Prilep

Name

The name of Prilep appeared first as Πρίλαπος in Greek (Prilapos) in 1014 as the place where Samuel of Bulgaria had died after the Battle of Kleidion. The town was attached literally to the rocky hilltop above, and its name derives from Old Slavic, and means "stuck on the rock" (pri- + lep = on + stuck).

In other languages it is:

Greek: Prilapos, Πρίλαπος

Albanian: Përlep or Përlepi, or Prilep or Prilepi

Bulgarian and Serbo-Croatian: Прилеп / Prilep

Latin: Prilapum

Aromanian: Pãrleap

Turkish: Pirlepe, or Perlepe

Economy

Prilep is a regional centre for high-quality tobacco and cigarettes, as well as metal processing, electronics, timber, textiles, and food industries. The city also produces a large quantity of Macedonian Bianco Sivec (pure white marble).

Tobacco is one of Prilep's traditional cash crops and prospers in the Macedonian climate. Many of the world's largest cigarette makers, such as Marlboro, West and Camel use Prilep's tobacco in their cigarettes after it is processed in local factories such as Tutunski kombinat Prilep. A Tobacco Institute is established in the city in order to produce new types of tobacco and it was the first example of applying genetics to agriculture in the Balkans.

Vitaminka JSC, which is based in Prilep, specialises in food processing and is one of the largest and most successful companies of its kind in North Macedonia.

A Gentherm production plant is located in Prilep's southern outskirts.

History

In antiquity, the region of Prilep was part of ancient Pelagonia that was inhabited by the Pelagones, an ancient Greek tribe of Upper Macedonia, who according to Strabo, were Epirote Molossians. The region was annexed to the Macedonian kingdom during the 4th century BC. In September 2007 archeological excavations in Bonče, revealed a tomb of what is believed to be the burial site of a Macedonian ruler dating from the 4th century BC. Near Prilep, close to the village of Čepigovo, are the ruins of the ancient Macedonian city of Styberra (Ancient Greek: Στύβερρα), first a town in Macedonia and later incorporated into the Roman Empire. Styberra, though razed by the Goths in 268, remained partly inhabited.

The town was first mentioned in Greek as Πρίλαπον (Prilapon) in 1014, as the place where Tsar Samuel allegedly had a heart attack upon seeing thousands of his soldiers who had been blinded by the Byzantines after the Battle of Kleidion. In 1041, Byzantine emperor Michael IV defeated Petar Delyan's rebellion in the region of Prilep. Byzantium lost the town to the Second Bulgarian Empire, but later retook it. Prilep was taken over in 1334 by Serbian King Dušan and after 1365 the town belonged to King Vukašin, co-ruler of Dušan's son, Tzar Stefan Uroš V. After the death of Vukašin in 1371, Prilep was ruled by his son Marko. In 1395 it was incorporated into the Ottoman Empire, of which it remained a part of until 1913, when it was annexed by the Kingdom of Serbia.

During the Ottoman period, besides the ethnic Turks and the majority Slavic population, Prilep was also home to both a Sunni Muslim and Orthodox Christian Albanian community, which lived alongside the majority Orthodox Macedonians. Serbian historiographer Jovan Hadži-Vasiljević wrote:

"Between Turks and Muslim Albanians who have lived in the city (Prilep), it is very difficult to distinguish, especially between the old families of the city. The Mohammedan Albanian families, as soon as they arrived in the city, merged with the Turks, just as the Christian Albanian families merged with the Slavs or the Greeks"

Bulgarian researcher, Georgi Traychev, wrote:

"In the city of Prilep, there were no pure Greeks, but there are several (dozens) of Grecomans supported by schismatic Vlachs and Albanian Christians."

Culture

One of the most important institutions in the city is the Institute of Old Slavic Culture.

An art colony is hosted in the town centre of Prilep in the Center of Contemporary Visual Arts. The colony was founded in 1957 by the archaeologist Prof. Boško Babikj, organized by the initiative of Prof. Babikj and the academic painter Prof. Risto Lozanovski, making it perhaps one of the oldest colonies in southeastern Europe and perhaps the oldest in the Balkans. It hosts various painters and sculptors (working in marble, metal and wood) every year and, periodically, it hosts workshops and symposia for vitrage (glass design), mosaics, photography, graphics and clay, from countries around the world. The collection of sculptures carved in wood was acknowledged as cultural heritage by the most relevant criticizers and opinion makers.

Every year in October, the International Children's Music Festival "Asterisks" brings together children from all over the world.

The Professional Theatre Festival of Macedonia, honouring Vojdan Černodrinski, who was born in the village of Selci near Struga and Debar, occurs annually.

The Zrze Monastery and the Monastery of the Holy Archangel Michael with their 12th and 14th-century frescoes are notable sites of the culture of Prilep.

Pivofest (beer fest) is an annual four-day party held in the middle of July that attracts to around 200,000 visitors to the city. There are international and regional popular music acts performing nightly on the main stage in the town square as well as at the various clubs around town. Pivo Fest features a growing number of foreign and domestic beers as well as an opportunity for Prilep to showcase its famous barbecue which is considered the best in North Macedonia.

Pročka is a centuries-old religious holiday of forgiveness and celebration that in 2001 found an organised manifestation as the Prilep Carnival and has been a member of the Federation of European Carnival Cities since 2006. Despite the new official name, the festival is still known as Pročka by the locals and is referred to as such in the official tourist guide. The highlight of the festival is the mask parade which runs through the centre of the town and hosts participants from multiple European countries. There is a prize given for the best costume and many of the costumes are elaborate. There are also concerts, parties, and traditional food during the festival, which is held in February.

Language

The dialect of Prilep forms the basis for the Standard Macedonian. When the Socialist Republic of Macedonia was formed as part of Yugoslavia at the end of the Second World War, the Macedonian language was recognized as distinct one. Then the dialects of Prilep, Veles, Bitola and Ohrid were chosen as the basis for the new official language, because of their central position in the region of Macedonia.

Art and architecture

The main square in Prilep is called "Alexandria", in honour of Alexander the Great. The reconstruction of the square began in 2005 and it was completed in 2006. The reconstruction cost €700,000 and its investor was the municipality of Prilep. During its reconstruction, a monument to Alexander the Great was erected, among other things. The monument of Alexander the Great was placed in 2006, built by a local sculptor and funded by a Macedonian emigrant to the United States originating from Prilep. A plaque clarifying that Alexander the Great belonged to ancient Hellenic history and civilisation was placed on the monument, in compliance with the Prespa agreement.

Several ancient and medieval-era sites grace Prilep including those at Markovi Kuli, St. Nicholas's church built in the 13th century, the Treskavec Monastery (Ascension of the Holy Mother of God), the Sv. Preobraženie (Holy Annunciation) church and the Tomb of the Unconquered, a memorial in honour of the victims of fascism located in Prilep's Mogila park. A large Roman necropolis is known there and parts of numerous walls have been found; the settlement was probably the ancient Ceramiae mentioned in the Peutinger Table. Roman remains can also be found near the Varoš monastery, built on the steep slopes of the hill, which was later inhabited by a medieval community. Many early Roman funeral monuments, some with sculpted reliefs of the deceased or of the Thracian Rider and other inscribed monuments of an official nature, are in the courtyard of the church below the southern slope of Varoš. Some of the larger of those monuments were built into the walls of the church.

The most important ancient monument is the old city of Styberra situated on Bedem hill near Čepigovo, in the central region of Pelagonia. As early as the time of the Roman–Macedonian wars, this city was known as a base from which the Macedonian king Perseus of Macedon set out to conquer the Penestian cities. An important site in the area is Bela Crkva, 6 km (4 mi) west of Styberra, where the town of Alkomenai was probably located. It was a stronghold of the Macedonian kings after it was rebuilt in the early Roman period and was at the Pelagonian entrance to a pass leading to Illyria. Part of the city wall, a gate, and a few buildings of the Roman period were uncovered here in excavations. All recent finds from these sites are featured in the Museum of the City of Prilep.

The Treskavec monastery, built in the 12th century in the mountains about 10 km (6 mi) north of Prilep under Zlatovrv peak, at the edge of a small upland plain 1100 meters above sea level. Prilep has frescoes from the 14th and 15th centuries and is probably the site of the early Roman town of Kolobaise. The name of the early town is recorded on a long inscription on stone which deals with a local cult of Ephesian Artemis. The inscription was reused as a base for a cross on top of one of the church domes. Other inscriptions at Treskavec include several 1st century Roman dedications to Apollo. The old fortress was used by the Romans, and later the Byzantines. Tsar Samuil came to Prilep after the defeat at Belasica in 1014. During the Middle Ages, after 1371, Prince Marko rebuilt the citadel extensively, making it an important military stronghold.

Geography

Prilep covers 1,675 km2 (647 sq mi) and is located in the northern Pelagonia plain, in the southern part of North Macedonia. Prilep is the eponymous seat of the Prilep municipality, the largest municipality by area size in the country, and access is gained via the A3 motorway. It is 74 km (46 mi) (as the crow flies) from the capital Skopje, 44 km (27 mi) from Bitola, and 32 km (20 mi) from Kruševo.

Demographics

As of the 2021 census, Prilep had 63,308 residents with the following ethnic composition:

Macedonians: 54,028

Turks: 82

Persons for whom data are taken from administrative sources: 4,692

Serbs: 107

Romani: 3,966

Albanians: 106

Vlachs: 30

Others: 3

Sports

Prilep is the home of several sports teams, the best known of which are:

ФК Победа 2000-2009

ФК 11ти Октомври 1999-2011

ФК Корзо

ФУДБАЛСКА ЕКИПА ЗА ГЛУВИ ОД ПРИЛЕП

Ракометен Клуб „ПОБЕДА“

Ракометен Клуб „МЕТАЛОТЕХНИКА“

Ракометен Клуб „ПЕГАЗ“

Ракометен Клуб „ТУТУНСКИ КОМБИНАТ“ – МЛАДИНЦИ

Женски Ракометен Клуб „ТУТУНСКИ КОМБИНАТ“

Женски Ракометен Клуб „Прилеп“

Женски Ракометен Клуб „ТУТУНСКИ КОМБИНАТ“ – МЛАДИНЦИКИ

Ракометен Клуб „ПАРТИЗАН“

СПОРТСКА САЛА „МАКЕДОНИЈА“

УНИВЕРЗАЛНА СПОРТСКА САЛА

ПЛАНИНАРСКИ ДОМ „ДЕРВЕН“

Twin towns – sister cities

Prilep Municipality is twinned with:

Asenovgrad, Bulgaria

Chernihiv, Ukraine

Garfield, United States

Tire, Turkey

Topoľčany, Slovakia

Vincent, Australia