Explore Skopje
Brief History
Standing on the banks of the Vardar River amid mountainous country, Skopje began as ancient Scupi, an Illyrian tribal centre. It became the capital of the district of Dardania (part of the Roman province of Moesia Superior) under the emperor Diocletian in the 4th century. In 518 it was totally destroyed by an earthquake. A brief Slav incursion occurred in the 7th century, and in the 9th and 10th centuries the town grew rapidly. The Serbs first captured Skopje in 1189, and in 1392 the Turks after conquering Macedonia made it their provincial capital and an important commercial centre. In 1689 it was burned to the ground by Austrian forces to eradicate a cholera epidemic, after which it declined until a revival in the 19th century with the building of the Belgrade–Thessaloníki railway. By treaty Skopje was in 1913 incorporated into Serbia, and in 1918 it became part of the new Yugoslavia. During World War II the Germans occupied it in April 1941, and it was then garrisoned by Bulgarian troops. Liberated in 1944, it became the capital of the People’s (later Socialist) Republic of Macedonia in 1945. In 1991 it became the capital of the newly independent Republic of Macedonia, which changed its name to the Republic of North Macedonia in 2019.

Explore Skopje
Historical Attractions

Old Bazaar
The Old Bazaar in Skopje is the largest bazaar in the Balkans outside Istanbul. It is situated on the eastern bank of...

Kapan An
Kapan an is a Han (caravanserai) in the Old Bazaar of Skopje. It was built in the mid-15th century by Bosnian general...

Suli An
Situated within the Old Bazaar in Skopje, Suli An is a popular monument of culture which attracts the attention of...

Daut Pasha Hamam
Daut Pasha amam is located at the beginning of the bazaar, in the immediate vicinity of the church "St. Dimitrija". It...

Stone Bridge
The Stone Bridge is a bridge across the Vardar River in Skopje. The bridge is considered a symbol of Skopje and is the...

Kursumli An
Kursumli An is an Ottoman caravanserai located in the Old Town of Skopje. It is in the area of Museum of Macedonia. It...

Havzi Pasha hospices
A complex of lodgings in the village of Bardovci near Skopje. It was built on the Havzi Pasha chipboard between 1830...

Archeological Park Brazda
Brazda lies 10 km north from the center of Skopje in the south-west foothill of the Skopska Crna Gora mountain....

Neolithic settlement Tumba Madzari
Tumba Madjari is a Neolithic settlement located in the north-eastern part of Skopje, and it is the most significant...

Skopje Aqueduct
The Aqueduct is located in the village of Vizbegovo in the northwestern part of Skopje, about 2.5 km to the right of...

Mustafa Pasha Mosque
Mustafa Pasha Mosque is located between Kurshumli An, the church “St. Spas” and Kale. The mosque was built in 1492, as...

Skupi Archeological Site
Scupi is an archaeological site located between Zajčev Rid and the Vardar River, several kilometers from the center of...

Skopje Fortress
The Skopje Fortress, commonly referred to as Kale (from kale, the Turkish word for 'fortress'), is a historic fortress...
Top Attractions
Skopje Attractions
A trip to the capital wouldn’t be complete without seeing the top attractions in Skopje. Make sure to tick these top things to see in Skopje off your list..