Name | Skopje |
---|---|
Official name | City of Skopje''Град Скопје'' |
Native name | Скопје |
Settlement type | City |
Website | skopje.gov.mk |
Image shield | Coat of arms of Skopje.svg | shield_link Coat of arms of Skopje |
Subdivision type | Country |
Subdivision type1 | Municipality |
Subdivision name | |
Subdivision name1 | 25px Greater Skopje |
Leader title | Mayor |
Leader name | Koce Trajanovski (VMRO-DPMNE) |
Area magnitude | 1 E8 |
Area total km2 | 571.46 |
Population as of | 2006 |
Population total | 668518 |
Population density km2 | auto |
Timezone | CET |
Utc offset | +1 |
Timezone1 dst | CEST |
Utc offset1 dst | +2 |
Pushpin map | Macedonia |
Map caption | Location of the city of Skopje in Macedonia |
Coordinates type | type:city(650,000)_region:MK |
Coordinates display | inline,title |
Elevation m | 240 |
Postal code type | Postal codes |
Postal code | 1000 |
Area code | +389 02 |
Blank name sec1 | Car plates |
Blank info sec1 | SK |
Blank1 name sec1 | Patron saint |
Blank1 info sec1 | Virgin Mary }} |
Skopje (, ) is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Macedonia with about a third of the total population. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre. It was known in the Roman period under the name ''Scupi''.
The territory of Skopje has been inhabited since at least 4000 BC; remains of Neolithic settlements have been found within the old Kale Fortress that overlooks the modern city centre. On the eve of the 1st century AD, the settlement was seized by the Romans and became a military camp. When the Roman Empire was divided into eastern and western halves in 395 AD, Scupi came under Byzantine rule from Constantinople. During much of the early medieval period, the town was contested between the Byzantines and the Bulgarian Empire. From 1282 the town was part of the Serbian realm and its capital city since 1346. In 1392 the city was conquered by the Ottoman Turks who called the town ''Üsküp''. The town stayed under Ottoman control over 500 years. At that time the city was famous for its oriental architecture. In 1912 the city was conquered by the Kingdom of Serbia during the Balkan Wars and after the First World War the city became part of the newly formed Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (Kingdom of Yugoslavia). In the Second World War the city was conquered by the Bulgarian Army, which was part of Axis powers. In 1944 it became the capital city of Democratic Macedonia (later Socialist Republic of Macedonia), which was a federal state, part of Democratic Federal Yugoslavia (later Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia). The city developed rapidly after World War II, but this trend was interrupted in 1963 when it was hit by a disastrous earthquake. In 1991 it became the capital city of independent Macedonia.
Skopje is located on the upper course of the Vardar River and is located on a major north-south Balkan route between Belgrade and Athens. It is a center for metal-processing, chemical, timber, textile, leather, and printing industries. Industrial development of the city has been accompanied by development of the trade, logistics, and banking sectors, as well as an emphasis on the fields of culture and sport. According to the 2006 official estimate, it has 668,518 inhabitants.
The name of Skopje is derived from an ancient name that is attested in antiquity as Latin ''Scupi'', the name of a classical era Greco-Roman frontier fortress town of Thracian (Paeonian) origin. In modern times, the city has been known by its Ottoman Turkish name ''Üsküp'' () during the time of Ottoman rule and by the Serbian form ''Skoplje'' (Скопље) during the time of the Royal Yugoslavia between 1912 and 1941. Under the Kingdom of Bulgaria (1941–1944), the city was called ''Skopie'' (Скопие). Since 1945, the official name of the city in Macedonian has been ''Skopje'' (Скопје), reflecting the Macedonian Cyrillic orthography for the local pronunciation. The city is called ''Shkup'' or ''Shkupi'' in Albanian and ''Skopia'' (Σκόπια) in Greek.
Skopje is located in the in the Skopje statistical region of northern Macedonia, in the centre of the Balkans, approximately halfway between Belgrade and Athens. The Vardar River, which originates near Gostivar, flows through the city then flows south passing the border into Greece and eventually flowing into the Aegean Sea. The Vardar valley consists primarily of hills and mountains. The city covers an average length of 23 km from east to west and 9 km from north to south. Skopje is located at an elevation of above sea level. The city's land area is .
Several rivers flow into the Vardar in Skopje. The longest is the Treska, which is 130 km long. Others include the Lepenec, Pčinja, Kadina Reka, Markova Reka and Pateška, which are all less than 70 km long.
Skopje's two artificial lakes Matka and Treska are supplied by the Treska River, located just few kilometers outside the city center. The city also has a glacial lake called Jakupica.
The highest point in the center of Skopje is at an altitude of 1066 meters which is far exceeded by the mountains Osoj, Skopska Crna Gora, and Žeden which have heights of 1506 meters, 1260 meters and 1561 meters respectively.
Some rivers, like the Matka, have created ravines around the city. The canyon of the Treska River is surrounded by some caves.
The centre of Skopje is formed of two municipalities separated by the Vardar. On the north bank of the river is Čair Municipality in which the Old Town is located, while the on the south bank is Centar Municipality which is the modern part of the centre of the city.
Rebuilding after the earthquake was largely orchestrated by Kenzo Tange, a Japanese architect and urban planner who had drawn many plans for cities and towns including that for Hiroshima in 1949. The most significant accomplishment was the train station, which was built on an elevated platform over bridges and allows for the separation of traffic and pedestrians. The planning of the southern bank of the Vardar has been designed to accommodate 1,800 homes lost in the earthquake.
The combination of the earthquake, Yugoslav social planning, and UN funded plans created an environment in Skopje for some unusual building projects from the mid-1960s onwards. A notable example is the central post office, a circular building which was designed by architect Janko Konstantinov.
Today, the city is spreading in all directions and is experiencing a number of new developments. The government has made plans to erect several statues, fountains, bridges, and museums at a cost of about €200 million. The project has generated controversy. Critics have described the new landmark buildings as signs of a reactionary historicist esthetics. The project has also been criticised for its cost and for the lack of representation of national minorities in the coverage of its set of statues and memorials.
After becoming part of the Byzantine Empire, ''Scupi'' became an important regional trading and garrison. Byzantine Emperor Justinian (527–65 AD) was born in Tauresium, a town situated roughly 20 km southeast of present-day Skopje, in 483 AD. After ''Scupi'' was almost completely destroyed by an earthquake in 518 AD, Justinian built a new town at the fertile entry point of the River Lepenec into the Vardar. Some historians believe this might be the city of Justiniana Prima. During much of the early medieval period, the town was contested by both the Byzantines and the Bulgarian Empire. From 972 to 992, it was the capital of the First Bulgarian Empire. After 1018, it was the capital of the Byzantine administrative region (''katepanat'') of Bulgaria after the fall the First Bulgarian Empire in 1018. Skopje was a thriving trading settlement but fell into decline after being hit by another earthquake at the end of the 11th century. In 1189, the town was briefly occupied by the Serbs.
Skopje was the capital of the estate of the Bulgarian feudal lord, later Emperor Konstantin Asen in the middle of 13th century. The Byzantine Empire took advantage of the decline in Skopje to regain influence in the area, but lost control of it once again in 1282 to King Stefan Uroš II Milutin of Serbia. Milutin's grandson, Stefan Dušan, made Skopje his capital. He later proclaimed himself ''Emperor of Serbs and Greeks'' in 1346, subsequently making Skopje capital of the Serbian Empire. After his sudden death in 1355, he was succeeded by Stephen Uroš V of Serbia who could not keep Serbian Empire together and it was fragmented in many small principalities. Vuk Branković was the last Serbian and Christian prince to rule Skopje during medieval period.
After conquering some parts of the Balkans, the Ottoman Turks conquered Skopje in 1392 beginning 520 years of Ottoman rule. The Ottomans named the town Üsküb. At first, the Ottomans divided the greater Macedonian region into three vilayets: Kosovo (with Üsküb as capital), Manastir and Selanik. As the northernmost of these, Üsküb was strategically important for further expansion into central Europe. Under Ottoman rule, the town expanded further towards the confluence point of the Serava and Vardar rivers. The city soon had a large Muslim population and the architecture of the town changed accordingly. During the 15th century, many travelers'inns, such as Kapan An and Suli An, were established in the town. The city's famous Stone Bridge was also reconstructed during this period and the Daut Pasha baths was built at the end of the 15th century. Also at this time, numerous Sephardic Jews driven out of Spain settled in Üsküb, adding to the cultural mix of the town and enhancing the town's trading reputation.
At the beginning of Ottoman rule, several mosques sprang up in the city, and church lands were often seized and given to ex-soldiers, while many churches themselves were converted over time into mosques. Üsküb was briefly occupied in 1689 by the Austrian General Piccolomini. He and his troops did not stay for long, however, as the town was quickly engulfed by the plague. On retreating from the town Piccolomini's troops set fire to Üsküb, perhaps in order to stamp out the plague, although some say this was done in order to avenge the 1683 Ottoman siege of Vienna. For the next two centuries Üsküb's prestige waned and by the 19th century its population had dwindled to a mere 10,000. In 1873, however, the completion of the Üsküb—Selanik (now Skopje—Thessaloniki) railway brought many more travelers and traders to the town, so that by the turn of the century Üsküb had regained its former numbers of around 30,000. Towards the end of the Ottoman Empire, Üsküb, along with other towns in Macedonia – Kruševo and Manastir (now Bitola) – became main hubs of rebellious movements against Ottoman rule. Üsküb was a key player in the Ilinden Uprising of August 1903 when the native population of the region declared the emergence of the Kruševo Republic. While the Kruševo Republic lasted only ten days before being quelled by the Ottomans, it was a sign of the beginning of the end for Ottoman rule. Some of the Ottomans were expelled from the city on 12 August 1912 by the local Albanian population when 15,000 Albanians marched on Üsküb.
The Ottoman army could not stand against the united front of Montenegro, Greece, Serbia and Bulgaria during the First Balkan War. When reinforcements to the Serbian royal army arrived some weeks later during the Battle of Kumanovo (50 km northeast of Skopje) it proved decisive in firmly driving out the Ottomans from all of Macedonia. In 1912, the Kingdom of Serbia occupied Skopje and the official name of the city was changed from the Turkish name Üsküb to the Serbian name Skoplje (Скопље). The Treaty of London of 1913 legitimated Serbian authority in contemporary Macedonia. Skopje remained under rule of the Kingdom of Serbia during the Second Balkan War of 1913 when the formerly united front started to fight amongst themselves. After the outbreak of World War I in 1915 the town was occupied by the Kingdom of Bulgaria. By 1918 it became part of the newly formed Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes, and remained so until 1939, apart from a brief period of six months in 1920 when Skopje was controlled by the Yugoslav Communist Party. An ethnic Serb ruling elite dominated over the rest, initiating the repression, inconceivable by previous Ottoman rulers, aimed to destroy Macedonian nationalism. In 1931, in a move to formally decentralize the country, Skopje was named the capital of the Vardar Banovina of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia.
In March 1941 when Yugoslavia entered the war, there were huge anti-war demonstrations in the streets of the town. Skopje came under German occupation on 7 April 1941 and was later occupied by Bulgarian forces. During the occupation, Bulgaria endowed Skopje with a national theatre, a library, a museum and for higher education the King Boris University. However, on 11 March 1943, Skopje's entire Jewish population of 3,286 was deported to the gas chambers of Treblinka concentration camp in German-occupied Poland. One month after the communists took power in September 1944 in Sofia, three Bulgarian armies reentered occupied Yugoslavia. On November 13, units of First and Fourth Bulgarian Army, as well as, detachments of the Macedonian National Liberation Army seized Skopje. Then it joined Yugoslavia and became the capital of the newly established People's Republic of Macedonia.
From 1944 until 1991 Skopje was the capital of the Socialist Republic of Macedonia. The city expanded and the population grew during this period from just over 150,000 in 1945 to almost 600,000 in the early 1990s. Continuing to be prone to natural disasters the city was flooded by the Vardar River in 1962 and then suffered considerable damage from a major earthquake measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale, which killed over 1,000 people and made another 120,000 homeless. and numerous cultural monuments were seriously damaged. A major international relief effort saw the city rebuilt quickly, though much of its old neo-classical charm was lost in the process. The new master plan of the city was created by the then leading Japanese architect Kenzo Tange. The ruins of the old Skopje train station which was destroyed in the earthquake remain today as a memorial to the victims along with an adjacent museum. Nearly all of the city's beautiful neo-classical 18th and 19th century buildings were destroyed in the earthquake, including the National Theater and many government buildings, as well as most of the Kale Fortress. International financial aid poured into Skopje in order to help rebuild the city. As a result came the many modern (at the time) brutalist structures of the 1960s, that can still be seen today, such as the central post office building and the National Bank, as well as hundreds of now abandoned caravans and prefabricated mobile homes. Fortunately, though, as with previous earthquakes, much of the old Turkish side of town survived.
Skopje made the transition easily from the capital of the Socialist Federal Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to the capital of today's Republic of Macedonia. Today, Skopje is seeing a makeover in buildings, streets and shops. The new government elected in July 2006 restored the Kale fortress and plans to rebuild the beautiful 19th century Army House, the Old National Theatre, and the Old National Bank of Macedonia – all destroyed in the 1963 earthquake. Other projects under construction are the "Macedonian Struggle" Museum, the Archeological Museum of Macedonia, National Archive of Macedonia, Constitutional Court, and a new Philharmonic Theater. The reconstruction of these buildings and also building monuments to the some most famous historic peoples of Macedonia are part of the project Skopje 2014, which should be completely over in the year of 2015. Also, the city's national stadium Philip II Arena and the city's Alexander the Great Airport are also being reconstructed and expanded.
The Flag of Skopje is a red vertical banner in proportions 1:2 with a gold-coloured coat of arms of the city positioned in the upper-left corner.
The coat of arms of the city was adopted in the 1950s. It has the form of a shield whose upper side is an arch turned inwards. The left and right upper-corners of the shield are formed by two italic lines, whereas the bottom sides are rounded arches that end with a peak in the middle at the bottom. Shown on the shield are the Stone Bridge with the Vardar River, the Kale Fortress and the snow-capped peaks of the Vodno Mountain.
The organisation of Skopje, as a distinct unit in local self-government is defined by the Law of Skopje.
!Nr. | ! Municipality(''Општина'') | ! Area(km²) | ! Population(2002) |
3 | |||
6 | |||
4 | |||
1 | |||
2 | |||
9 | |||
8 | |||
5 | |||
10 | |||
7 | |||
Total |
The mayor of Skopje is elected directly. The current mayor is Koce Trajanovski, who was elected in April 2009.
The unemployment rate in the city was 14.07% in 2002 which is lower than the national unemployment rate of 19%. Also as of 2002, the city has roughly 64,000 companies. To solve its economic challenges, the city relies on integration in preferred economic areas. It is focused on the clean-up of factories, education and development of tourism programs, and the use of tax-free economic zones such as Bunardzik just outside of Skopje. In addition to services, Skopje has many factories. The most important activities are the processing of metals, chemicals, textiles, printing and others. Many notable companies based in Skopje include ArcelorMittal Skopje, Oil Rafinery, Alkaloid, Titan cement plant, and Skovin Winery among others.
The Macedonian Stock Exchange, which is the principal stock exchange in the Republic of Macedonia, is located in Skopje. It was established in 1995.
Skopje has a density of 360.6 inhabitants per square kilometer. This figure is much lower than those of other European capitals, such as Belgrade (3,561 inhabitants per square kilometer), London (4,700) or Paris (20,433).
The city also has a Serb minority population of 14,298 inhabitants (2.82% of the total population). Turks compose 8,595 inhabitants or 1.70%, while there are 7,585 Bosniaks in the city forming 1.50% of the total population. Aromanians make up 0.50% of the total population with 2557 inhabitants. The remaining 1.61% corresponding to 8,167 people declared themselves to be of a different ethnicity.
The largest minority, the Albanians, have a privileged status in comparison to other minority groups due to their numbers. For example, the Albanian language can be used in local government and primary schools, and is official in the municipalities where at least 25% of the population is Albanian-speaking, in addition to the Macedonian official language.
The Roma minority first arrived in Skopje during the Ottoman Empire and settled heavily in the "Topaana" district (the name of the district derives from the Turkish word ''Tophane'', meaning ''cannon foundry'' or ''armory''), where they found work making gunpowder for the Turks.
Until the mid-20th century, Skopje was a rather small city. Its status as a capital in Yugoslavia, along with the communist system, allowed the city to enjoy rapid industrialization and, therefore, large population growth. In 1948, only 9.6% of the country's total population lived in Skopje, but by 1994 the figure increased to roughly 25%. The 1953 Census showed that 122,143 people lived in Skopje, of whom 74,686 or 61.1% were Macedonian, 22,562 or 18.5% were Turks, 8,650 or 7.1% were Serbian, 7,829 or 6.4% were Roma and 3,166 or 2.6% were Albanian.
The earthquake in 1963, which destroyed 80% of the city and killed around 1,000 people, annihilated Skopje, though it was quickly rebuilt. This led to a large increase in population. In 1948, the city had a population of 102,600 people, but had over 400,000 by 1981.
The unrest that occurred in Yugoslavia during the 1980s put a brake on growth, and some other problems followed after Macedonia's independence in 1991. As a result, between 1981 and 1994 Skopje gained only 40,100 inhabitants.
In 2003, the birthrate of the city was 10.6‰ and the mortality rate was 7.7‰. The city's birthrate is lower than national average of 13.14‰, though the mortality rate is very close to the national average. Infant mortality is also very similar to the national average, as the country obtained a rate of 11.74‰ in 2003 and Skopje had rate of 11.18‰. That same year in Skopje, 99.5% of births took place in hospitals, a rate slightly above the national average of 98.6%.
The city has several universities. The largest and the oldest is the Ss. Cyril and Methodius University. This public university was founded in 1949 with three faculties. Since then, it has expanded to 23 faculties, 10 institutes, and over 36,000 students. Since the independence of Macedonia, new universities, mostly private, have been opened. The European University was established in 2001 and has faculties of economics, computer science, law, political science and art and design. FON University, founded in 2003, has faculties of law, political science and international relations, foreign languages, investigation and security, environmental management, economics, technology and communication information, sports, design and multimedia and philosophy. The American University College was opened in 2005 and has faculties of business administration, political science, foreign languages, architecture and design, computer science and law. The Yahya Kemal College, named after the Turkish poet Yahya Kemal Beyatlı who was born in Skopje, opened in 1996. In 2008, Skopje had 21 colleges.
The largest concentration of the mosques in the city is in the Old Bazaar, a part of the city with typical Ottoman Islamic architecture. One of the most eminent mosques is the Mustapha Pasha Mosque which was built in 1492 by Mustafa Paşa on an older Christian site. It is an endowment of Mustapha Pasha, an eminent figure in the Turkish state during the rule of Sultan Bayezid II and Sultan Selim I. Other important mosque include Isa Bey Mosque. Situated on the outskirts of the bazaar, this mosque was built as a memorial for Isa Bey after his death. The mosque has two dominant domes and five smaller ones above the porch area. The Ishak Bey Mosque was constructed in 1439 in the northern part of the Old Bazaar. The mosque's minaret rises 30 meters (98.4 feet). Ishak Bey, who retired in the city, is buried in the türbe behind the mosque.
Airports:
Skopje's single international airport, Skopje Alexander the Great Airport, is located in Petrovec Municipality, roughly 22 kilometers east of the city centre. The airport has been given under concession to the Turkish company TAV, which is contracted to invest €200 million in the expansion and renovations of both the Skopje and Ohrid Airports, as well as the construction of a new cargo airport in Štip. Skopje is connected by air every year with Amsterdam, Belgrade, Berlin, Budapest, Bursa, Brussels, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Istanbul, Ljubljana, London, Podgorica, Prague, Rome, Sofia, Vienna, Zagreb and Zurich.
Highways:
The E75 highway connecting Vardø in Norway and Crete in Greece runs just east of Skopje, thus linking most of Europe with the Macedonian capital. The E75 highway connects the Macedonian cities of Kumanovo, Veles, Negotino, and Gevgelija.
The E65 highway runs through the northern and western edges of the city and is part of the 26.5 km long Skopje Northern Bypass. The E65 in Macedonia also connects Tetovo, Gostivar, Kičevo, Ohrid and Bitola
Railways:
The Skopje Central Railway Station is approximately 2 kilometers east of the city centre. It is part of the "Transportation Center" complex, built in the 1970s to replace the first railway station that was destroyed by the 1963 earthquake. The new station has 10 platforms and is suspended on a massive concrete bridge about 2 km long. In 2010, Makedonski Železnici joined Cargo 10, a joint venture with other railways in the region.
Buses:
The main Skopje bus station is 2 kilometers east of the city center and is located in the Transportation Centre which also houses the central railway station. City buses run through the whole city connecting different neighborhoods as well as the smaller surrounding towns. In 2011, the old city buses were replaced with 84 new buses, built in Ukraine. The station is also the hub for intercity and international bus routes. There are several departures daily for Ohrid, Bitola, Thessaloniki, Belgrade, Sofia, and other cities.
Tramway:
The City of Skopje is planning to build a tramway across the city.
The present Skopje Fortress was originally built by the Byzantines in the 6th century. After the 1963 Skopje earthquake, the fortress's circular, rectangular and square towers were conserved and restored. It is today one of the most popular tourist spots in the city. The Stone Bridge was built under the patronage of Sultan Mehmed II the Conqueror between 1451 and 1469. This bridge represents the connection between Skopje's past and present, and is featured in the Coat of arms of Skopje. The bridge connects Skopje's main square, Macedonia Square, to the city's Old Bazaar. The square was dramatically increased in size by the destruction of the massive neoclassical National Bank and Army House during the 1963 earthquake. Another well-known Skopje building is Ristiḱ Palace. In 2010, two monuments of Goce Delcev and Dame Gruev were erected near the Stone Bridge.
The Old Town was one of the largest and most significant oriental bazaars in the Balkans. It is situated on the eastern bank of the Vardar River and represents a mixture of Eastern and Western culture. It features mosques, inns, a clocktower, a bezisten, Turkish baths, churches, and various shops. The bezisten, a covered market, was built in the 15th century by Gazi Ishak Bey, the Sultan's Skopje regent. It was destroyed by a fire in 1689 and was later rebuilt. The bezisten has looked the same since its renovation in 1899. Skopje's clock tower, built in the 16th century on the foundations of an older edifice, is located just north of the Sultan Murad Mosque. The Čifte Hammam, a Turkish bath, is located in the centre of the Old Bazaar and was built under Isa Bey. The Daut Paşa Hammam, built under Daut Paşa, Grand Vesir of East Rumelia, dates from the 15th century. Today the both hammams are art galleries.
The bazaar also includes medieval inns like the Kapan An, Suli An, and the Kuršumli An. The latter features architecturally significant arches and domes. Because lead was used to top the structure, it became known as the Lead Inn. It was built by Musein Odza, the son of a scientist of Sultan Selim II's court, in the 16th century. The building today features exhibits from the National Museum of Macedonia. Although Islamic architecture is predominant in the bazaar, there are several churches as well.
The Millennium Cross, situated on the peak of the mountain Vodno, is a tourist attraction. It was built to celebrate 2000 years of the existence of Christianity. The cross was built on the highest point of Vodno Mountain on a place known since the time of the Ottoman Empire as "Krstovar", meaning "Place of the cross", as there was a smaller cross situated there. There are several landmarks of Mother Teresa in Skopje, the city of her birth and childhood, including a marker of her birthplace, a statue, and a memorial house. The Memorial House of Mother Teresa was opened in early 2009. An ancient Roman aqueduct survives to the north of the city, near the village of Vizbegovo. The date of its erection is unclear. During the Ottoman Empire, it provided water for public baths. Today, 55 of its stone arches remain standing.
The Skopje Jazz Festival has been held annually in October since 1981. It is part of the European Jazz Network and the European Forum of World Wide Festivals. The artists` profiles include fusion, acid jazz, Latin jazz, smooth jazz, and avant-garde jazz. Ray Charles, Tito Puente, Gotan Project, Al Di Meola, Youssou N'Dour, among others, have performed at the festival. Another music festival in Skopje is the Blues and Soul Festival. It is a relatively new event in the Macedonian cultural scene that occurs every summer in early July. Past guests include Larry Coryell, Mick Taylor & the All-Stars Blues Band, Candy Dulfer & Funky Stuff, João Bosco, The Temptations, Tolo Marton Trio, Blues Wire, and Phil Guy.
The Skopje Cultural Summer Festival is a renowned cultural event that takes place in Skopje each year during the summer. The festival is a member of the International Festivals and Events Association (IFEA) and it includes musical concerts, operas, ballets, plays, art and photograph exhibitions, movies, and multimedia projects that gather 2,000 participants from around the world each year including St Petersburg Theatre, the Chamber Orchestra of the Bolshoi Theatre, Irina Arkhipova, Viktor Tretiakov, The Theatre of Shadows, Michel Dalberto, David Burgess.
May Opera Evenings is a festival that has occurred annually in Skopje since 1972 and is dedicated to promoting opera among the general public. Over the years, it has evolved into a stage on which artists from some 50 countries have performed. Another opera festival, the Open Youth Theatre Festival, was established in May 1976 by a group of young opera enthusiasts. More than 250 theatrical performances have been presented at this festival so far, most of them being alternative, experimental theatre groups engaging young writers and actors. Recently, the festival became a member of the Brussels Informal European Theatre Meeting (IETM). Within the framework of the Open Youth Theatre, a Macedonian National Centre of the International Theatre Institute (ITI) was established, and at the 25th ITI World Congress in Munich in 1993, it became a regular member of the theatre association. The festival is now an international one representing groups from the former Yugoslavia, the United States, France, the former Soviet Union, Spain, Japan, Poland, Italy, the United Kingdom, India and other countries.
The city is home of the studios of Macedonian Radio-Television (MRT), the company's public radio and television. Founded in 1966, it operate withs three national broadcast channels, twenty-four hours at day. The most popular private televisions are A1 TV and Sitel. Kanal 5, Telma, Alfa TV and AlsatM are another major private television companies. MRT also operates radio stations with national coverage, the private station Skopje's Kanal 77 is the only one to have such a span. Radio Antenna 5 and Metropolis are two other major private stations that have their headquarters in Skopje.
Also, the city boasts big news agencies in the country, whether public, as the Macedonian Information Agency, or private agency as Makfax.
Тhe largest stadium remains the Philip II Arena. The stadium, built in 1947 and named until 2008, Skopje Gradski Stadion experienced a total renovation, begun in 2009 to meet the standards of FIFA. Fully renovated the stadium contains 32,580 seats, and a health spa and fitness. The Boris Trajkovski Sports Center it's the largest sports complex in the country. It was opened in 2008 and named after president Boris Trajkovski, who died in 2004. It includes room dedicated to handball, basketball and volleyball, a bowling alley, a fitness area and an ice hokey court. Its main hall, which regularly hosts concerts, holds around 10,000 people.
FK Vardar and FK Rabotnički are the two most popular football teams, playing in the first national league. Their workouts are held at Philip Arena II, like those of the national team. The city is also home to many smaller football clubs, as Makedonija GP Skopje, Skopje Sloga Jugomagnat or FK Madzar Solidarnost, who play at second or third national league. Another popular sport in Macedonia, the basketball is shown in particular by the teams KK Skopje Rabotnički, KK MZT and the Vardar, which are the first national league. Handball is illustrated by RK Vardar PRO and the women's club RK Kometal Gjorče Petrov and RK Metalurg, also in the Macedonian first league. The city has co-hosted 2008 European Women's Handball Championship together with Ohrid.
Notable people from Skopje include:
* Ankara, Turkey, (since 1995) | * Belgrade, Serbia (Agreement on cooperation) | * Bradford, United Kingdom, (since 1961) | * Dijon, France, (since 1961) | * Dresden, Germany, (since 1967) | * Istanbul, Turkey, (since 2003) | Ljubljana, Slovenia, (since 2007) | * Manisa, Turkey, (since 1985) | * Nanchang, China, (since 1984) | * Nuremberg, Germany, (since 1982) | * Pittsburgh, USA, (since 2002) | * Podgorica, Montenegro, (since 2008) | * Roubaix, France, (since 1973) | * Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, (since 2007) | * Suez, Egypt, (since 1985) | Tempe, Arizona>Tempe, Arizona, USA, (since 1971) | * Waremme, Belgium, (since 1974) | * Zaragoza, Spain (since 2008) |
Category:Former capitals of Bulgaria Category:Ancient Greek cities Category:Capitals in Europe Category:Cities in the Republic of Macedonia Category:Turkish communities in the Republic of Macedonia
af:Skopje am:ስኮፕዬ ar:سكوبيه an:Scopia roa-rup:Scopia ast:Skopje az:Skopye zh-min-nan:Skopje be:Горад Скоп'е be-x-old:Скоп’е bo:སི་ཀོཔ་ཇི། bs:Skoplje br:Skopje bg:Скопие ca:Skopje cv:Скопье cs:Skopje cy:Skopje da:Skopje de:Skopje dsb:Skopje et:Skopje el:Σκόπια es:Skopie eo:Skopjo eu:Skopje fa:اسکوپیه hif:Skopje fo:Skopje fr:Skopje fy:Skopje gv:Skopje gd:Skopje gl:Skopje ko:스코페 hy:Սկոպյե hsb:Skopje hr:Skoplje io:Skopje id:Skopje ie:Skopje os:Скопье is:Skopje it:Skopje he:סקופיה jv:Skopje ka:სკოპიე sw:Skopje kv:Скопье ht:Skopje ku:Skopye lad:Skopia la:Scupi lv:Skopje lb:Skopje lt:Skopjė lij:Skopje ln:Skopye lmo:Skopje hu:Szkopje mk:Скопје mi:Skopje mr:स्कोप्ये mzn:اسکوپیه ms:Skopje nl:Skopje ja:スコピエ no:Skopje nn:Skopje nov:Skopje oc:Skopje pnb:سکوپ جے pms:Skopje pl:Skopje pt:Skopje crh:Üsküp ro:Skopje rmy:Skopiye qu:Skopje ru:Скопье sc:Skopje sco:Skopje sq:Shkupi scn:Skopje simple:Skopje sk:Skopje cu:Съкопиѥ sl:Skopje sr:Скопље sh:Skoplje fi:Skopje sv:Skopje tl:Skopje th:สโกเปีย tg:Скопе tr:Üsküp udm:Скопье uk:Скоп'є ug:سكوپليې vi:Skopje vo:Skopje war:Skopje wo:Skopje yo:Skopje zh:斯科普里This text is licensed under the Creative Commons CC-BY-SA License. This text was originally published on Wikipedia and was developed by the Wikipedia community.
Name | Ss. Cyril and Methodius University of Skopje |
---|---|
Native name | Универзитет „Св. Кирил и Методиј“ Скопје |
Established | 1946 - 1949 |
Chancellor | Velimir Stojkoski |
Vice chancellor | Elena Dumova-Jovanoska Mome Spasovski Kole Vasilevski Pece Nedanovski |
City | Skopje |
Country | Macedonia |
Campus | app. 90,000 m² (main campus) |
Faculty | 2390 |
Students | app. 50,000 |
Type | Public |
Affiliations | ERA UNICA CEEPUS CEI EUA IAU EAIE AUF BUN ERASMUS |
Website | ukim.edu.mk |
The Saints Cyril and Methodius University of Skopje () is the largest university in the Republic of Macedonia. It was named after the medieval brothers Cyril and Methodius, also known as the ''Apostles to the Slavs'', enlighteners who developed the precursors to the Cyrillic alphabet used today in most Slavic languages. More than 50,000 students study at the Skopje University, including some 700 foreign students. Furthermore, the Teaching and Research Staff number 2,390 people, and this is further supported by over 300 members in the university's various institutions.
The primary language of instruction is Macedonian, but there are a number of courses which are carried out in English, German, French, and minority languages.
right|thumb|250px|Statue of Ss. Cyril and Methodius in the center of the campus right|thumb|250px|The central building of the University right|thumb|250px|The Student Dormitory Complex of the University
After the great 1963 Skopje earthquake, which destroyed most of the city of Skopje, the university was leveled and some of the most modern laboratories in Yugoslavia were destroyed. By this time the University of Skopje was the third largest in Yugoslavia. The university was quickly rebuilt within the premises of a much larger and modern urban campus. At the request of Yugoslav authorities, scientists from UNESCO's Department of Natural Sciences were sent to meet with the university's scientists to develop plans for the rehabilitation of the university's science laboratories. As a result, a large donation of equipment for science teaching and research was gathered from around the world through UNESCO's international programme of aid to Skopje.
At present, University of Skopje is carried out in the spirit of the 1991 Constitution of the Republic of Macedonia, which incorporated the social, economic and political changes that had taken place after Macedonia proclaimed its independence from the Former Yugoslav Federate State. On August 3, 2000 the Parliament of the Republic of Macedonia brought the new Law on Higher Education which adopted the overall European standards of higher education. Today, the management organs of the University are the University Senate, consisting of two staff members from each respective faculty and scientific research institutes, five appointed members by the Government of the Republic of Macedonia and five students delegated from the Student Organization; the University Board, consisting of the Rector, the Vice-Rectors, the Secretary General, the deans of the faculties, the directors of the scientific-research institutes and one student representative; and the Rector. At the moment, the University represents a functional community of 25 faculties and 10 research institutes.
Category:Universities in the Republic of Macedonia Category:Educational institutions established in 1949 Category:Education in Skopje
bg:Скопски университет de:Universität Skopje es:Universidad de Skopie fr:Université Saints-Cyrille-et-Méthode de Skopje mk:Универзитет „Св. Кирил и Методиј“ no:St. Kyrill og St. Method Universitetet i Skopje pl:Uniwersytet Świętych Cyryla i Metodego w Skopje ru:Университет Святых Кирилла и Мефодия в Скопье sq:Universiteti Kiril dhe Metodij uk:Університет св. Кирила і Мефодія
This text is licensed under the Creative Commons CC-BY-SA License. This text was originally published on Wikipedia and was developed by the Wikipedia community.
Name | Philip Kotler |
---|---|
Birth date | May 27, 1931 |
Birth place | Chicago, Illinois |
Occupation | Marketing Consultant |
Nationality | American |
Signature | Kotler autograph 2006.jpg }} |
Kotler developed new concepts in marketing including demarketing, megamarketing, turbomarketing and synchromarketing. He believes that marketing theory needs to go beyond price theory and incorporate the dynamics of innovation, distribution and promotion systems into analyzing, explaining and predicting economic outcomes.
Kotler has been consulted by many large companies, including IBM, Michelin, Bank of America, Merck, General Electric, Honeywell, Samsung, Coca cola, Hyundai and Motorola — in the areas of marketing strategy, planning and organization, and international marketing.He presents seminars in major international cities and countries around the world on the latest marketing developments to companies and other organizations.
Category:1931 births Category:American business theorists Category:American business writers Category:American economics writers Category:Harvard University alumni Category:University of Chicago alumni Category:Massachusetts Institute of Technology alumni Category:Living people
ar:فيليب كوتلر bg:Филип Котлър ca:Philip Kotler cs:Philip Kotler de:Philip Kotler es:Philip Kotler fa:فیلیپ کاتلر fr:Philip Kotler ko:필립 코틀러 it:Philip Kotler he:פיליפ קוטלר ka:ფილიპ კოტლერი hu:Philip Kotler mn:Филип Котлер nl:Philip Kotler ja:フィリップ・コトラー pl:Philip Kotler pt:Philip Kotler ro:Philip Kotler ru:Котлер, Филип sr:Филип Котлер fi:Philip Kotler sv:Philip Kotler tr:Philip Kotler uk:Філіп Котлер vi:Philip Kotler diq:Philip Kotler zh:菲利普·科特勒This text is licensed under the Creative Commons CC-BY-SA License. This text was originally published on Wikipedia and was developed by the Wikipedia community.
The World News (WN) Network, has created this privacy statement in order to demonstrate our firm commitment to user privacy. The following discloses our information gathering and dissemination practices for wn.com, as well as e-mail newsletters.
We do not collect personally identifiable information about you, except when you provide it to us. For example, if you submit an inquiry to us or sign up for our newsletter, you may be asked to provide certain information such as your contact details (name, e-mail address, mailing address, etc.).
When you submit your personally identifiable information through wn.com, you are giving your consent to the collection, use and disclosure of your personal information as set forth in this Privacy Policy. If you would prefer that we not collect any personally identifiable information from you, please do not provide us with any such information. We will not sell or rent your personally identifiable information to third parties without your consent, except as otherwise disclosed in this Privacy Policy.
Except as otherwise disclosed in this Privacy Policy, we will use the information you provide us only for the purpose of responding to your inquiry or in connection with the service for which you provided such information. We may forward your contact information and inquiry to our affiliates and other divisions of our company that we feel can best address your inquiry or provide you with the requested service. We may also use the information you provide in aggregate form for internal business purposes, such as generating statistics and developing marketing plans. We may share or transfer such non-personally identifiable information with or to our affiliates, licensees, agents and partners.
We may retain other companies and individuals to perform functions on our behalf. Such third parties may be provided with access to personally identifiable information needed to perform their functions, but may not use such information for any other purpose.
In addition, we may disclose any information, including personally identifiable information, we deem necessary, in our sole discretion, to comply with any applicable law, regulation, legal proceeding or governmental request.
We do not want you to receive unwanted e-mail from us. We try to make it easy to opt-out of any service you have asked to receive. If you sign-up to our e-mail newsletters we do not sell, exchange or give your e-mail address to a third party.
E-mail addresses are collected via the wn.com web site. Users have to physically opt-in to receive the wn.com newsletter and a verification e-mail is sent. wn.com is clearly and conspicuously named at the point of
collection.If you no longer wish to receive our newsletter and promotional communications, you may opt-out of receiving them by following the instructions included in each newsletter or communication or by e-mailing us at michaelw(at)wn.com
The security of your personal information is important to us. We follow generally accepted industry standards to protect the personal information submitted to us, both during registration and once we receive it. No method of transmission over the Internet, or method of electronic storage, is 100 percent secure, however. Therefore, though we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.
If we decide to change our e-mail practices, we will post those changes to this privacy statement, the homepage, and other places we think appropriate so that you are aware of what information we collect, how we use it, and under what circumstances, if any, we disclose it.
If we make material changes to our e-mail practices, we will notify you here, by e-mail, and by means of a notice on our home page.
The advertising banners and other forms of advertising appearing on this Web site are sometimes delivered to you, on our behalf, by a third party. In the course of serving advertisements to this site, the third party may place or recognize a unique cookie on your browser. For more information on cookies, you can visit www.cookiecentral.com.
As we continue to develop our business, we might sell certain aspects of our entities or assets. In such transactions, user information, including personally identifiable information, generally is one of the transferred business assets, and by submitting your personal information on Wn.com you agree that your data may be transferred to such parties in these circumstances.