Veles

Veles is a historic city situated near the Vardar Gorge, about an hour’s drive south of Skopje. At its heart stands a clock tower, a museum, and several streets lined with ancient houses. The city and its surroundings are home to numerous churches and monasteries, as is common throughout Macedonia, including the distinctive Church of St. Panteleimon, which overlooks Veles from the south. Nearby, the 14th-century Monastery of St. Dimitrija marks the beginning of a stunning 10-kilometer gorge along the Vardar River.

The Church of St. Panteleimon was built in 1840 by the Masonic Society of Andreja Damjanov, who were associated with the Freemasons and incorporated sacred architectural motifs into their structures. The builders designed the church to elevate visitors and reveal the potential for human refinement and development. This was achieved through the spatial arrangement, creating an upward movement not only toward the altar but also through the positioning of a gallery above a gallery and a transition from columns to arches.

One of the key manifestations of sacred architecture in the church is its exceptional acoustics, which is why it is occasionally used for concerts. Andreja Damjanov also designed and built the church at Osogovo Monastery and Kičevo Monastery, as well as the Cathedral in Niš, Serbia, the Cathedral in Sarajevo, and the Church of the Mother of God (Bogorodica) in nearby Štip.

An hour’s drive west of Štip lies the picturesque Bogomila Valley, nestled at the foot of the Jakupica mountain range, which rises to over 2,500 meters. Today, the area is a center for tobacco cultivation, but in the past, it was likely the heart of the heretical Bogomil movement, which gained popularity in Macedonia during the 10th and 11th centuries AD.