Golden mask - Macedonia

For those lucky visitors to Ohrid who get the opportunity to spend time with one of Macedonia’s pre-eminent archaeologists, Pasko Kuzman, a world of ancient relics and remarkable stories awaits. 

Ensconced in his element, the wonderful repository of antiquities he carefully oversees at the city’s museum, the archaeologist is glad to spread his infectious enthusiasm for the great potential of Macedonian archaeology- according to him, a resource still largely untapped.

Some of Mr. Kuzman’s notable achievements include the discovery of the priceless Ancient Macedonian golden mask of Ohrid, similar to four previously found at the necropolis of Trebenista, the faithful reconstruction of the Byzantine church of Plaosnik, and the ongoing excavation of a 3,000 year-old settlement now submerged deep under water near the village of Gradiste, tucked halfway down Ohrid’s southeastern shore.

In July, more excavations in the central fortress of the medieval Tsar Samuel unearthed remains of what is believed to be the first fortress of King Philip II of Macedon, dating back to the fourth century B.C.

Kuzman also began the excavation works in Vevchani, where the ruins of a mysterious church were discovered last fall. With the warm spring weather now returning to Macedonia, excavations will resume and hopefully the church will divulge its secrets soon enough (though he recently told us that they have not yet resumed).

The museum in Ohrid is housed in a grand and stately old building. The cozy laboratory where Kuzman and his assistants work is located several floors up a narrow stairway. On a long worktable illuminated by white lights, penciled index cards and drawings of artifacts overlay ancient finds in the process of documentation. Neatly assembled along the shelf behind are rows of ancient Macedonian battle helmets, swords, jewelry and pots.

As Kuzman merrily works away on cataloguing the enormous backlog of little treasures on the table, he points out the presence of the Star of Vergina, the symbol of the ancient House of Macedon, found on rounded drinking vessels among other objects. He points to this fact with satisfaction: “it indicates that this was an Ancient Macedonian, and not some other civilization that lived in Ohrid’s ancestor,Lychnidos.” The decoration is shaded in red and yellow pencil on a worn old booklet suited for the purpose.

The shelves are lined with spears and arrowheads, daggers and necklaces and curving vessels. There are rusted, narrow-fitting helmets, and round-topped ones with almost a sort of metal visor brimming out. But the most beautiful among them is a shone bronze helmet, adorned with wreath and ram’s head with curving horn over the ear piece. Relics like these conjure up both the glorious civilizations that created them and the bloody battles in which they were used.

Another item pointing to the Ancient Macedonian legacy in Ohrid, tucked safely away in its own special container, is the more famous golden mask of Trebenista. One of the biggest discoveries to have taken place in the modern-day Republic of Macedonia, it caused a sensation when dug up on September 30, 2002.

The mask also means a lot to the Macedonians because the four other similar ones previously found were spirited away by foreign occupiers, probably never to return; two by the Bulgarians upon being discovered in 1918, and the other two by the Serbs in 1934. Now in museums in Sofia and Belgrade, the masks were thought to be the only ones for a long time. Yet further excavations a the Gorna Porta of Ohrid’s old town yielded a fifth mask and accompanying golden glove with gold ring on it. They were found in a tomb together with several rings and sandals woven with silver.

According to Kuzman, this discovery among others indicates that Lychnidos was at some stage a city for the Ancient Macedonian aristocracy, rather than an Illyrian town as he had learned in university. He maintains that the funereal masks can teach modern researchers much about the prevailing social relationships of Antiquity and, romantically, that the delicate gold mask meant to cover the face of the dead person helped that person to communicate in some way with the living from the afterlife.

Stobi - ancient town in Macedonia

Lying in a fertile valley just a few minutes off the central north-south highway that connects Macedonia with Greece, the ancient city of Stobi was a vital trade route in its days. This crossroad of ancient civilizations has left a rich legacy of antique theaters, palace ruins,brightly-colored mosaics and religious relics for visitors to enjoy today.

The city of Stobi is first mentioned in documents from the 2nd century B.C. However, archaeologists believe that the town had been inhabited at least 400 years earlier. Stobi became a rich and prosperous city due to its location on the crossroads of important trade routes. It experienced its highest prosperity in the 3rd and 4th century A.D.

This archaeological site (located just 3 km or 1.8 miles from the Gradsko exit on Highway E-75) offers sweeping views of the central Macedonian plain and contains edifices such as the 2nd century amphitheatre, the Theodosia palace and early Christian ruins with extensive and ornate mosaic floors.  

INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF ANTIQUE THEATRE, STOBI

With aim to preserve the tradition of the antique theatre, from 1992, to the initiative of the actors of the theatre of Veles, on the scene of the ancient amphitheatre were presented the performances of the antique theatrical texts.  From 2004, this tradition is transformed in international Festival of antique drama that each year attracts an increase number of theatrical artists worldwide.  

The festival is a true attraction not only for the citizens of Veles, but also for the admirers of theatre from all the regions of the state that is confirmed by the big number of visitors, 2000 to 3000 by the piece.

 In the framework of the festival, traditionally are allocated the prices for the best presentations, directors and actors. The ancient scene of Stobi is particularly impressive because of the possibility of creation the true spectacles in the authentic ambient of the antique theatre thru the resurrection of the texts of Sophocles, Aristophanes, Euripides and others antique authors.

MACEDONIAN GEOGLYPH

Geoglyphs are works of art created in the earth's soil by organized stacking of stones, earth or other material.

The origin of these drawings visible from the sky is still unknown to most scholars of our time. World famous Nazca Lines are a series of geometric shapes, kilometers of lines and large drawings of animal and human figures and shapes made on the desert floor in Nazca in Peru.

In Chile there are remnants of the Inca culture, also represented through forms on earth and only just visible from the sky. Series of such drawings are not only in South America, but in Australia, UK, USA, which is clearly visible on this  map . According to previous research, which today forms the science calls geoglifi were created by ancient civilizations in order to show respect for their gods, or of replicating well known "As Above, So Below" The same way of copying the image of "Heavenly Paradise" is evident in Egypt, where the Sphinx and Pyramids are placed just in order reflected a perfect mirror of celestial movements of certain constellations and positions, not just the stars but the sun and moon .

In truth, our Macedonia is in the list of world's oldest civilizations. Geoglif in an area about the size of a football field is located in Ovche Pole, near Sveti Nikole. Clearly visible from a helicopter, airplane, and - on  Google Maps 

Part of the local population is aware of the existence of this place more than 15 years, and no doubt that this for was conscious and former Yugoslav Army. These days, scientists, adventurers, explorers from around the Balkans comes surprisingly in Sveti Nikole, taking into account the many (over) natural phenomena in the environment. The position of this geoglyph is in a exact direction north - south and located above the village Crnilishte. 

Coincidentally, the symbol painted on the ground which is cultivated for centuries is the same with some words from the middle text of Rosetta Stone, deciphered by professors Bosevski Tome and Aristotle Tentov. Their work clearly shows that the letter and the language of our ancestors is the root not only ours, but through out to the Glagolitic and all Slavic languages. According transcription, read from north to south, the picture visible from the sky corresponds to the Supreme Deity of ancient Macedonians, God DZE (one who sees All, Supreme, Ruler, Prophet, The Sacred Eye, The Great Eye) and his tribute to the Great Mother, or the armed A Dze - The Great (first) Mother of the heavenly Head.

Nonessential are wonderful! The analogy of the symbol reflected the country with the supreme deity of the ancient people of the region awakened interest among many people in Macedonia.

Being interested in this place, calculate another  interesting parallel  - north of there is a megalithic observatory Kokino and south Alshar mine with lorandite. Through communication with researchers in this field, understood, and  the similarity  in the constellation Cassiopeia and its movement by Northern Star. 

the place where it's located is named KANDA in years

Paeonian God of War was KANDAON

KUKLICA - THE STONE TOWN (NATURAL MONUMENT)

In the area of Kratovo near village Kuklica, a 10 million years old “stone town” is established. There are many legends and myths about the existence of the ‘Dolls’ but the most famous is the one that says that the stone figures are wedding guests that were cursed by a forsaken bride who turned them into rocks. There are 120 stone figures, one next to another and they are up to 10 meters high.

The legend has it that once upon a time a boy from the village of Kuklica (which is above the stone town) couldn’t decide which girl to marry so he asked two girls to be his brides. The weddings with both of them were planned to take place in one day. There used to be a tradition that there mustn’t be two weddings in one day, because the brides must not see each other during their weddings – it was considered to be bad luck. One of the brides, not knowing about this tradition saw that there is another wedding in the same day and ran out of her house to see who is getting married. When she saw her husband to be with another girl she cursed all of them: "Let God turn you all into rocks, even me" and all people turned into rocks.

According to another legend, the existence of the stone figures is very different. There used to be a forest in this area but due to wars it was burned down. Soon the area became a wasteland. The temperatures were very low and when the army passed through the wasteland all of the soldiers turned into rocks.
However, scientists do not agree with the legends. According to them, the stone figures were formed 10 million years ago by tectonic erosion, from minerals that dissolve in water. As time went by, nature created masterpieces. Locals say that every 5-6 years new figures appear.

Church of St. John at Kaneo

 

Saint John the Theologian, Kaneo or simply Saint John at Kaneo is a Macedonian Orthodox church situated on Kaneo beach overlooking Lake Ohrid in the city of Ohrid, Republic of Macedonia. The church is attributed to the author of the Gospel of John, John the Evangelist. The construction date of the church remains unknown but documents detailing the church property suggests that it was built before the year 1447. Archaeologists believe that the church was constructed some time before the rise of the Ottoman Empire very likely in the 13th century. Restoration work in 1964 led to the discovery of frescoes in its dome.

    The church was built into the shape of a cruciform with a rectangular base. The architect of the church is unknown but it is believed that he was influenced by the architecture of Armenian churches. Reconstruction work was carried out on the church in the 14th century, shortly before the arrival of Ottoman Turks in Macedonia. A wooden iconostasis was constructed within the church and by the 20th century numerous saints along with the Virgin Mary have been portrayed on the apse. A fresco of Christ Pantocrator can be seen on the dome of the church. A fresco of Saint Clement of Ohrid (whose monastery, Saint Panteleimon, is located close to the church) accompanied by Saint Erasmus of Ohrid can also be seen on a wall of the church.

Saint Panteleimon, Ohrid - Old Church Slavonic

Saint Panteleimon  is a monastery in Ohrid, Republic of Macedonia situated on Plaošnik. It is attributed to Clement of Ohrid, a disciple of Saint Cyril and Saint Methodius. Archaeologists have come to believe that the monastery was the site where the first students of the Glagolitic alphabet (used to translate the Bible into Old Church Slavonic) were taught.

The monastery is believed to have been built when Saint Clement arrived in Ohrid, at the request of Boris I of Bulgaria and restored an old church. Sources say that Saint Clement was not satisfied with the size of the church and therefore built a new one over it and assigned Saint Panteleimon as its patron saint.

Saint Clement used his newly created monastery as a liturgical building and a place for teaching his disciples his variation of the Glagolitic alphabet, known as the Cyrillic script. Clement personally built a crypt inside the monastery in which he was buried after his death in 916, his tomb still exists today.

In the 15th century, Ottoman Turks converted the monastery into a mosque but during the beginning of the 16th century allowed ruined churches and monasteries to be restored, therefore, so was Saint Clement's monastery. The monastery was again ruined during the end of the 16th century or the beginning of the 17th century and yet another mosque, called Imaret Mosque, was erected by the Ottomans, this mosque still exists to this day.

Many archaeologists believe that Clement himself designed and constructed the monastery. Clement, along with Naum of Preslav would use the monastery as a basis for teaching the Glagolitic and Cyrillic alphabets to Christianised Slavs thus making it a university.

The monastery stands on a hill which is now known as Plaošnik overlooking Lake Ohrid. Clement built his monastery on a restored church and a Roman basilica of five parts (the remains of the basilicas can still be seen outside the monastery). Judging by the architectural style and design of the monastery, researchers say that Saint Clement intended for his building to be a literary school for disciples, thus it is believed to be the first and oldest discontinued university in Europe.

 The exterior of the monastery contains a large number of finely detailed mosaics not far from a stone Baptismal font used to baptise his disciples.

Apart from the monastery's many reconstructions during the Ottoman empire, it has recently undergone extensive reconstruction and excavation. Reconstruction started on December 8, 2000 and the physical church was fully reconstructed by August 10, 2002. Most of Saint Clement's relics were returned to the church. A partially ruined bell tower was restored on the right side of the monastery and the floors of the interior of the church have been reconstructed with marble. Reconstruction was carried out by hand using materials used to build the original church in order to preserve the original spirituality of the monastery. Machines were only used to polish the interior during the reconstruction of the monastery.The first excavations of the monastery were carried out in 1943 by Prof. Dimche Koco. Excavations inside the monastery have revealed underground tunnels and crypts. Further excavations have been planned to uncover more remains under the monastery, including more ruins of the Roman basilicas that stood there (the pillars outside the monastery support the idea of more remains).

On October 10, 2007, a collection of approximately 2,383 Venetian coins was discovered by archaeologists while excavating the monastery. A prominent archaeologist of the Republic of Macedonian, Pasko Kuzman, stated that the coins are of special significance because they indicate that Ohrid and Venice were commercially linked

 As the monastery is the most sacred of all the churches in the Republic of Macedonia, thousands of Macedonian Orthodox Christians gather at Plaošnik during large religious holidays such as Easter and Christmas to celebrate and take part in the liturgies.

The Mine of Alshar - Macedonia

Alshar, an ancient mine located in the southern Balkans, in Macedonia, is said to contain minerals that are found nowhere else on the planet. The rarest of them all—the lorandite, a crystal of the thallium. The lorandite is thought to have the potential to unravel the so-called "neutrino puzzle." By serving as a geochemical detector of the neuron, the lorandite could validate or disprove the theory of the standard solar system, say physicists. In simple terms—it would let us understand the work of the Sun.They say it holds a secret no less than that of the Universe. That it guards the answer to the power of the Sun. No, it is not the latest Spielberg blockbuster. It is a mine. But a mine covered in a veil of mystery.

The Ottomans, who ruled the peninsula until the beginning of the 20th century, called it Majdan (the word for "mine" in Turkish). This was also the name given to the nearest village. They explored for gold. But they were not the first ones at the mine. According to some, the mine has existed for over 5,000 years.

It has eight entrances, two of which lead through corridors that extend up to 6 kilometers and have cobblestone pathways, placed there by the Ottomans. The mine has been closed for decades.

Media reports tell the story that in the late 70's the Macedonian government had a secret session, at the request of the federal authorities of former Yugoslavia, to decide whether to concede a "great power" (Russia?) to conduct research for space purposes in Alshar.

At the beginning of the 20th century, elite universities from Budapest, Vienna and Prague began examining the then unknown minerals from the mine.

Nowadays people from the nearby villages serve as guides to "mysterious" foreigners who visit the mine. The visitors go inside the mine to collect minerals from its bowels. These stories abound often mixed with an element of fantasy. They talk of helicopters that do screening from above—helicopters bearing the marks of the national government but also of foreign militaries. (There is a large foreign military presence in the region.) Villagers say the mine is full of minerals that glow in different colors.

According to experts, many world scientists are very interested in exploring Alshar. The lorandite from the mine can register in a chemical and physical way the so-called neutrino flux coming from the Sun. And they say it is the only known substance that has this power. If the neutrino could be explored, science could understand the processes that go on inside the Sun. Some say with awe that it could lead to an understanding of the past but also of the future of our galaxy.

How did it ever get there, and only there? On a mountain (Kozuf) in the southern Balkans? One assumption, again resembling a movie scenario, is that it fell from the Sun, following an eruption a billion years ago.

Despite all the mystery, the fact is undisputed that Alshar is the only known place on the planet that contains the lorandite, a mineral of potentially huge significance in physics.

According to rough estimates, the mine could have reserves of up to 40 tons of lorandite. A few grams of lorandite for lab research is said to cost about 5-6 euros.

Local scientists have come forward in the past with the idea to have the mine protected by UNESCO and have suggested that it be turned into a resort for global science tourism. It could attract up to several thousand researchers a year, they say, including atomic physicists, space scientists, geologists, and of course many adventurers. The zone around the mine should be developed, and the mine itself should be restored, its corridors lighted, and new pathways built. They say many NASA people would enjoy coming and staying for work and holidays combined.

All agree that Macedonia has the lorandite and should do more for promoting the "hunt" of the neutrino.

A decade ago, the LOREX project (lorandite experiment) was initiated by scientists from all over former Yugoslavia, in cooperation with international labs. The key to the neutrino is the key to the door of Alshar, they said.

A few years ago, the mine was registered as a natural monument and made part of the Emerald Network of "areas of special conservation interest," created by the Council of Europe.

This year, the Macedonian government has initiated a project to have the mine protected. This would mean that any type of activity in Alshar would require prior government permission. At present, the place is completely unrestricted for any type of visit.

Villagers' stories continue. Just next to the mine is a small hill where the grass is always green. Neither man nor livestock can step a foot on it, they say. It will knock down even the largest cow that roams the pasture, as the hill is full of thallium, one of the most potent of poisons.

The immediate zone around the mine has geothermal waters, and the outer edges of the village of Majdan abound with a white mineral that the villagers use for washing and cleaning.

If the power of the Sun could be understood, say scientists, then hypothetically, humanity could reproduce it. It could create many "small suns." Energy production facilities akin to nuclear plants, but without the radioactivity. They could produce environmentally clean power.

Is it a fantasy, or not?