Day 156: Ohrid - Bitola (Битола)

Sept 6 - Math exercises in the morning, followed by waiting out in the garden for a taxi. While waiting, I eat plenty of grapes growing on the nearby trellises, as they are all becoming ripe now in this part of the Balkans.

It is less than 1.5 hours to Bitola. Part of this route we did on Sept. 3. Stop in the Resen bus station, even quieter than that of Ohrid. Over a few series of hills and down into Bitola, situated in an area of lowlands. See some drying tobacco on the way. I’ve been told that this used to be a big export years ago, but apparently not any more.

Today’s route: (A) Ohrid, (B) Bitola.

It is a long way from the bus station in Bitola to where we are staying, so take a taxi. Hotel Bulevar, on a main road and a river, is one of the few actual ‘hotels’ we’ve stayed in on the trip thus far. It is not so usual for us to walk up to a reception desk and get a key.

Downtown Bitola is really compact, with two major mosques and an Orthodox church all clustered around a sprawling plaza.

The statue is of Philip II of Macedon (discussed in Day 152).

We must always get the mandatory photo of the city name.

The clock tower, originally built in 1664 and rebuilt in 1830. The main purpose, of course, was for knowing when to go for prayers.

A fairly old firetruck, apparently still in operation.

Bitola streets have a very different feel than Ohrid. The architecture is unusual and random.

Spend a long time searching for a well-known archaeological site, which has a confused location on Google maps. Finally walk south of town for several km before finding it.

Heraclea Lyncestis was founded in the mid 4th Century BCE by (of course) Philip II of Macedon, and formed a defensive point against Illyrians invading from the west. It continued its importance during later under the Romans, when they conquered Macedonia. It was a stop along the main Roman overland route called the Via Egnatia, that connected the Roman port of Dyrrachium on the Adriatic with Constantinople (Ohrid is also along this route).

During Christian times, a Christian basilica was constructed on top of everything, except the amphitheater. Much of what is visible now dates from this time (4-6th Century CE). After this, the area was gradually abandoned due to the Slavic invasions.

Most of the site is easy to view, but there have been a number of dubious ‘restoration’ projects that have really made a mess of parts. As usual, the amphitheater has been recently upgraded for use in performances and concerts.

The inner chamber of the basilica.

The biggest reason I wanted to see this site was for the floor mosaics. They are a spectacular example of Early Christian art, featuring faunal and floral scenes.

A water line made of fired clay cylinders.

An overview from the amphitheater. There was a group there tuning instruments for a rock concert. We were the only audience.

Long walk back to the center of town. Mandatory stop at the playground.

The Ishak Chelebi Mosque.

North Macedonia