Town in Pelagonia, North Macedonia
Prilep
(
Macedonian
:
Прилеп
[?priːl?p]
ⓘ
) is the
fourth-largest city
in
North Macedonia
.
[2]
According to 2021 census, it had a population of 63,308.
Name
[
edit
]
The name of Prilep appeared first as
Πρ?λαπο?
. It is likely derived from the greek name 'Φ?λιππο?', referencing the late
Macedonian
King Philip II
.
In other languages it is:
Economy
[
edit
]
Prilep is a centre for high-quality
tobacco
and
cigarettes
, as well as metal processing,
electronics
,
timber
,
textiles
, and
food
industries. The city also produces a large quantity of Macedonian Bianco Sivec (pure
white marble
).
Tobacco is one of Prilep's traditional cash crops and prospers in the Macedonian climate. Many of the world's largest cigarette makers, such as
Marlboro
,
West
and
Camel
use Prilep's tobacco in their cigarettes after it is processed in local factories such as
Tutunski kombinat Prilep
. A
Tobacco Institute
is established in the city in order to produce new types of tobacco and it was the first example of applying genetics to agriculture in the
Balkans
.
[
citation needed
]
.
A
Gentherm
production plant is located in Prilep.
Demographics
[
edit
]
The overwhelming majority of the city population is
Macedonian
; the Macedonian population at the last census counted 64,527. There is also a
Romani
minority, counting some 4,420 inhabitants, most of them living in the neighbourhood of
Trizla
, also
Serbs
(310) and
Turks
(260).
History
[
edit
]
In antiquity, the region of Prilep was part of ancient Pelagonia that was inhabited by the
Pelagones
, an ancient Greek tribe of
Upper Macedonia
, who according to Strabo,
[4]
were Epirote
Molossians
.
[5]
The region was annexed to the Macedonian kingdom during the 4th century BC. In September 2007 archeological excavations in
Bon?e
, revealed a tomb of what is believed to be the burial site of a Macedonian ruler dating 4th century BC.
[6]
Near Prilep, close to the village of
?epigovo
, are the ruins of the
ancient Macedonian
city of
Styberra
(
Ancient Greek
:
Στ?βερρα
), first a town in
Macedonia
and later incorporated into the
Roman Empire
.
[7]
[8]
Styberra, though razed by the
Goths
in 268, remained partly inhabited.
The town was first mentioned in Greek as
Πρ?λαπον
(
Prilapon
)
[9]
in 1014, as the place where Bulgarian
Tsar Samuil
allegedly had a heart attack upon seeing thousands of his soldiers had been blinded by the Byzantines after the
Battle of Kleidion
.
Byzantium
lost it to the
Second Bulgarian Empire
, but later retook it. Prilep was acquired in 1334 by
Serbian
King
Du?an
and after 1365 the town belonged to King
Vuka?in
, co-ruler of Du?an's son, Tzar
Stefan Uro? V
. After the death of Vuka?in in 1371, Prilep was ruled by his son
Marko
.
[10]
In 1395 it was incorporated into the
Ottoman Empire
, of which it remained a part of until 1913, when it was annexed by the
Kingdom of Serbia
.
During the Ottoman period, besides the ethnic Turks and the majority Slavic population, Prilep was also home to both a
Sunni Muslim
and
Orthodox Christian
Albanian
community, which lived alongside . Serbian historiographer
Jovan Had?i-Vasiljevi?
writes that: '
[11]
- "Between Turks and Muslim Albanians who have lived in the city (Prilep), it is very difficult to distinguish, especially between the old families of the city. The Mohammedan Albanian families, as soon as they arrived in the city, merged with the Turks, just as the Christian Albanian families merged with the Slavs or the Greeks"
Bulgarian researcher, Georgi Traichev, wrote that:
- "In the city of Prilep, there were no pure Greeks, but there are several (dozens) of Grecomans supported by schismatic Vlachs and Albanian Christians."
[12]
The newspaper
Прилепу преди 100 години
("Prilep 100 years ago". Sofia, 1938) puts forward data about the presence of Orthodox Albanians in Prilep. There it is emphasized that after their arrival in the city around the 18th-19th century, the Christian Vlach and Albanian elements have assimilated under the influence of Bulgarian population, and that there are no longer any traces of them. Information is also given for Albanians of both denominations. It is emphasized that in total there are 2412 Muslim Albanian residents in the city. Of the Orthodox Albanians, a part has been
Bulgarianized
, while others have been
Hellenised
. In the newspaper there is also a report about the Orthodox Albanian entitled
Ico Kishari
, whose family, along with the
Tilevci, Georgimajkovci
and
Ladcovci
, were Orthodox Albanian refugees from
Moscopole
who had settled in the beginning of the 19th century. The newspaper also describes a great Albanian religious man, who has spent his whole life as a churchgoer. Out of respect for his work, the church granted him a pension.
[13]
Prilep was a major center of the
Bulgarian national revival
in Western
Macedonia
in the 19th century.
[14]
Its
bazaar
began to develop in the 18th century. One of the largest annual
fairs
in Macedonia was held in Prilep in the middle of the 19th century. European consulate exhibitions of 1887 estimate the population of Prilep to approximately 6.500 individuals, of which 4.000 were
Bulgarians
, 2.000 were
Turks
and the rest were
Serbs
with
Greeks
and
Aromanians
.
[15]
During the
Great Eastern Crisis
, the local Bulgarian movement of the day was defeated when armed Bulgarian groups were repelled by the
League of Prizren
, an Albanian organisation opposing Bulgarian geopolitical aims in areas like Prilep that contained an
Albanian
population.
[16]
In the late 19th and early 20th century, Prilep was part of the
Manastir Vilayet
of the Ottoman Empire. It was occupied by Bulgaria between 17 November 1915 and 25 September 1918 during
World War I
. In 1918 Prilep became part of the
Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes
, and from 1929 to 1941 it was part of the
Vardar Banovina
of the
Kingdom of Yugoslavia
. On 8 April 1941, just two days after the start of the
Axis invasion of Yugoslavia
, Prilep was occupied by the
German Army
, and on 26 April 1941 by the
Bulgarian Army
. Together with most of
Vardar Macedonia
, Prilep was annexed by the
Kingdom of Bulgaria
from 1941 to 1944. After
9 September coup d'etat
the commander of the Bulgarian garrison, refused to withdraw and remained in the city with the Yugoslav guerrillas, managing to hold it for 10 days, blocking the movement of the German troops.
[17]
Afterwards the German Army retook the town. Prilep was definitively taken by communist partisans on 3 November 1944. From 1944 to 1991 the town belonged to the
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
, as part of its constituent
Socialist Republic of Macedonia
. Since 1991 the town has been part of the Republic of Macedonia.
Culture
[
edit
]
- One of the most important institutions in the city is the Institute of Old Slavic Culture.
- An art colony is hosted in the center of Prilep in the Center of Contemporary Visual Arts. The colony was founded in 1957 by the archaeologist Prof. Boshko Babikj, but organized by the initiative of Prof. Babikj and the academic painter Prof. Risto Lozanovski, making it perhaps one of the oldest colonies in southeastern Europe and the oldest one on the Balkans, for sure. It hosts painters and sculptors (working in marble, metal and wood) every year and, periodically, it hosts workshops and symposia for vitrage (glass design), mosaics, photography, graphics and clay, from countries around the world. The collection of sculptures carved in wood was acknowledged as a cultural heritage by the most relevant criticizers and opinion makers. 2007 was the 50th anniversary of the colony.
- Every year in October the
International Children's Music Festival "Asterisks"
brings together children from all over the world.
- Every year the Professional Theatre Festival of Macedonia, honouring
Vojdan Chernodrinski
, who was born in village Selci near
Struga
and
Debar
.
- The Monastery of Zrze and the Monastery of the Holy Archangel Michael which has 12th and 14th-century frescoes are notable sites of the culture of Prilep.
- Pivofest (Beer fest) is an annual four-day party held in the middle of July that attracts around 200,000 visitors to the city. There are international popular music acts performing nightly on the main stage in the square as well as at the various clubs around town. Pivofest features a growing number of foreign and domestic beers as well as an opportunity for Prilep to showcase its famous barbecue considered the best in North Macedonia.
- Pro?ka
is a centuries-old religious holiday of forgiveness and celebration that in 2001 found an organized manifestation as "Prilep Carnival" and has been a member of the Federation of European Carnival Cities since 2006. Despite the new official name, the festival is still known as Pro?ka by the locals and is called Pro?ka in the official tourist guide. The highlight of the festival is the mask parade which runs through the centre of the town and hosts participants from multiple European countries. There is a prize given for the best costume and many of the costumes are elaborate. There are also concerts, parties, and much traditional food during the festival which is held in February.
Language
[
edit
]
The dialect of Prilep, forms the basis for the
Standard Macedonian
. When the
Socialist Republic of Macedonia
was formed as part of Yugoslavia at the end of the WWII, the Macedonian language was recognized as distinct one. Then the dialects of Prilep,
Veles
,
Bitola
and
Ohrid
were chosen as the basis for the new official language, because of their central position in the
region of Macedonia
.
Art and Architecture
[
edit
]
The main square in Prilep is called "Alexandria", in honor of Alexander the Great. The reconstruction of the square began in 2005 and it was completed in 2006. The reconstruction cost 700.000 Euros and its investor was the city of Prilep. During the reconstruction the monument of Alexander the Great was erected, among the other things.
[18]
Several ancient sites grace Prilep including one at
Markovi Kuli
, St. Nicola's church from the 13th century, St. Uspenie church in Bogorodica, St. Preobrazenie church and the Tomb of the Unconquered, and a memorial in honour of the victims of fascism located in Prilep's central park. A large Roman necropolis is known there and parts of numerous walls have been found; the settlement was probably the ancient Ceramiae
[19]
mentioned in the
Peutinger Table
.
[20]
Roman remains can also be found near the Varosh monastery, built on the steep slopes of the hill, which was later inhabited by a medieval community. Many early Roman funeral monuments, some with sculpted reliefs of the deceased or of the Thracian Rider and other inscribed monuments of an official nature, are in the courtyard of the church below the southern slope of Varosh. Some of the larger of those monuments were built into the walls of the church.
The most important ancient monument is the old city of Styberra situated on Bedem hill near ?epigovo, in the central region of Pelagonia. As early as the time of the Roman?Macedonian wars, this city was known as a base from which the Macedonian king
Perseus of Macedon
set out to conquer the Penestian cities. An important site in the area is
Bela Crkva
, 6 km (4 mi) west of Styberra, where the town of
Alkomenai
was probably located. It was a stronghold of the Macedonian kings after it was rebuilt in the early Roman period and was at the Pelagonian entrance to a pass leading to
Illyria
. Part of the city wall, a gate, and a few buildings of the Roman period were uncovered here in excavations. All recent finds from these sites are in the Museum of the City of Prilep.
The
Treskavec monastery
, built in the 12th century in the mountains about 10 km (6 mi) north of Prilep under Zlatovrv peak, at the edge of a small upland plain 1100 meters
above sea level
. Prilep has frescoes from the 14th and 15th centuries and is probably the site of the early Roman town of Kolobaise. The name of the early town is recorded on a long inscription on stone which deals with a local cult of Ephesian Artemis.
[21]
The inscription was reused as a base for a cross on top of one of the church domes. Other inscriptions at Treskavec include several 1st century Roman dedications to
Apollo
. The old fortress was used by the Romans, and later the Byzantines. After all, even Tsar Samuil came here after the defeat at
Belasica
in 1014. During the Middle Ages, after 1371, Prince Marko rebuilt the citadel extensively, making it an important military stronghold.
Geography
[
edit
]
Prilep covers 1,675 km
2
(647 sq mi) and is located in the northern
Pelagonia
plain, in the southern part of North Macedonia. Prilep is the seat of the
Prilep municipality
and access is gained via the
A3
. It is 74 km (46 mi) (as the crow flies) from the capital
Skopje
, 44 km (27 mi) from
Bitola
, and 32 km (20 mi) from
Kru?evo
.
Climate
[
edit
]
Climate data for Prilep
|
Month
|
Jan
|
Feb
|
Mar
|
Apr
|
May
|
Jun
|
Jul
|
Aug
|
Sep
|
Oct
|
Nov
|
Dec
|
Year
|
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)
|
4.8
(40.6)
|
9.0
(48.2)
|
12.5
(54.5)
|
17.6
(63.7)
|
22.2
(72.0)
|
26.7
(80.1)
|
29.9
(85.8)
|
30.3
(86.5)
|
25.0
(77.0)
|
18.8
(65.8)
|
13.6
(56.5)
|
7.4
(45.3)
|
18.2
(64.7)
|
Daily mean °C (°F)
|
1.2
(34.2)
|
4.4
(39.9)
|
7.3
(45.1)
|
12.0
(53.6)
|
16.1
(61.0)
|
20.4
(68.7)
|
23.0
(73.4)
|
23.2
(73.8)
|
18.7
(65.7)
|
13.1
(55.6)
|
8.9
(48.0)
|
3.5
(38.3)
|
12.7
(54.8)
|
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)
|
?2.5
(27.5)
|
?0.2
(31.6)
|
2.3
(36.1)
|
6.2
(43.2)
|
10.1
(50.2)
|
13.9
(57.0)
|
16.1
(61.0)
|
16.1
(61.0)
|
12.3
(54.1)
|
7.4
(45.3)
|
4.2
(39.6)
|
?0.2
(31.6)
|
7.1
(44.9)
|
Source: Weatheronline
[22]
|
Sports
[
edit
]
Prilep is the home of several sports teams, the best known are:
Notable people
[
edit
]
Twin towns ? sister cities
[
edit
]
Prilep Municipality is
twinned
with:
[23]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"Mayor | Prilep"
. Municipality of Prilep. Archived from
of Prilep the original
on 5 March 2016
. Retrieved
15 September
2015
.
- ^
"Prilep Map - Western Macedonia"
. Mapcarta.com. 2017
. Retrieved
1 December
2017
.
- ^
The War of Numbers and its First Victim: The Aromanians in Macedonia (End of 19th ? Beginning of 20th century)
- ^
Strabo 9.5: For in consequence of the renown and ascendency of the Thessalians and Macedonians, those Epeirote, who bordered nearest upon them, became, some voluntarily, others by force, incorporated among the Macedonians and Thessalians. In this manner the Athamanes, Aethices, and Talares were joined to the Thessalians, and the Orestae, Pelagones, and Elimiotae to the Macedonians.
- ^
John Boardman and N. G. L. Hammond. The Cambridge Ancient History Volume 3, Part 3: The Expansion of the Greek World, Eighth to Sixth Centuries BC. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1982, p. 284. A J Toynbee. Some Problems of Greek History, Pp 80; 99-103
- ^
Visoka and Staro Bonche: Center of the Kingdom of Pelagonia and the Royal Tomb of Pavla Chuka, Viktor Lilchikj Adams and Antonio Jakimovski
- ^
Richard Talbert
, ed. (2000).
Barrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman World
. Princeton University Press. p. 49, and directory notes accompanying.
ISBN
978-0-691-03169-9
.
- ^
Lund University
.
Digital Atlas of the Roman Empire
.
- ^
Ioannes Scylitzes, Synopsis of Histories (Σ?νοψι? ?στορι?ν)
- ^
John Van Antwerp Fine (1994).
The Late Medieval Balkans: A Critical Survey from the Late Twelfth Century to the Ottoman Conquest
. The
University of Michigan Press
.
ISBN
0-472-08260-4
. pp. 288, 380?2.
- ^
Mustafa Ibrahimi. "SHQIPTARET ORTODOKSE NE MAQEDONINE E VERIUT DHE DISA SHKRIME TE TYRE ME ALFABET CIRILIK". Gjurmime Albanologjike - Seria e shkencave filologjike 50:139-152."
- ^
Mustafa Ibrahimi. "SHQIPTARET ORTODOKSE NE MAQEDONINE E VERIUT DHE DISA SHKRIME TE TYRE ME ALFABET CIRILIK". Gjurmime Albanologjike - Seria e shkencave filologjike 50:139-152."
- ^
Mustafa Ibrahimi. "SHQIPTARET ORTODOKSE NE MAQEDONINE E VERIUT DHE DISA SHKRIME TE TYRE ME ALFABET CIRILIK". Gjurmime Albanologjike - Seria e shkencave filologjike 50:139-152."
- ^
Шалдев, Христо. Град Прилеп в Българското възраждане (1838 ? 1878 год.), София, 1916, с. 4-70.
- ^
HHS, PA, XXXVIII, t. 264, Saloniki, 7 September 1887, no. 88.
- ^
Rama, Shinasi A. (2019).
Nation Failure, Ethnic Elites, and Balance of Power: The International Administration of Kosova
. Springer. p. 90.
ISBN
9783030051921
.
- ^
Ташев, Ташо. Българската войска 1941 ? 1945 ? енциклопедичен справочник. ?Военно издателство“.
ISBN
978-954-509-407-1
, стр. 173-174.
- ^
Square "Alexandria"
on prilep.gov.mk
- ^
Marijiana Ricl, "New Greek Inscriptions from Pelagonia and Derriopos"
Zeitschrift fur Papyrologie und Epigraphik
101 (1994) 151?163
- ^
Olteanu, Sorin.
"Tabula Peutingeriana - C - Ceramiae VII 1 m"
. Sorin Olteanu's Thracology. Archived from
the original
on 22 February 2015.
- ^
IG X,2 2 233 Northern Greece (IG X), Macedonia, Pelagonia, Kolobaise (Treskavec)
- ^
"Climate data for Prilep, Macedonia"
. Weatheronline.co.uk
. Retrieved
1 September
2023
.
- ^
"за нас"
.
tkprilep.com.mk
(in Macedonian). Tutunski Kombinat Prilep
. Retrieved
14 January
2023
.
External links
[
edit
]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to
Prilep
.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for
Prilep
.
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