Ancient Theater of Ohrid
This ancient theater is a legacy of the Hellenistic era circa 200 BC. The Romans also used it for gladiator fights during their occupation. The theater was abandoned and forgotten after the fall of the Roman Empire. Local people had an aversion to the theater because many Christians were killed there. It wasn’t discovered until 1980 when construction crew working nearby found blocks of stone with the image of Dionysius around the site. Note: only the lower part of the theater is what remains of the original structure as you can see from this image.
Samuel’s Fortress
This fortress was built in the 11th century during the reign of Tsar Samuel of the First Bulgarian Empire on the site of an earlier fortification from the 4th century BC. The current structure was restored in 2003 with the addition of battlements where none remained of the previous structure.
Church of Holy Mother of God Perybleptos
This Orthodox Christian Church was built in 1295. It has Byzantine frescoes which suffered significant damage and was in need of restoration. According to the World Monuments Fund, moisture was leaking into the structure from the roof and threatened the frescoes. The U. S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation provided the funds for the conservation and documentation of the Church in 2009. I knew nothing of this story when I visited the Church last April. As I was walking around and checking out the frescoes, one of the administrators of the Church came to talk to me and asked where I was from. When I answered the United States, he told me of the huge contribution from the U.S. to preserve the Church and how grateful they were for this generous gesture. I felt so proud of my country. It was such a change from the negative press the U.S. receives abroad. This man was genuinely grateful and proceeded to show me other features of the Church. This made my day. Note: Taking photos is not allowed as you can understand so I can’t show you the evocative frescoes. You must go there and see them for yourself. ;)
Maquette of the Church of St. Sophia
According to legend, there were 365 chapels in Ohrid, one for each day of the year. It could be true and a few have survived to this day, one of them is St. Sophia. It is in the lower town behind the boardwalk with a quiet little park next to it. What’s amazing about St. Sophia is that it was converted into a mosque during the Ottoman Empire and all the frescoes were covered with mortar. Today, St. Sophia is once again a Christian Orthodox Church and the frescoes have been restored.
Loggia of St. Sophia
The second special experience that touched me in Ohrid happened here at St. Sophia. I was struggling to go down the stairs to enter the church and my guide was holding me so I wouldn’t fall. When we went to the cashier to pay the entry fee, the cashier told us we didn’t have to pay. I guess he must have seen my awkward arrival and decided to let us in free. I was moved by the thoughtful gesture.
Iconostasis of the Church
Behind the iconostasis is the Theotokos (Mother of God, the Eastern Christian title of the Blessed Virgin) holding a medallion of the Christ child giving a blessing.
Dormition of Mary
On the wall is the fresco of the death of Mary. The subject of the Dormition (death of Mary) is often found in Orthodox churches.
Epiphany or the Catcher of the Cross Monument
The Vodici or Baptism of Christ is a feast that is celebrated every year in January in North Macedonia. The ritual involves the Blessing of the Waters and Cross which is then thrown into the lake or river. The persons who jump into the lake do so in the belief that finding the cross will bring them good luck. There are other rituals associated with this feast including the family gatherings and church services.
Pedestal of the Epiphany Monument
I found this interesting and detailed article about the Vodici. You can read it here: https://www.europeanheritagedays.com/Story/Vodici-in-Zagrad
Back street leading to the Church of St. Sophia
Store signs
Ohrid is famous for its pearls which are handmade. It is claimed that these pearls may last longer than natural pearls. So when you walk along the streets of Ohrid, especially by the lake, you’ll find many shops selling all kinds of pearl jewelry.
Ohrid and Lake Ohrid are UNESCO World Heritage sites both under the Cultural and Natural categories.
How to get there:
I took a private day tour from Tirana to Ohrid with Albania on tour with Eddy. As a solo traveler, it’s often difficult to reserve a tour for one person. There are group tours of major cities as well as hop on hop off tours that a single traveler can join but when you’re sightseeing outside the big cities, it has been my personal experience that tours are harder to find and sometimes canceled after payment. I was glad a friend recommended Eddy to me and I was able to travel extensively and comfortably in Albania, North Macedonia and Kosovo. Eddy was always on time, is a careful driver, is patient and eager to show the beauty of his country. You may reach Eddy through WhatsApp 355 69 919 9085. Or contact him by email at edisonfejzulla1@gmail.com.
Travel Essentials for North Macedonia:
US citizens do not need a visa to enter the country for stays less than 90 days. You’ll need to present your passport. Since we arrived by land, we stopped at the No. Macedonian border to show our passports. There were no long lines of cars in April and we only had to stop at the No. Macedonia entry point. It was a breeze.
Currency:
Denar (MKD). USD$1.00 = 57.30 MKD as of this writing.
Electrical connection:
They use type C and type F plugs and the standard voltage is 230V at 50Hz frequency.
Stay connected
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Images by TravelswihCharie