Whenever I think of Kratovo, one of the oldest towns in the Balkans, the first thing that comes to mind is a beautiful building – Radin Bridge!
Every time I go there my eyes become teary, my voice is trembling, changing… And I go speechless, whether out of admiration for the magnificent Radin Bridge or sorrow for poor Rada. So, distressed and speechless from the meeting with the building masterpiece, the mark of this museum-town, I console myself: It is sometimes better not to say a word about the great beauties and leave the silence do the talking.
The greatness of superhuman effort
You can reach Kratovo by car or bus through Kumanovo (60 km), Kriva Palanka and Probistip. The distance from Skopje is around 100 km. There are several bus lines during the day and the trip is around two hours long.
There a lot of houses built in typical old-town Macedonian architecture that adorn Kratovo. Almost all the buildings are made of stone and a wooden construction. The eaves and ceilings were decorated with planks and the terraces of nearly all houses, which all had bathrooms, are the special mark. The doors are one of the most beautiful details. Single or double, the doors can still be seen “locked” with just a tiny rope.
In the specific architecture of this town, a unique testimony of human efforts and reaching the unreachable, even for the human eye, there are 12 old bridges and 6 medieval towers that dominate. The Turkish public bath, the medieval towers – The Clock Tower, The Zlatko Tower and The Simik Tower, which represent a significant cultural heritage from the 16th century, have to be seen and also visit the Town museum which is near the old Turkish prison and pass over the bridges in Kratovo, to believe it.
Kratovo was built on the coast of three rivers: Kratovska, Manceva and Babakarina River. The best preserved bridges of the tall, stone ones are Radin, Johchiski and Charshiski bridges. Those arches that lie on two coasts speak volumes about the perfection of building mastery and the greatness of that superhuman effort.
If you don’t believe it, come to Kratovo and go over Radin Bridge that was built by nine brothers, who built it during the day only to see it collapse during the night, as the legend goes. Faced with the building inability, the brothers made a bet – no matter whose wife turns out first to bring them lunch, they would build her inside the foundation so the bridge could hold.
The next day, Rada made lunch for them and went to the bridge to give it to them. When her boyfriend saw her he started to cry out loud. The other brothers took Rada and started to build her inside the foundation. Rada just asked the brothers if they could leave out her right breast so she could feed her only child, a baby boy. So they did.
Coins from Kratovo in Homer’s “Iliad”
Today, Kratovo has around 7000 citizens. It is the headquarters of the municipality of the same name and is located on the western side of the Osogovo Mountain, set amphitheatrically on the hills of an inactive volcanic crater. It is set at an altitude of 600 meters and it was known even in Roman time as a mining town called Kratishkara. In the Byzantine period the town was called Koritos or Koriton. That was a time when Kratovo traded with gold, silver and copper. In 1689 the town was abandoned and the mining pits were closed until 1805. By 1836 the population increased to 56.000.
I wonder how so many people could fit in a hole like this. It is unbelievable. The town was mentioned even in 6th century BC. The town, as well as the coins found during the reign of Adoljon Paeonian from 315 – 285 BC are mentioned in Homer’s “Iliad”. As time went by, the town had different lords. Stevan Nemanja added Kratovo to Serbia in 1189 and later it was again under Byzantine reign.
The reason so many rulers wanted Kratovo was because of the gold mines, the golden and silver coins smithies and the mining in general. The shine of the gold and the wealth of the town drew the Ottoman rulers, too, who stayed her for five centuries.
In mid-16th century, beside the faces of sultans Suleiman II and Selim II on the Turkish coins forged in Kratovo, there was also the letter K – a sign that the coins were forged in Kratovo. Since the end of the 19th century, the town began to stagnate.
The people from Kratovo can consider the places with the same name in the Moscow area, and in the municipality of Priboj in Serbia, as their closest relatives.
A green corner in the volcanic crater
Starting with several centuries old pines, through the bridges, towers, the few churches, rivers, the old cobblestones, the architecture and the overall ambient that brings us several centuries in the past, Kratovo offers an amazing serenity while you walk by the landmarks. And then, when you rest, you can try the famous “mantii” and “mezel’k” at the local restaurants.
The Shanche House, one of the most beautiful old buildings in Kratovo, is the first ethno-house in the Osogovo region. This architectural masterpiece, more than 300 years old, preserved the original building style and appearance of a typical Kratovo town house and the guests can prepare traditional meals, ajvar and sweets on their own. Kratovo is a green corner in the volcanic crater. The only public green space has been decorated and refined – it is the space near the two century old pines and the pensioners’ home. Also, a path, a bridge and a small summer stage have been built.
The people from Kratovo are very hospitable and they have a good brandy and a great “pastrmajlija”. Kratovo is a town that brings you back in history in a very pleasant way. It is one of the most beautiful Macedonian towns, whose protector is Saint George from Kratovo. He was born in 1497 in Kratovo, and as a young man, he became a good jeweler. He searched for his luck in Sophia. His beauty and the unusual mastery left a strong impression on the Turks who tried to convert him to Islam. His adamant denial to give up Christ was the reason he was imprisoned. In front of the court, he maintained his stance with dignity, so the judge declared him innocent. But, the angry Muslims wanted revenge. They themselves threw the 18-year old boy at a stake. When he started to pray, one of the Turks hit him with a big wood in the head; he crushed and got caught up by the flames.
That was on 11th February 1515. Miraculously, the woods burned but the martyr’s body remained intact. His brave attitude in front of the court and the heroic death upset the Christian population. That night, several Christians took the body and buried it at the metropolitan church of Saint Marina, in the yard of the present Sophia Metropolis. After a while, the remains of George from Kratovo were taken out and set in the temple for mutual worship.
Today, only a small part of them are at the “Saint Mary” monastery near Sophia, and another part is at the “Saint John” Rila monastery. Just 14 years after George’s death, a worship of him started in the distant Novgorod that spread throughout Russia. The memory of the saint is celebrated on 11th February when Kratovo is full of locals and guests. Today, a monument of George is set at the center of the town, made by the Academician Boro Mitrikjeski.
While you are in the town of the bridge built by nine master brothers, also visit the Rocky Art Museum – it is one of a kind in Macedonia. You will be welcomed by a curator wearing a hat like those worn by mayors of carnival towns. He got it from Prof. Dr. Dushko Aleksovski, founder of the Museum and the rocky art science in Macedonia.
There are a lot of things to be seen at this little museum; incredible things from ancient times – smooth rocks and mortars made as if they were grinded with the best machines. If you are lucky enough to meet the respected Mr. Aleksovski, a humble, patient and persistent researcher, also a PhD from Sorbonne, that would be like winning the jack-pot. There a lot of things to be learned from this man. He told me that I was born at the same place as Gavril from Lesnovo.
You can’t get lost – you can only find yourself
I go along the street left of the town’s entrance, by foot of course; it’s a one-way street, I go across the bridge and there I am, at the National Museum of Kratovo, founded in 1993 as a museum. It existed as a museum collection until 1993. There are four sections: archaeological, historical, ethnological and conservation.
I look around and I see the water surrounded by stone buildings from the bridge, then from the corner of the yard in front of the museum and from here towards the green market and then left upwards along the street, I go here and there, as if going towards Radin Bridge, but in reality I don’t know where I am going. But, I am calm because you can’t get lost in Kratovo. As a matter of fact, you can only find yourself here, discover yourself. And suddenly, a well-known restaurant is in front of me. I had a great time here once for the Saint George holiday.
I can hear Zivko Kondev singing “Monia”, a big hit from the 70s, for half an hour; that nostalgic song about the good old days. „Monia dans tes yeux, j'ai trouvé le bonheur...“
And when I leave Kratovo my eyes become teary and my voice start trembling, changing… And I go mute. I don’t know whether it is more because I am leaving the town, built by crafty hands, or because I still think of Rada and the nine masters that build Radin Bridge, or I think of „Monia dans tes yeux, j'ai trouvé le bonheur...“
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