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Bitola Attractions and Things to See
Bitola, which had been
called and known as Monastir or Manastir, as well as numerous
other names, is a city in the southwestern region of the
Republic of Macedonia that sits north of the country of Greece,
that links the south of the Adriatic Sea to the Aegean Sea and
Central Europe. It is now a commercial, administrative,
educational, cultural and industrial hub that sits in the
southern parts of the Pelagonia valley that is encompassed by
the Nidze and Baba Mountains. Since the Ottoman era, it has been
well known as the city of consuls, since it houses many of those
and has for centuries, either the second or third biggest "town"
in the country. It is over a thousand years old, resting along
the banks of the Dragor River, near the base of the Baba
Mountain that has always been an important trading center, and
originally started as a monastery.
It houses one of the oldest theaters in the nation, and a large
number of prestigious schools, that includes a military academy
that once taught the father of Turkey, Kemal Ataturk, that is
believed by many in the country of Turkey that he returned in
the form of a cat, and the reason why the cities have such a
huge population of those animals. Bitlola did have as many as
twelve consulates during its occupation by the Ottomans, and the
headquarters of numerous cultural organizations. The fabulous
Baba Mountains that overlooks the city from its east, has the
Pelister Mountain that is now a national park that contains
magnificent fauna and flora, especially the rare species of pine
that is known as the Macedonian pine or pinus peuce; and a
renown ski resort.
It has a fantastic history, both because of its location and
historical events that have occurred here, so naturally, it
should contain many fabulous monuments from the prehistoric
past. Two of these are the Veluska Tumba, that is an ancient
living settlement from the Neolithic period, and the Bara Tumba
that is also an ancient living settlement and the ancient
settlements of Tumba, Visok Rid and Shuplevec that were built
during the Copper age. Representatives of the Bronze age can be
visited at settlements of Tumba I and II, for want of a better
name that are located near the villages of Kanino and Karamani,
respectively. There are also many exciting and interesting
remains and relics from the ancient and early Byzantine eras,
with a fabulous golden earring from the 4th century BC that was
discovered at the acropolis of Crkvishte by the village of
Beranci. Another spectacular ruins is the Heraclea Lyncestis, or
the city of Hercules, that had been constructed during the
Hellenistic era in the Middle Ages that had been built by Philip
II of Macedon in the middle of the 4th century BC.
As previously mentioned, because of its age and history, the
city houses many fantastic architectural styles and structures,
that would take weeks to visit, if you have the time and
inclination.
The Jewish people would come here after the Expulsion of 1492
from Spain and Portugal, and there is a wonderful old synagogue
in the ancient city of Thessaloniki, although the city itself
has been modernized. The historical clock tower was constructed
sometime during the 16th to 18th century, and legend has it that
the Ottomans would collect some 60,000 eggs from the villages
around the city to mix in with the mortar so that it would be
stronger. It stands today, with a working clock, donated by the
Nazis in WWII, for the city's maintenance of German graves from
WWI. The huge tower has thick walls, huge spiral stairs, a
cupola, pendentives and wooden mezzanine. When it was built,
they added decorations to the facade using simple stone
plastics.
Another famous sight is the St. Dimitrija Church that had been
constructed in 1830, quite simple on the exterior, because it
had been built during the occupation by the Ottoman empire,
which stated that all churches should be built with simplicity,
however, the interior is magnificent, that include a carved
bishop throne, elaborately decorated chandeliers, and an
engraved iconostasis, that many believe is the work of Miyak
engravers; but the most significant feature of it is the arc
above the imperial quarters that have modeled figures of Jesus
and the apostles.