GOSTIVAR

'Gostivar' (, ) is city in the Republic of Macedonia, located in the upper Polog region. It is one of the largest cities in the country with a population of 81,042, and the town also covers 1.341 square kilometres. Gostivar has good road and railway connections with the other cities in the region: Tetovo, Skopje, Kičevo, Ohrid, and Debar. A new and modern freeway was built, in 1995, from Gostivar to Tetovo, 24 km long. The city of Gostivar is a seat of the Gostivar municipality.

Contents

Geography

Population

History

Economy

Tourism

External links

Geography

Gostivar is situated on the foothills of one of the most important mountains in the region:Šar Planina mountain. Near to Gostivar is the village of Vrutok, where the Vardar river begins at an altitude of 683 meters from the base of the Šar Planina mountain. Vardar extends through Gostivar, cutting it in half, passes through the capital Skopje, goes through the country, enters Greece and finally reaches the Aegean Sea.

Population

According to the last census taken in 2002 (http://www.stat.gov.mk/pdf/kniga_13.pdf), 66.6% of the population are declared as ethnic Albanians, 19.5% as Macedonians, 9.8% as Turks, 3.8% as Romas and other.

History

Possibly the first mention of the town was made by the Roman historian Livy. He records how during the Third Macedonian War the King of Macedon Perseus at the head of 10000 men, after taking Uskana (Kicevo), attacked Drau-Dak, today Gostivar.
According to the Bulgarian ethnological researcher Vasil Kanchov by the end of the XIX century Gostivar was inhabited by 3,735 citizens. They were 3,100 Turks, 310 Bulgarians, 100 Albanians, 25 Vlachs and 200 Roma.[1]
One of the most significant monuments in the city is The Clock Tower. It dates from 1566 and was built by the Ottomans. The Beg Mahala Mosque was built in 1688 by Ebu Bekir, the son of Kara Mustafa Pasha. Later it was rebuilt by Ismail Aga.

Economy

Gostivar is a merchant city. From the second half of the 19th century, a lot of merchants started moving in and opening new stores. There is also a market day, Tuesday. The merchants from Kruševo, Kičevo, Tetovo and Veles were the founders of the Gostivar merchant centre at that time. But today they have become electricians, mechanics workers. Today Gostivar is a modern city.
An important fact is that those 20,000 ex-pat citizens who live abroad are the main source of income in the municipality economy. It is calculated that each year in the period between June and August, approximately 20-30 000 euros are brought into the city when many of them return to the city.

Tourism

As you leave Gostivar, on the way to Kičevo and Ohrid, in the Vrutok village is the gorge of the biggest river in Macedonia, Vardar, that is 388 km long and flows in the Aegean Sea, at Thessaloniki. Gostivar is one of the biggest settlements in the Polog valley. The Polog valley can be observed from the high lands of Mavrovo and Galicnik, seeing the villages scattered through the valley like some kind of beautiful mosaic.
Some 26 km from Gostivar is located one of the best Ski - Resorts in Macedonia "Zare Lazarevski" in the Mavrovo National Park. Mavrovo is an interesting tourists attraction with unique natural beauties. This tourist centre is believed to be one of the most beautiful tourist attractions in Macedonia. It is a place of many natural beauties, magnificent vistas, a crystal clear lake, high mountain hills from where you can see panoramas of Bistra and its nearby village suburbs. Mavrovo attracts tourists during all seasons, but it is more attractive in winter when it is all covered with deep snow. This mountain is very rich with flora and fauna.
The whole tourist complex manages with 1200 beds and over 1000 villas, with many hotels, restaurants and shops. The Mavrovo region hosts ski tournaments and other sport recreations. The peaks on the northern part of the Bistra mountain: Rusino Brdo, Sultanica and Sandaktas, have good conditions for winter sport activities. The popularity of Mavrovo is growing more and more each year with the attraction of many tourists.
Šar Planina (Shar mountain) is one of the most important Alpine mountain ranges in Macedonia together with neighbouring Mount Korab and Bistra mountains. The range is 80 km long and 12 km wide and is covered with snow from November till March and April every year. Its highest peak, Titov vrv, is situated on 2760 meters above sea level.

From the diverse fauna, the Sarplaninec dog is worth mentioning, as it has earned a fine reputation among pet dog lovers. These dogs are used by the sheep-herders of Šar Planina, to guide and protect their sheep herds. Bears, wildboar and deer exist in these lands. Due to its rich vegetation and wildlife on the one hand, as well as because of the preserved and unpolluted environment, it represents a real Mecca for tourist resorts and sports facilities, where medical herbs can be picked, and even hunt activities arranged.
At summer time, Šar Planina can be described as an ocean of grass. In fact, Shar mountain is considered the largest compact area covered with pastures on the European Continent. This provides excellent opportunities for animal husbandry. High quality dairy products, mainly cheese and feta cheese, are made in the many sheepfolds on Shar and the adjacent mountains. The best known kinds of feta cheese are Shara and Galicnik. The Šar Planina, along with the adjacent mountains, is rich in wide-ranging vegetation, which provides possibilities to gather medical herbs and to produce healthy food.
Located in the north-western part of Macedonia, Popova Shapka is one of the most popular winter ski resorts in the country. It is situated on the beautiful Šar Planina, 1780 meters above the sea level, just 35 kilometres from the capital Skopje. Popova Shapka offers excellent ski environment and hotel accommodations.
Visitors not only from Macedonia, but also from many other countries, return season after season here to relax, have fun, and experience adventure. Popova Shapka has been a host to both the European and Balkan Ski Championships. Not far from the resort, there are many small picturesquely glacial lakes scattered around on the mountain. There are two ways to get to Popova Shapka: by car and by rope-railway with a starting location in Tetovo. The rope-railway is 6km long and it takes about 36 minutes to reach the top.

External links

★ Official municipal page

★ Gostivar FAQ

★ Gostivar information @ makedonija.name

★ Inter-Ethnic Project Gostivar