conditioned apartments featuring a fully equipped kitchenette and free wireless internet access. Make use of the room service provided for your convenience and park your car safely on site.

In short, this is just a great place to stay when travelling on business or leisure, wanting to explore the historic sights and the vibrant nightlife of this thriving city on the scenic Ohrid Lake.

Hotel Rooms: 5.

Hotel Bellevue

Benefit from the superb facilities of Hotel Bellevue, which enjoys a picturesque location on the shore of Lake Ohrid, boasting a 500-metre-long private beach with a pool bar and toilets.

Sample delicious cuisine at the spacious restaurant which has a capacity of 220 seats or on the terrace in front of it. Hotel Bellevue also has a breakfast room for 110 people, a gallery bar for 60 guests, an aperitif bar and the Taboo night club on 700 m².

The 2 swimming pools of Hotel Bellevue are well-maintained. Additionally, the complex boasts 5 basketball courts, 3 volleyball courts, 2 courts for soccer and 2 courts for beach volleyball.

The hotel is part of a resort including the Metropol hotel, the Bellevue and the Tourist hotel and you can use the facilities of all of them.

Villa Germanoff

The only 5-star private accommodation in Ohrid, the Villa is located in the heart of the Old Town, overlooking the lake and cathedral church of St. Sofia.

The 4 luxury rooms are decorated in Biedermeier style and are ideal for a relaxing, comfortable and memorable stay, within easy reach of the Zona Garden Beach.

The town of Ohrid offers an array of medieval churches, including the Church of St. Sophia, an important monument of the city, housing architecture and art from the middle ages.

In the evenings you can relax in one of the many restaurants that can be found nearby, or enjoy a drink in the hotel bar before retiring to your spacious room.

Grand Hotel Europa eshte nje nga hotelet me prestigjoze, i ndodhur ne qender te qytetit te Shkodres, me atmosferen e nje hoteli madheshtor me moderinizmin me bashkohor.
Per tu vleresuar sallat e mbledhjeve dhe sallat e konferencave. Me vendndodhjen e tij ben te mundur shetitjen e pikave me te bukura turistike te qytetit te Shkodres ne pak minuta.
Restoranti me kuzhine italiane dhe orientale. Stafi i kuzhines eshte i gjithi italian. Nje pamje mahnitese mund te shijohet nga kati i dyte ne te cilin gjindet restoranti.
Me 50 dhomat te mobiluara ne menyre bashkohore do te ndjeni rehatine dhe relaksin qe ofron Grand Hotel Europa.

Samoil's Fortress

Tsar Samoil´s Fortress dates from the the end of the 10th century, but a fortress has been standing on top of Ohrid Hill since at least the 3rd century BC or even earlier. Although most of the walls are still standing, most of the inside of the fortress is destroyed. But surely worth a visit!

When I visited in 2007, an admission fee had to be paid to enter the fortress, i believe it was 50 Denars, less than 1 euro.

Tsar Samoil´s Fortress is part of a tour described on my Ohrid page, see link below.

The cave church St. Stefan

The cave church St. Stefan

The small church St. Stefan is located on the eastern side of Lake Ohrid, above hotel "Sileks". A natural cave was used for the construction of the church, and a stone wall was erected on the southern side of the cave's interior.

The exact date of the construction of the church is unknown. However, the fresco paintings indicate that it was built in XIV century. The dormitories were built near the church later on.

The church of St. Bogorodica Celnica

The church of St. Bogorodica Celnica

This church is characteristic by its shape, a two-naval church, and as such it is unique in Macedonia. The two naves are connected by arches, the northern nave is smaller, and the southern bigger since it is considered as the most important arch.On the eastern side the church is situated on the city ramparts.

The church probably was fresco painted in the XIV century.Only small sections of the frescoes in the southern and northern walls above the arch are preserved.

Much later, on the eastern side of the church a porch with a bell-tower was constructed. In the late XIX century, Master Dico repainted the church. In the beginning of the XIX century another master worked on certain frescoes.

The church of the Holy Mother – Kamensko

The church of the Holy Mother – Kamensko

The exact date of the construction and fresco painting of the church Holy Mother – Kamensko is not known. It is located in the old part of the town, up the street from the quarter Chinar (the famous old cedar three). Research indicate that it was built in the XVII century. An inscription was discovered in the interior of the church that indicates that the church was extended in 1832. According to another inscription found in the interior, in 1863 Dico the Master painted the frescoes in the church. Again, in 1924 certain interventions were performed on the frescoes.

One characteristic of the church is its iconostasis. Its author is unknown, but the assumption is that he was a Mijak master. The structure of the iconostasis is divided into five horizontal sections. The first section consists of 12 small pillars, six on each side of the royal ports, with bouquets between them painted with uniform flowers placed into vases. The secondsection also contains 12 small pillars that divide the throne icons. The third section consists of lunettes. The fourth section is actually a frieze ornamented by vine and grapes and with 12 medallions each depicting an angel. Two dragons, and a large cross with the scene of "The Crucifixion" with the Holy Mother on the left and St. John on the right side are painted on the top section of the iconostasis. The characteristic of this iconostasis is that it does not contain any human figures, nor does it have scenes with motifs.

The church of St. Dimitry

The church of St. Dimitry

A small church dedicated to St. Dimitry is located on the right side of the entrance to the compound of St. Clement. There are no records for the date of its construction. It is one-naval in shape with a spacious altar apse on the eastern side. The original church had two entrances, on the southern and on the western side. The latter was walled up. The traces of a semi-circled vault can still be seen, but today the spot where the vault started is walled up.

Presumably, the church originates from XIV century. The assumption is based on the frescoe study. They are divided into three zones. The first zone is filled with portraits of the Saints in their natural size, however most of them have been destroyed. The only one that is better preserved is the portrait of St. Dimitry to whom the church was dedicated to. In the second zone there are fairly preserved scenes of the life of Christ, such as "The Entrance into Jerusalem", "Crucifixion", and "The Resurrection of Christ". Portraits of several saints are painted above the second zone.

The Church of St. Bogorodica Bolnicka

The Church of St. Bogorodica Bolnicka

The church is located in the immediate vicinity of the town's ramparts near the Lower Gate. To the present day no relevant records have been found that could confirm the date of the construction and fresco painting of the church. However, the style of the architecture and frescoes indicate that it originates from the XIV century.

The church underwent numerous reconstructions, both in fresco painting and in the structure.

The first fresco painter showed good quality work, whereas the second phase of the fresco painting was done in a haste. That resulted in an uneven mortar surface.

A number of icons were also found in the church. Master Nicholas from Debar painted them during the construction of the iconostasis. An inscription on the iconostasis reveals the date of its creation, 1833.

There are numerous graves of priests and monks around the church.

The Church of St. Nicholas Bolnicki

The Church of St. Nicholas Bolnicki

This church, dedicated to St. Nicholas, is located in the immediate vicinity of the Lower Gate. The attribute "Bolnicki" refers to the name of the quarter it is situated. The church is a one-naval in shape with a semi-calotte vault. There is a bell-tower in the western side of the church, unique in shape in the region of Ohrid.

An inscription discovered in the interior of the church revealed that it was built and fresco painted in 1313. Between 1335 and 1345 the outside southern wall was fresco painted. It is covered with portraits of the Archbishop of Ohrid Nicholas, the Serbian King Dusan, his wife Elena, and Ss. Sava and Simeon. In 1381 the second phase of fresco painting was performed, this time in the exterior wall of the western part of the church. In XV century a chapel paraklis??? was added onto the southern side of the church, and in some later time a porch was constructed in the western side of the church.

The church of Mali Sveti Vraci

The church of Mali Sveti Vraci

The church is located in the immediate vicinity of the church Ss. Constantine and Helen. It's shape is that of one-nave. At the time it was built (unknown) it used to have semi-circled vault that do not exist today.

The frescoes are quite damaged. The XIV century is mentioned as the date of their origin. It is also presumed that several authors did them.

In the southern part of the church there is a portrait of St. Clement depicted as the protector of the town because he is holding a model of the town in his hand. From the more important figures the portrait of the Archbishop of Ohrid Constantiine Cavassila stands out.

The church of St. Bogorodica Zahumska - Zaum

The church of St. Bogorodica Zahumska - Zaum

The church St. Bogorodica Zahumska is located on the shore of Lake Ohrid, on its eastern part around 20 km of the town of Ohrid near the village of Trpejca. It is usually called St. Zaum. An inscription in the interior indicates that it was built and fresco painted in 1361. This church, like the churches of St. Bogorodica Perivlepta (St. Clement) and St. John the Theologian - Kaneo, is in the shape of a cruciform with a dome surmounting the central part.

The blind arches divide its three-sided apse. The church in its original shape also had a parvis. The frescoes of the church St. Bogorodica Zahumska are highly damaged.

The Saints portrayed to their natural size dominate the first zone. Amongst them are the portraits of the Hermits, Ss. Clement and Naum, Christ, The Holy Mother, and others. The second zone is filled with scenes of the Life of the Holy Mother with an emphasis on the innovative nature in depicting the interior in the scene of The Birth of the Virgin Mary. The eastern wall of the former parvis is covered with the scene showing Jesus Christ and the Holy Mother dressed in royal garments. There are also portraits of Ss. Peter and Paul, as well as of Ss. George and Dimitry dressed in noble robes.

The monastery of St. Naum

The monastery of St. Naum

The monastery of St. Naum is located on the southeast side of Lake Ohrid, in the immediate vicinity of the Macedonian-Albanian border. Its building is linked to the name of St. Naum, the closest associate of St. Clement of Ohrid. Records about the life and work of St. Naum can be found in three literature works dedicated to his life. Also the Archbishop of Ohrid, Constantine Cavassila, wrote about him. In the Historical Archives of Ohrid there is a Chronicle written by a priest that lived in the second half of XIX century. It reveals a series of interesting details about the construction of the monastery, the estate of the church, and the lives of the monks. Among other things, there is a record about a disastrous fire that occurred on the night of 2nd and 3rd February 1875, when the largest part of the monastery compound was burnt to ashes.

Towards the end of his life St. Naum of Ohrid built the monastery St. Archangel where he was buried in 910. The church of Naum was similar to the monastery of Clement, St. Pantheleimon, and was built in a trefoil shape.

In the course of the archaeological excavations carried out after the Second World War, only the foundations and part of the walls of that church were discovered. It is unknown when the church was ruined, but the assumption is that it happened before the arrival of the Turks.

Iconostas in St. Naum

According to the inscriptions in the church, the frescoes were painted in the period of the priest Stefan, in 1806. They were painted by the fresco artist Trpo, son of the Master Constantine from Korcha, Albania.

Particularly impressive are the scenes from the life and miracles of St. Naum of Ohrid. They were painted in he second zone of the chapel above Naum's tomb. The five painted scenes were passed from one generation to another, and are deemed to be the miracles of Naum. These are: "Harnessing the Bear", "The Stupefied Monk Who Tried to Steal the Body of Saint Naum From His Tomb", "Healing of the Mentally Disturbed", "Horse Thief Who Was Caught at the Gates of the Monastery Church at Dawn" and "The Bucket Leaves Traces in the Rock". The belief that St. Naum was capable to heal the mentally disturbed predominates. According to some sources, a "hospital" was operating within the monastery in 1662.

The iconostasis in the church was carved in 1711. The authors are unknown. They were influenced by the woodcarving traditions of Mount Athos and they created a genuine masterpiece. During the same year the artist Constantine painted the dais and the holiday icons. Most outstanding are the icons "Crucifixion" and "Entrance into Jerusalem". The icons of the iconostasis are treated as one of the best achievements from the first part of XVIII century.

The church of St.Sofija

The church of St. Sofia

The church of St. Sofia is one of the largest medieval churches on this territory. For a long time it was the cathedral church ("Great Church") of the Ohrid Archiepiscopate whose ecclesiastical authority covered the territories up to the river Danube to the north, the Albanian coast to the west, and the Bay of Thessalonica to the east.

The church was probably used as a cathedral way back in the past, in the period of the Czar Samuel who, in the late X century, moved his throne from Prespa to Ohrid. The other assumption is that there used to be another church on the same site during the reign of the Macedonian Czar Samuel, and that later on this church was ruined for unknown reasons. The date of the construction of that church is uncertain because there are no inscriptions that help reveal it. It is also mentioned that today's church was either built or restored during the period of the Archbishop Leo who was on the throne of the Church in the period between 1035-1056. His esteemed ecclesiastical principal became a donor of the painting decorations in the church of St. Sofia.

The original church had only one main dome. In the XIV century an opulent external nartex was constructed. Its original shape was a three-naval basilica with a transept, a dome, and galleries on the side naves. It had a parvis and separate chapels above the northern and southern altar sections even in XI century. Almost three centuries later, during the period of the Archbishop Gregorius, a new parvis was built. It represents the climax of the Macedonian XIV-century culture. The concept of the extended parvis was horizontal, with portico on the ground, and galleries on the first floor. Above the Gregorious Gallery, on the northern and southern sides, there were separate sections with towers.

With the arrival of the Turks, the church St. Sofia was converted into a mosque. They "took care" to reshape the church almost entirely so that it could serve the Muslim religion. The frescoes were whitewashed, the ornamented plates from the iconostasis were used for constructing the internal staircase, and a minaret was built above the northwest dome. These undertakings distorted the structure of the entire church.

In the period from 1950 to 1957 extensive conservatory and restoration activities were performed. The frescoes were cleaned and conserved, and also some reconstruction work was done. The fresco paintings in the church are amongst the highest achievements in medieval painting in Macedonia and even wider. At that time Ohrid was under the direct authority of the Constantinople Patriarchate, so these are the most important preserved works of Byzantine monumental painting. The donor of the fresco paintings, one of the most learned men of the time, the Archbishop Leo, directly influenced the selection of the compositions painted in the XI century.

Preserved frescoes from XI, XII, and XIV century can be found in the temple of St. Sofia.

National museum

THE NATIONAL MUSEUM

The National Museum is located in the Robev family house, a masterpiece of 19th century Ohrid town architecture, in Tzar Samuel street which contains the rare surviving houses in the hilly part of the town designed by builders from the surroundings of Debar.

There has been a museum in Ohrid since the beginning of the 16th century when it was the Archiepiscopal Museum (dismantled in 1916) housed in St. Bogorodica Perivlepta’s Church.

The present museum was set up in 1951 and is one of the few museums in Macedonia whose collection is housed in several different premises: In the one - time Robev and Urania houses in that in which the Ilinden revolutionary Hristo Uzunov was born, in the administrative building of the Institute and the Museum and in the St. Bogorodica Perivlepta’s Church Museum complex, which houses the Gallery of Ohrid Icons from the 11th to the 19th centuries and the Permanent Exhibition of Slavonic Literacy.

The National Museum’s archeological collection contains findings dating from prehistoric times and from the classical and mediaeval periods of Ohrid’s history. It also possesses a rich collection of Ohrid’s icons, a numismatic collection of c. 9000 coins dating from the classical period and right up to the later Middle Ages and various items and documents from the period of the Rebirth, the Ilinden Uprising and the National Liberation War.

Religion

The majority of the citizens of Ohrid are members of the Christian (Orthodox) religious parish and part of the Macedonian Orthodox Church. The wider region of Ohrid, Struga, Kicevo, Debar, and Makedonski Brod are within the Debar-Kicevo Eparchy. Its contemporary name is from XVII century, whereas the original name, Dremvica-Velicka Eparchy, was related to the founder of the Slavonic Church, St. Clement of Ohrid (late IX and the beginning of X century). Throughout the history the name changed many times, but the one that prevailed was Velicka Eparchy. It was also reestablished by that name 16th and 17th July 1967 when the Macedonian Orthodox Church was promulgated autocephalous.

On the Church and Peoples' Council held 7th October 1968 the Eparchy was renamed into Debar-Kicevo Eparchy. Its first elected Archpriest was Metropolitan Metodij (1967-1976). The second Archpriest was Metropolitan Angelarij (1977-1981), who from this Eparchy was elected as Head of the Macedonian Orthodox Church. The present (third) Metropolitan is Timotej, elected in 1981

The Debar-Kicevo Eparchy covers five church units: in the regions of Ohrid, Struga, Kicevo, Debar, and Makedonski Brod. They consist of 35 parishes with 30 practicing priests.

The Ohrid Archpriest unit consists of 16 parishes with 14 priests. The town itself covers eight parishes. Although there are numerous churches in the town, four of them are parish churches: "St. Bogorodica Perivlepta (St. Clement) - cathedral church), "St. Nicholas - Gerakomija", "St. Bogorodica -Kamensko", "St. Gorgi" and "Sveta Troica (Holy Trinity)".

There are many monasteries in the Debar-Kicevo Eparchy, and monks live in four of them. Two are monasteries for men (St. Naum and St Jovan Bigorski), while in the monasteries St. Bogorodica Precista, near Kicevo, and St. Petka, near Ohrid, are monasteries for women.

In addition to the great Christian Orthodox Holidays (Christmas, Easter, Epiphany), in Ohrid the most solemn are the festivities dedicated to the days of the patrons of the churches and monasteries, called Church and Peoples fairs. The atmosphere during the festivities dedicated to St. Clement of Ohrid (8-9 August), St. Naum of Ohrid (2-3 July), St. Stefan (14-15 August), St. Petka (7-8 August), St. Erazmo (14-15 June), is magnificent, as well as during the Holidays dedicated the Holy Mother (in particular 20 and 21 September) in the monastery St. Bogorodica Precista near Kicevo, and on 10th and 11th September on the date of the death of St. John the Baptist in the monastery of St. Jovan Bigorski near Debar.

Ohrid festival

Chroniclers have written: "The musical and theatre festival called "Ohrid Summer" was born on 4th August 1961 under the vaults of the cathedral temple of St. Sofia. The Primadonna of the Opera within the Macedonian National Theatre from Skopje, Ana Lipsa-Tofovic, followed by Ladislav Predlik on piano, performed the arias of Stradella, Rossi, Handel, Mozart, Beethoven, and Gluck. The following year Vladimir Ruzgak (Croatia), the Slovenian Octet (Slovenia), Martina Arojo (USA), and once again Ana Lipsa-Tofovic confirmed the fact that the temple of the ancient Ohrid Archiepiscopate can also be the temple of arts.

In 1963 the Festival started with a concept. Unfortunately, due to the disastrous earthquake in Skopje only a few of the planned 13 performances took place.

Key moment in the development of the Festival was the establishment of a separate Festival Subsidiary 5th March 1964. The next years the quality of the festival improved: in 1964 the first theatre play was performed ("As you like it" by William Shakespeare); in 1967 the first ballet ("The Ohrid Legend" by Stevan Hristic); and in 1971 the first opera "Dido and Aeneas" by Henry Percil).

In its thriving years "Ohrid Summer" started to act as a Musical Academy. The presence of the great instrumental virtuosos was used for organizing special seminars aiming at passing the experience to the new generation. Through the hands of the esteemed maestro such as Elephterio Papastavro (cello), Jeanne Blanchard (piano), Leonid Kogan (violin), Aldo Chiccolini (piano), Andre Navara (cello), Octav Enigharesco and Johnny Becky (soloists), Eugenia Chugaieva (violin), Ikhukko Endo (piano), and Arbo Valdma (piano), generations of musicians took part in these seminars. They, later on in their lives, gained affirmation on the musical stages throughout the world.

The Festival aspired at becoming a part of the large family of the World's musical festivals. In that respect, every year, the creators of the Festival added new names that have marked the performing arts in the world. Those names in the initial years of the Festival were Andre Navara (cello) and Leonid Kogan (violin). The range of famous musicians who marked the first decade included: Sviatoslav Rihter, Aldo Chiccolini, Adre Vats and Grigorij Sokolov (piano, Ruggiero Ricchi, Salvadore Akhardo, Hainrich Sherring, (violin), the chello player Mstislav Rostopovic, The Bach Chamber Orchestra, The Romanian Madrigalists, The Slovenian Vocal Octet, and others.

Biljana`s sources