Written by admin on 09 August 2010
The Ohrid Swimming Marathon
The Ohrid Swimming Marathon is an international Open water swimming competition, established in always taking place in the waters of the Ohrid Lake, Republic of Macedonia. The swimmers are supposed to swim 30 km from Sveti Naum to the Ohrid harbor.
The Ohrid Swimming Marathon is an international sporting event that gathers the most famous marathon swimming names from around the world. This is an open water swimming competition that is definitely worth seeing.
Although the swimming competition in the waters of Lake Ohrid has been a long running tradition, the first international competition was established in 1998 when the Ohrid Swimming Marathon entered the World Swimming Club as one of the 12 worldwide marathons under the patronage of FINA – The World Swimming Association.
This event is usually organized in August. Because of the uniqueness of the swimming track and the unpredictable waters of the lake, this competition is a real challenge even for the most famous world swimmers. Starting from the monastery St. Naum, they swim along the lake-shore to the town harbor, approximately a 30-km route.
Each year, in the second half of July, the swimming elite throughout the world gathers in Ohrid and, starting from the monastery St. Naum, they swim along the Lakeshore to the town harbour, approximately a 30-km route. Since 1998 the Ohrid Swimming Marathon has entered in the World Swimming Club of the 12 worldwide held marathons under the patronage of FINA-The World Swimming Association.
According to hearsay, the first massive swimming competition in the Lake Ohrid took place in 1924. Similar contests were organized in 1927 and 1928. There is also a record of the establishment of the first water sportssociety in 1932 – The Swimming and Rowing Club “Ohrid”. In those days, the best swimmers were: Slave Bitrak, Dio Bogdan, Lambe Bido, Boris Filipce, Viktor Boev, Stefan Momir, and others.
In the Post-War period eight swimmers competed in the first swimming marathon that took place in 1954 along a 2.5 km route “Gorica-Ohrid”. The winner was Niko Nestor. The next two marathons were organized in 1956 and 1957, and the winners were Diki Bojadi and Goko Cudov respectively. Also women took part in the above two contests, and the respective winners were Sneze Grupceva and Sonja Dumbaloska. After that, there was a period when the marathon was not organized.
The first real marathon contest along the route of village Pestani-Struga-Ohrid (36 km) took place in 1962, with 22 participants from 12 countries. The following year, due to the disastrous earthquake in Skopje, the marathon was cancelled. In the subsequent years (1964,1965,1966) the Ohrid Marathon hosted about a dozen swimmers each year. After that there was a lapse in the continuation of this swimming marathon.
In 1983 “the small” marathon Gorica-Ohrid was reestablished and is organized to the present day.
In 1992, on the initiative of the sports magazine “Skok”, the Ohrid Swimming Marathon was reestablished. Each year, in the second half of August, the swimming elite throughout the world gathers in Ohrid and, starting from the monastery St. Naum, they swim along the Lakeshore to the town harbour, approximately a 30-km route.
Since 1998 the Ohrid Swimming Marathon has entered in the World Swimming Club of the 12 worldwide held marathons under the patronage of FINA-The World Swimming Association.
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Written by admin on 09 August 2010
The Ohrid summer Festival
The Ohrid summer Festival is a festival founded on 4 August 1961, always taking place between 12 July and 20 August in the city of Ohrid, Republic of Macedonia.It is financed by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Macedonia and sponsors. The President of the Republic of Macedonia is the patron of the festival. The festival featured prominent artists since 1961, i.e. José Carreras. Since 1994, the festival is a member of the European Festival Association.
The Ohrid Summer Festival is one of the largest and most important music and drama festivals in Macedonia. The first concert took place in 1961 in the church of St. Sophia, with its exceptional acoustics.
The festival in Ohrid has a particular international flavour because of the participation of a large number of leading musicians and ensembles from the best known European and world music centers. There have been participants from 44 countries.
This Festival has a solid reputation as it has gradually become part of the large family of the most famous European music festival. The Ohrid Summer Festival has its own sound conceptions, and it is able to draw up a musical program that includes artists of world renown. The Ohrid Summer Festival is held each year from July 12 to August 20. The number of performances is about 40:28 music events and 12 plays. In the last 45 years there have been more than 1,150 performances in which 30,000 local and foreign artists and performers have taken part. The average annual number of visitors is about 20,000. The performances usually take place in historic buildings or monuments. The Festival program had been accompanied by several other activities. One of them is the International Master’s School for talented young violinists, cellists, pianists and singers. So far 35 such schools, or seminars, have been held. This is certainly an imposing success for its 45 years, but such a success also imposes an obligation of still greater and more impressive undertakings.
The Ohrid Summer Festival is on now, turning the UNESCO World Heritage city into a cultural Mecca with a long list of exceptional concerts, recitals, artists, exhibits, shows and plays at venues throughout the town. Celebrating its golden jubilee this year, the organizers have pulled out all the stops to make it an exceptional gathering of artists from around the world.
The festival showcases great performers from over 20 different countries from the Balkans, around Europe and as far away as Brazil. Highlights include performances by the Russian National Orchestra, a French Chopin evening commemorating the composer’s bicentennial, and a Europe Day concert by the Baroque Orchestra of the European Union.
The list of native Macedonian performances read like a Who’s Who of the performing arts, with appearances by the Skopje Drama Theatre, the Macedonian National Theatre, the Skopje Youth Chamber Orchestra, the Macedonian Philharmonic, and the Orchestra of the Macedonian Opera and Ballet, as well as an equally impressive list of soloists.
The City of Ohrid is an ideal setting for this kind of event. Its long cultural tradition and rich collection of historic structures provide exciting venues for just about any kind of performance. The Antique Theatre, built about 2000 years ago, provides the largest stage and stunning views of the lake and surrounding mountains. The important medieval Church of St. Sophia is one of the main chamber music venues. The historic site of St. Clement’s Church of St. Panteleimon, birthplace of the famous Ohrid School of Slavonic literature and culture, is a uniquely appropriate place to host artistic installations and performances.
The Ohrid Summer Festival started modestly in 1961with a single concert in the St Sophia church. Over the years the festival has grown in both size and international acclaim. Today, it is one of the most prominent festivals in Europe and an enchanting way to spend a few days on the shores of magical Lake Ohrid.
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Written by admin on 09 August 2010
Ohrid traditional architecture
The syntagma Ohrid traditional architecture refers to the style of building family houses which was developed in the 18th and 19th centuries due to the fact that, during the Ottoman reign, the Christians were not allowed to build outside the town walls and the lack of the space inside the town walls.
The master builders of Ohrid traditional architecture, self-taught bricklayers from the region of Debar, created genuine and wonderful style of building characterized by the houses with upper flors more spacious than the ground floor. They managed to do that by using light wooden skeleton construction, called bondruk set on the stone built base of the ground floor. The upper floors of the houses, one or two of them, were whitewashed. The white walls are in strong contrast to the dark wooden window frames which is another element of so special and beautiful appearance of Ohrid houses.
The peak of the Ohrid traditional architecture certainly is Kukata na Robevci – the House of the Robev family. This elegant building is the work (and we may say the artwork) of master Todor Petkov from the village Gari, in Debar region, who lived between 1814 and 1899. Besides being beautiful and very high, this house is special for one more reason – it was brotherly house with two separate apartments, and it is very skilfully vertically divided into halves. Kukata na Robevci houses the National Museum which gives opportunity for the visitors to enjoy surprisingly cosy interior of this unique edifice.
Another beautiful example of the Ohrid traditional architecture is Kukata na Kanevcevci – the House of the Kanevce family. This house of modest size stands near the marvelous 11th century Church of Santa Sophia. It was built on the irregular basis with the frontal facade on the narrowest side. View of this narrow facade is often a subject of the paintings of local artists. For a good reason.
Kuka Uranija – the Uranija House is another well known building of the Ohrid traditional architecture. It stands very near the House of the Robev family. It houses the Ethnology Department of the National Museum.
There are many examples of Ohrid traditional architecture style of building within the town walls, including the newly built houses. The Ohrid traditional architecture has “important place in the cultural heritage” of the city.
* When the Turks came they settled on the flat land along the lake and that became the Muslim part of town and the part on the hills inside the walls was always the Christian part, with the bazaar as a meeting place. As the city grew and the Christians were not allowed to build outside the walls, Ohrid developed very specific architecture with tight narrow streets and tunnels (houses built over the streets). The houses had tiny yards usually enclosed in the ground floor, and the houses grew over the streets on the upper floors since the locations were small. The steep terrain enabled everybody to have a good view of the lake and because of the strong sun the houses were painted white, so they would reflect the sun. Because of the winds from the lake the houses in Ohrid don’t have the open spaces that traditional houses in other towns in Macedonia have. Interesting houses can be seen all over the old town but the best examples are along “Car Samoil” and “Ilindenska” streets. Robevci & Uranija houses are the two best examples of traditional architecture. They are houses of very rich families (normally the houses were not this big). Especially rich in terms of architecture is Uranija house, with entrances on different levels and inside galleries. They have been turned into museums today. If you don’t have time, visit just Uranija this one is free, even though the top level of Robevci has great views, nice wood carvings, and some furniture (100 denars entrance). The house next to St.Gerakomija church is one of the few traditional houses that has been nicely and carefully preserved. It has been turned into a hotel now; Kanevce House On the right from the main facade of St. Sophia church, is the small house that belonged to Kanevce family. It has beautiful proportions and it is a good example of how they built on small locations.
* Icon Gallery – In the courtyard of St. Bogorodica Perivlepta church is the Ohrid icon collection with some of the best examples of the iconographic art in Macedonia. It is considered to be the second most important and valuable collection of icons in the world after the Moscow collection, so check it out if you have interest and time. 100 denars for entry.
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Written by admin on 09 August 2010
The fortress of King Samoil
The fortress of King Samoil is at the top of the Ohrid hill, built during his reign around 10th century. This used to be a military fortification and is the second wall encolosure on the hill. Around it lies the old town, which is wrapped by another wall that’s still visible at some places. The fort itself was renovated a few years ago. Today it’s safe and open for visitors, allowing them to see the sight of kings as it offers almost an areal view of the Ohrid plain, the lake and surrounding mountains. There’s a driveway and it takes only a few minutes to drive up, but it’s almost a rule of thumb to take the time and hike up the hill. It’s a semi-steep walk and it takes about 40 minutes of slow pace to climb up. Along the way you’ll get a first hand experience of the famous Ohrid architecture, you’ll see the theater dating back from 4th century AD, and you will also see fragments of the outer wall. There are plenty of gift shops along the way so you can get photographs of various locations, key chains and other souvenirs. If you don’t have a watter bottle, make sure to buy one from the local stores as it takes a while to savor the beauties of the Ohrid area that are best seen from the fort. Don’t forget to bring a camera along.
About Samoil’s fortress The Fortress of Samoil is mentioned in descriptions in the chronicles dating from 476. Today’s fortress relates to the name of Tzar Samoil, who probably extended and built the fortress when he chose it for his seat. It is the most monumental construction from this period. The fortress today has 18 towers and 4 gates. The central part of the fortress has wall 10 – 16 meters high and it has strong defensive towers, followed by ramparts in direction of the lake. The entire complex is being in reconstruction. Samoil’s fortress Custodian / Information Samoil’s fortress * Samoil’s fortress citadel/fortress * GPS Northing (N): 41.115330 * GPS Easting (E): 20.791390 * Distance from Ohrid downtown: 0.72 km / 0.45 mi
other sights in ohrid
* Mesokastro Settlement – Mesokastro is the quarter right above the old bazaar, between the bazaar and the city walls. The name originates from the Latin term “meco castrum”, which means the city outside the city walls, where the poor used to live. It is interesting that the term has survived since ancient times. The houses of Mesokastro have incorporated parts of the city walls and in some parts they are not visible. If you have time walk around, since there are couple of old houses still standing and some of the streets offer great views over the lake.
* Kaneo Settlement – Start the walk to Kaneo from St. Sophia church. You can reach it from Plaoshnik but you would miss out on the great views and the quiet streets of Ohrid. Kaneo settlement was the quarter of the poor fishermen. This the most scenic spot of Ohrid, standing below the rock on which St. Jovan Kaneo church is situated. There is a small beach overcrowded in the summer, and a couple of restaurants.
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Written by admin on 09 August 2010
Ohrid Fortifications
The whole town is surrounded by walls and is crowned by the King Samoil’s citadel. The first fortifications appeared in Ohrid during the fifth century B. C. However, only fortifications from the third century BC have been preserved, as a result of several reinforcements since the tenth century.
The whole old town is circled with walls, which are crowned with King Samoil fortress. The first fortifications were built in the 5th century BC, but the oldest remains preserved are from 3th century BC. The fortifications were reinforced many times throughout history and what we see today is from the 10th century. There used to be four gates inside the city: Lower Gate – you’ll reach it soon after you walk from the main square inside the old part of the town on “Car Samoil” street. It used to be the gate through which regular visitors entered the city in the ancient and medieval times, just one tower of it still stands; Upper Gate – in ancient times it used to be connected with the ancient theatre by portico. It is well preserved due to the reinforcements made in the 16th century;
The city has four gates inside the city called lower gate, upper gate, front gate and water gate:
Lower Gate: You will reach this gate as soon as you walk from the main square towards the old part of the town on the ‘Car Samoil’ Street. This gate was used by regular visitors to the city in the ancient and medieval times. Currently only one of the towers of this gate is intact.
Upper Gate: In the olden days, this gate connected with the ancient theatre by a portico. Due to the reinforcements done on it during the sixteenth century, this gate is well preserved.
Front Gate: This gate is found near St. Bogorodica Celnica Church. This was the main entrance gate, which unfortunately is present only in traces.
Water Gate: This is the entrance to the city from the lake.
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Written by admin on 09 August 2010
The Old Bazaar of Ohrid
The Old Bazaar of Ohrid is one of the most lively parts of Ohrid, especially on the so called market days, where numerous customers, as well as food products, may also buy various handmade items.
Especially interesting are the clay products, the old Macedonian musical instruments and the famous Macedonian embroidery.
Since Ohrid was a big religious and cultural center, it never was an important trade center, which is evident by the size of its bazaar. It is a simple bazaar consisting of just one street. It starts with the food market (it used to be the animal market in the past). After the market the bazaar begins with a small square. On the square there is a 1000 year old tree and a nice fountain. Above the square the clock tower of Ohrid stands. As you walk down the bazaar on your left there are couple of stone stores, which is the only section of original stores in the bazaar. In the past, the bazaar was covered with grape vines, protecting shoppers from the sun and the rain. Very few crafts are preserved. A must is a peek into the Dereban filigree store, if you find it open. Mr. Dereban is very old and ill and he opens the store irregularly. The tiny store is like a museum with old jewelry and the old objects for melting and processing the silver. He is a legend and many royals, presidents and statesmen have shopped in his store on their official visits in Macedonia. The jewelry is not expensive at all. The bazaar ends with the main square that used to be the food market in the past.
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Written by admin on 07 August 2010
St. Erazmo early Christian church
St.Dimitria, St.Konstantin and Elena & St.Mali Vraci – This 3 small churches built around St.Bogorodica Perivlepta were all built in the XIV century. St.Konstantin and Elena behind St.Bogorodica Perivlepta has a fake transept so it would show a cross on the roof. They are all locked. If you are interested ask for the keys in St. Bogorodica Perivlepta, or in the houses around.
St. Erazmo early Christian church – The name St. Erazmo is a guess for the church in ruins that stands above Plaoshnik, built in the 5th century. It is important as an architectural solution, since it has a four leaf shape. Central solutions like this were built in Syria and Mesopotamia and they came customary much later in Europe in the 10th century. It shows that Ohrid had great ties with the early Christian centers and that there was an exchange of artists and minds. It has a three leaf shape on the outside and four leafs in the inside and it had a big dome in the center (notice the 4 huge basis of columns). Unfortunately the recent roof doesn’t show the shape of the church. There are some mosaics preserved, but they are not of best quality. There is also a small baptistry to the right with a four leafed shape with some excellent mosaics but they are away for conservation. Free entrance.
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Written by admin on 07 August 2010
Small St.Klement
This tiny well hidden church is just few steps away from the Bolnicki churches. Just take the small narrow street opposite the Bolnicki churches. The small square is interesting since this street is one of the very few original streets remaining in Ohrid. It is shaped in form of gentle stairs so walking uphill would be easier. The steps are slightly curved towards the inside so when it is raining the water will stay in the middle. Opposite the church there is a traditional house. It is badly ruined but good for understanding the construction of traditional houses. The church is historically important since it is here that the bones of St. Klement were hidden after the Turks took the city. Free entrance; ask for the key in one of the houses around (they are allowed to say no).
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Written by admin on 07 August 2010
St.Nikola Bolnički & St.Bogorodica Bolnička
St.Nikola Bolnički was Built by Archbishop Nikolaj of Ohrid in 14th c.
This item comes from a region where place names vary historically and politically. We have used the Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names (TGN) as a source for controlled place names.
As soon as one passes Lower Gate, which served as the main entrance into Ohrid in ancient and medieval times, one sees St.Nikola and St.Bogorodica Bolnicki churches. In medieval times the dormitories of this two small churches served as quarantine quarters (separate male and female) and visitors of the city had to spend certain time here before they were allowed to enter the town. When the Turks arrived, the structure of the city changed so the dormitories lost its function and served as hospitals (hence the name bolnicki, bolnica =hospital)
St.Bogorodica Bolnicka was built in the 14th century. It is a single naved church, and even though it is quite small it has a transept so it forms a cross.
These two small churches were built with dormitories around them which were used as quarantine stations for visitors of the city. After the coming of the Turks the structure of the city changed and they lost their purpose, so they were turned into hospitals. That is where the name Bolnicki comes from (bolnica – hospital). St. Nikola Bolnički was built in 1313. The small addition on the roof is an influence of the Adriatic architecture and it imitates the belltowers of the churches on the Adriatic coast. The frescoes are in decent condition, a couple of interesting portraits of some royals and Nikola one of Ohrid archbishops. Look for the fresco of God’s hand protecting the pure souls inside a tiny window. St. Bogorodica Bolnička was built in the 14th century, and the frescoes are in a bad condition. Even though the church is tiny there is a transverse vault, so the roof would imitate the shape of the cross. 50 denars for entry.
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Written by admin on 07 August 2010
St.Pantelejmon Plaoshnik-city of Ohrid
The monastery stands on a hill which is now known as Plaosnik overlooking lake Ohrid. St. Clement built his monastery on a restored church and a Roman basilica of five parts (the remains of the basilicas can still be seen outside the monastery). Sources say that St. Clement was not satisfied with the size of the church and therefore built a new one over it and assigned St Panteleimon as its patron saint. Clement personally built a crypt inside the monastery in which he was buried after his death in 916, his tomb still exists today. From15th to 17th century the monastery was ruined and turned into mosque few times. Apart from the monastery’s many reconstructions during the Ottoman empire, it has recently undergone extensive reconstruction and excavation. Reconstruction started on 2000 and the physical church was fully reconstructed by 2002. Most of St. Clement’s relics were returned to the church. A partially ruined bell tower was restored on the right side of the monastery and the floors of the interior of the church have been reconstructed with marble. Reconstruction was carried out by hand using materials used to build the original church in order to preserve the original spirituality of the monastery.
it is Located in Ohrid’s old town, Plaosnik is an utterly unique phenomenon: it was recently reconstructed, with loving attention to detail, precisely in the style of a Byzantine church, right down to the red bricks and mort An early Christian sacral building dating from the 5th century was discovered here, built over the remains of an older antique building whose cistern was found in the atrium of the newly built temple. Today, Plaosnik is one of the most exhilarating Byzantine-style churches in Macedonia. Its floor is covered with mosaics of twenty wave-shaped tassel interspersed with the figures of flowers, birds and animals.
It has been very important religious center since early Christian times, if not before. It is the site of the first university in Europe, opened in the 10th c. and it is the place where the cyrillic alphabet was created. The church you see is a reconstruction of the church St.Klement built when he came here and opened the university. The 5 nave early Christian basilica in the middle of which the church stands is from the 5th century (interesting mosaics in the baptistery and in the side chapel covered with red plastic roof). The atrium was built on the side since there was no space in the front. It probably was the cathedral in early Christian times. When St.Klement came here in the 10th c. just the small round chapel that today serves as altar existed. Because of the large influx of worshipers that followed him, he enlarged the church by building the central part of the church and turning the existent church into an altar chapel, and he dedicated the church to St Panteleimon (protector of health). The closed porch and the belltower were added later in the 13th century. Before St.Klement died he dig his own grave inside the church. When the Turks came they torn the church down after a rebellion. It still attracted large number of worshipers and pilgrims so they built a mosque above it. Until recently both the mosque and the church were standing in ruins. The reconstruction is a big guess since they didn’t know anything but the shape of the church. The height, the shape of the domes and the decorations are a wild guess. Free entrance.
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