Skopje has been through a lot lately. This is especially true for Topaana, in Čair municipality, and for Šuto Orizari municipality, which are the two main Roma neighbourhoods. Scupi was originally a Paionian settlement, but it became afterwards Dardanian town. [11] Waste is disposed of in the open-air municipal landfill site, located 15 kilometres (9.3 miles) north of the city. Central heating is often not affordable, and so households often burn firewood, as well as used car tyres, various plastic garbage, petroleum and other possible flammable waste, which emits toxic chemicals harmful to the population, especially to children and the elderly.[31]. The summers are long, hot and relatively dry with low humidity. Among the local institutions are the Brothers Miladinov Library which has more than a million documents, the Cultural Information Centre which manages festivals, exhibitions and concerts, and the House of Culture Kočo Racin which is dedicated to contemporary art and young talents. Second Bulgarian Empire 1255–1256 [168], Skopje's citizenry is generally more educated than the rest of the country. [111] At that time part of the young locals, repressed by the Serbs, tried to find a separate way of ethnic Macedonian development. The Skopje Jazz Festival has been held annually in October since 1981. The Flag of Skopje[128] is a red banner in proportions 1:2 with a gold-coloured coat of arms of the city positioned in the upper-left corner. 16,000 people were buried alive in ruins and 70% of the population lost their home. Skopje has a borderline Humid Subtropical Climate (Cfa) and Cold Semi-Arid Climate (BSk) [20][21] with a mean annual temperature of 13.5 °C (56 °F). It can host 450 coaches in a day. In 1941, during the Second World War, Yugoslavia was invaded by Nazi Germany.

Municipalities only deal with matters specific of their territory, and the City of Skopje deals with matters that concern all of them, or that cannot be divided between two or more municipalities. Through the… Fall 2020 Professional Fellowship Program is now open! [215] In the 19th century, several new churches were built, including the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, which is a large three-nave building designed by Andrey Damyanov.

The city's smog has reduced its air quality and affected the health of many of its citizens, many of which have died from pollution-related illnesses. It was surpassed by two other towns of present-day North Macedonia: Bitola (40,000) and Štip (15–20,000).[101]. The reconstruction of city centre was partially planned by Japanese Kenzo Tange who designed the new train station. Two special economic zones also exist, around the airport and the Okta refinery. [188] Coach connections to and from Skopje are much more efficient and diverse than train connections. A criminal court in North Macedonia has sentenced  former conservative prime minister Nikola Gruevski to 1 1/2 years in prison, and handed suspended sentences to six other party members and supporters for orchestrating violence in 2013, it was reported on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2020.

Founder of nonprofit arrested after brothers, age 9 and 11, are struck and killed, FILE - In this Oct. 19, 2018 file photo, Nikola Gruevski, Macedonia's former prime minister, looks on in parliament in the capital, Skopje. [81] Later Skopje was briefly seized twice by Slavic insurgents who wanted to restore the Bulgarian state. North Macedonia authorities are still seeking his extradition. 5 min read • Published 10 Feb 2019. The services sector produces 60% of the city GDP. [47], The city industry is dominated by food processing, textile, printing and metal processing. [143], In 2009, Skopje had 26,056 firms but only 145 of them had a large size. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. It was developed after the 1963 earthquake to accommodate Roma who had lost their house. I want emails from Lonely Planet with travel and product information, promotions, advertisements, third-party offers, and surveys. Over the years, it has evolved into a stage on which artists from some 50 countries have performed. The city co-hosted the 2008 European Women's Handball Championship together with Ohrid,[182] and hosted the 2017 UEFA Super Cup, the match between the two giants of the European football Real Madrid and Manchester United. [72] The city was eventually rebuilt by Justinian I. Ciborowski divided the city in blocks dedicated to specific activities. In 2009, the regional GDP per capita amounted to US$6,565, or 155% of the North Macedonian GDP per capita. The newly developed neighbourhood of Novo Lisiče, in Aerodrom.

The neighbouring Polog Region had a similar rate, but the less affected region was the South-West, with 22%. The trial over the incident began in 2016, and court on Tuesday found Gruevski guilty of having organized and encouraged the protest. It was also a ground for modernist experiments in the 20th century, following the 1963 earthquake. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje", "Macedonia Press, Media, TV, Radios, Newspapers", "Macedonia Newspapers and Magazines Online", "Macedonia Newspapers and News Media Guide", "Ексклузивно: Надворешниот изглед на "Филип Втори, "Comparative Swot Analysis of the Four Metropolitan Regions, Transportation, Interaction, Relations and Networks among Skopje, Sofia, Tirana, and Thessaloniki", "Проекти предвидени за реализација во 2012 г", "Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski kicks off reconstruction work on railway Corridor 8", "Macedonian Rails – a potential that must be seized", "Skopje prepares for Double-Decker Buses", "Macedonia Capital Readies for Long-Awaited Trams", Drustvo za Vazdusni Saobracaj A D – Aeroput (1927–1948), "TAV Airports puts the New Skopje Airport into service", "FYR Macedonian airports anticipate busy 2015", "Македонската филхармонија конечно доби сала, ама сувенир! The Skopje Film Festival is an annual event held in the city every March.

After belonging to many empires over time (including Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman, and most recently Yugoslavian), Macedonia gained its independence in 1991, and Skopje, with about half a million people, is its largest city and capital. [29], Air pollution is a serious problem in Skopje, especially in winter.

attractions; experiences; lodging; stories; guidebook; Welcome to Skopje. They are made of many illegal constructions not connected to electricity and water supply, which are passed from a generation to the other. [231] The Old Bazaar was a popular nightlife destination in the past. [193] After the Second World War, Aeroput was replaced by JAT Yugoslav Airlines, which linked Skopje to a number of domestic and international destinations until the dissolution of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s. However, the ratio of hospital beds, pharmacists and dentists was lower in Skopje. [220], The project has generated controversy: critics have described the new landmark buildings as signs of reactionary historicist aesthetics. Religious communities often complain about the lack of infrastructure and new places of worship are often built.

[54][60] Dardanians, who lived in present-day Kosovo, invaded the region around Skopje during the 3rd century BC. Skopje has a diverse nightlife. Being the capital and largest city of North Macedonia, Skopje concentrates a large share of the national economy. [79] Churches, monasteries and markets were built and tradesmen from Venice and Dubrovnik opened shops. [118][119][120][121], After World War II, Skopje greatly benefited from Socialist Yugoslav policies which encouraged industry and the development of Macedonian cultural institutions. [27], Water treatment plants are being built, but much polluted water is still discharged untreated into the Vardar. Since then, the demographic growth has continued at a steady pace. The First Balkan War started on 8 October 1912 and lasted six weeks. Founded in 1966, it operates with three national broadcast channels, twenty-four hours at day. After two days of heated debate, lawmakers voted 62-51 in favor of the new government led by Social … In 1877, Skopje was chosen as the capital city of the new Kosovo Vilayet, which encompassed present-day Kosovo, northwestern Macedonia and the Sanjak of Novi Pazar. There is one other major international theatre festival that takes place each year at the end of month September, the Young Open Theater Festival (MOT), which was organized for the first time in May 1976 by the Youth Cultural Center – Skopje. [49], The average net monthly wage in Skopje was at €400 in October 2010, which represented 120% of the national figure. [194] The annual traffic has constantly risen since 2008, reaching one million passengers in 2014.[195]. 15 beautiful highlights of National Park Thy, Why you should visit Fur Denmark – the fossil island, Mønsted Kalkgruber – the world’s largest limestone mine.

Fully renovated the stadium contains 32,580 seats,[180] and a health spa and fitness. Among the most popular nightclubs are The Loft, Club Epicentar, Stanica 26, Midnight, Maracana, Havana Summer Club, XL Summer Club (former Colosseum Summer Club) where world-famous disc jockeys and idiosyncratic local performances are frequent.

Its icons and lapidary collections are particularly rich. Get Skopje's weather and area codes, time zone and DST. [32] However, this application relies on frequently inoperable and malfunctioning sensors which monitor pollution levels in the city. [123] However, during the 1980s and the 1990s, the country experienced inflation and recession and the local economy heavily suffered. Its Ottoman- and Byzantine-era sights are focused around the city's delightful Čaršija, bordered by the 15th-century Kameni Most (Stone Bridge) and Tvrdina Kale Fortress – Skopje's guardian since the 5th century. Consequently, Skopje became home to a national library, a national philharmonic orchestra, a university and the Macedonian Academy. [98] The Austrian presence in Macedonia motivated Slav uprisings. After the insurgency between Albanian rebels and Macedonian forces in 2001, a new law was enacted in 2004 to incorporate Saraj municipality into the City of Skopje.

CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (, Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization, killed numerous Albanian inhabitants from the city, insurgency between Albanian rebels and Macedonian forces, Byzantine Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of Macedonia, St Clement of Ohrid National and University Library, 2008 European Women's Handball Championship, National and University Library "St. Kliment of Ohrid", Holocaust Memorial Center for the Jews of Macedonia, International Festivals and Events Association, List of twin towns and sister cities in North Macedonia, "Census of Population, Households and Dwellings 2002, Book XIII:Total population, households and dwellings, According to the territorial organization of The Republic of Macedonia, 2004, 2002", "Skopjan dictionary definition | skopjan defined", "Drisla Landfill Feasibility Study, Volume 1 of 2 – Main Findings – Final Report", "The Study on Wastewater Management in Skopje in the Republic of Macedonia", "Combined Cycle Co-Generation Power Plant Project, Skopje, Environmental Assessment Report", "Damaging Effects of July 26, 1963 Skopje Earthquake", Annual and sesonnal variations of indoor radon concentration in Skopje (Republic of Macedonia), Zdenka Stojanovska, Faculty of Electronic Engeeniring, Nis, Serbia, 2012, "Macedonian Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning, OHIS Site Remediation Project Conceptual Design, 2010", Climate Change Scenario for Macedonia: Summary, "World Weather Information Service – Skopje", "Climatological Information for Skopje, Macedonia", National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, "Can urban environmental problems be overcome? A highly controversial[41] urban project, "Skopje 2014", was adopted by the municipal authorities in order to give the city a more monumental and historical aspect, and thus to transform it into a proper national capital. In 1282 Skopje was captured by Serbian king Stefan Milutin. Of the 818 newspapers surveyed in 2000 by the Ministry of Information, over 600 had their headquarters in Skopje. Slavko Brezovski designed the Church of St. Clement of Ohrid.