"City of Bitola" a Bitola Travel Page by MacedonianUK

Bitola, is the second biggest City in Republic of Macedonia, and after Ohrid I think one of the prittiest.
Bitola has electric mix of OtomanTurkish, Bisantium Ortodox, Old Macedonian and French Mediteranian Arhitecture.
The biggest church in Bitola, build in the XVIIIcentury is Sveti Dimitrija, stone trow from the famous Clock tower. The story of the clock tower is strange as is funny and beautiful. Aparently when the Valija (Turkish Major of the city) dicaded to build the clock tower to anounce his wealth and presitige, but he couldn't reise the stucture more than 10meters off the ground. Every day the builders were building the tower and every nite it was crumbling. So they dicaded to consult the Imam, fearing that is the work of dark magic. Imam's answer was to collect 26.000 egss from white hens and add them to the mortar when sealing the granite stones. And that was done to the letter.
Sveti Dimitrija is build with the money donated Esnafi societies.
Esnafi, are group of people who represent specific trade, like woodcarving,goldsmiths,ironmongers,shoemakers, terzii (clothesmakers). In 1700s Bitola had about 1200 esnafi, who were divaded in apropriate parts of the old Charshija or bazzar.
There are only two such bazzars on the Balkans one in Sarajevo the famouse "Bash carshija" and the one in Bitola on the smaller scale.
Also the Market in Bitola to this day has parts of it called by the produce that was sold there, like At pazar(horse market), drven pazar(wood market), mast pazar(oil and lard market)and so on.
Aslo in Bitola we have few Karavan Saraii and Anovi.
And Bitola, beeing important political and economic City on the Balkans, hence opening of around 15 Consulates.
But strangely enough the French had the biggest influence on the town. It is said tha in the end of the XIX and begining of the XX century Bitola had Fench Licei(school) and about 72 pianos and 100 french guvernats, who were looking after the childern of the wealthier Bitola residents. And most of them continued their schooling in Marselles or Vienna and Graz.
During the Otomans, one rule when building churchs applied and was rigorously oserved.No other religious building can't be bigger and higher than Mosque. Altought Sveti Dimitrija church is beautifull with ist frescoes and specilay with the woodcarved altar(and is fetured in the opening scene of the "Peacemaker"film with Clooney and Kidman)
Isaac Mosque (build,1506AD)remains the tallest and biggerst religious object in use in Bitola.
Unfortunatly all the rest of the 36mosques and 16 teke's in Bitola are in disrepair(smallest ones) and the biggerst one(Yeni Mosque) is preserved and used as galery of the City of Bitola.
Bitola's past is chequered.
It was burned nearly to the ground in the 1700s, devasteted by earthqake, in the WWI, place of bloody battles,(Solunski front; where the Serb and French armies fouth the Germans and Bulgarinas)but also place visited by famous people who spend time in the City.
Evlija Celebija, the Turkish travel writer, came and spend some time in the city, Vagner, lived in the city for two years,(there is the memorial house), Dr Reiss (famous Swiss doctor and father of forensic medicine) lived here and also fouth with the Serb army during the WWI. When he died , his last wish was for his hart to be burried on Kajmakcalan Mnt. near Bitola in the little church on the very top, where is ossuary of Serbian solders .
Also Branislav Nushic (famous Serbian comedies writer) was Consul General of the Kingdom of Serbia in the city from begining of the XX century.
Manaki broders, who are regarded as first cinematographers on the Bakans are from Bitola, and when they finished their studies in France, they come back to the city and brought with them the first film camera, and with it captured the visit of the last Sultan to Bitola in 1904.And last but not least, Kemal Attaturk, was officer in the Bitola garison and he started his Young Turks Revolution from here.
So here is the short and interesting history of my birth place. I do hope you came and visit.

Shirok sokak is the heart of Bitola. Place where old and young get together to spend the eavnings out.

Around every corner and on every street there is evidence of the chekered past of Bitola.Together and entvined they are responsible for the todays look of the City.