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Revision as of 13:20, 15 December 2005 by Bitola (talk | contribs) (Adding new info)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Kumanovo is a city in northeastern Macedonia near the capital city of Skopje. Today more than 100 000 inhabitants are living in Kumanovo. The town's metal-processing, tobacco, agriculture, footwear and textile industries have made it an economic, trading and cultural center. The municipality institutions include: City Council, Mayor and another administrative bodies.
Etymology
Kumanovo is believed to derive from the Cumans, a Turkic tribe who settled the area in the 12th-13th century.
Geography and climate
The coordinates of the city are approximately 42°05'N and 21°40'E. Although Kumanovo lies on 340 km above the sea level, several mountains are surrounding the Kumanovo area. They are: Skopska Crna Gora (the part of the mountain that is near Kumanovo is also known as Karadag) on the western side, Gradishtanska planina on south and Mangovica and German on the eastern side.
Kumanovo has a temperate climate characterized by cold and moisture winters and hot and dry summers. On the nearby mountains the climate is mountainous.
Road connections
A highway connection long approximately 40 km exists between Skopje and Kumanovo. This highway goes near Kumanovo in north direction and crosses the border with Serbia and Montenegro. Also a railway connects Skopje with Kumanovo and Serbia and Montenegro. Another important road goes from Kumanovo to Kriva Palanka and reaches the border with Bulgaria. Of big importance for the city is the nearness of the Skopje airport.
History
The city was first mentioned in 1519 in a document housed in a Turkish archive in Istanbul. The traveler Evlija Chelebija mentioned Kumanovo in 1660 noting its many rivers, mosque, madrassa, hammam, vineyards and gardens. The city grew steadily in the 16th and 17th centuries, becoming an administrative center for the region. In 1689 the Karposh rebellion took place in Kumanovo. Agriculture and trade developed mainly in the 19th century, but the city's modern look was established after the Second World War. The anti-fascist insurrection of the people in the Republic of Macedonia and the struggle for national and social liberation began in Kumanovo and Prilep on October 11, 1941.
Kumanovo tourist attractions
Kumanovo is town of culture that includes music, theatre, arts, museums, festivals etc. The city has a library, cultural center, museum and national theater.
Several painting colonies and exhibitions took place every year in Kumanovo or in nearby villages.
Kumanovo is distinguisged by its jazz festival. This festival features music bands from many countries in the world. For example, in 2005 the festival included the performances by the bands from Holland and Norway. In 2002 the following music bands participated the festival: popular Macedonian bands: Foltin,Dragan Dautovski Kvartet, as well as the bands from Croatia, Hungary, Netherlands, Slovenia and Serbia and Montenegro.
Another interesting event occurring every year in Kumanovo is the “Days of comedy” festival. It features comedies from several Macedonian theatres and also from the neighbouring countries Serbia and Montenegro and Bulgaria. This manifestation is sponsored by the Ministry of culture of the Republic of Macedonia, as well as by the Kumanovo municipality.
Kumanovo boasts several monuments of very big importance. Between them are: the church of St. George in the village of Staro Nagorichane, the monastery of Karpino, the Ascension of Holy Mother in the village of Matejce, the church of St. Petka in the village of Mlado Nagorichane, the Church of Holy Trinity, the Eski mosque etc.
The oldest and biggest church in the town is the Church of St. Nikolas. There are valuable icons from XIII century in the church. The church represents a masterwork of the Andreja Damjanov, an important Macedonian renaissance architect.
The Church of St. George at the Monastery of Staro Nagoricane is the best known cultural and historical monument in Kumanovo. It was built in the 11th century and was reconstructed in the l4th. During its reconstruction, the fresco-painters Mihailo and Evtihij painted its walls with frescoes of exceptional skill.
The Church of Holy Trinity was built in 1902.
The Eski mosque was built in 1751 and it represents an interesting Islamic architecture.
Kumanovo has several monuments dating back to the prehistoric period. The most important ones are: Gradishte, an archaeological place of interest that is situated near the village of Pelince and dates from the Bronze Age. Near the village of Mlado Nagorichane is another interesting site dating from the period of Neolith. Near the village of Lopate is the Drezga place that represents a roman necropolis.
However, one of the most important sites located near the Kumanovo, pretending to obtain worldwide glory is the megalithic observatory of Kokino, located 30 km northeast of Kumanovo. It was discovered in 2001 and it is believed that represents an astronomical observatory and a ceremonial place. The most surprising fact is that the observatory is old 4000 years! The importance of the site was confirmed by the US space agency NASA. It has been ranked fourth on the list of old observatories released by NASA.
Violence
At 4:45 PM, on December 27, 2002, a bomb went off in front of Kumanovo's Goce Delcev High School while classes were still in session, killing one and injuring five bystanders. Goce Delcev is Kumanovo's biggest high school and is located near the central square. Shrapnel was found as far as 100 meters away from a trash can in front of the school where the bomb had been concealed. Shortly after the detonation, police arrived and blocked off adjacent streets. The identity of the perpetrators and their motivation is unknown.
Narcotics
Illegal drugs are notably high spread in Kumanovo particularly because of its proximity to three border crossings. Dragi Karadzinski, doctor and specialist in neuro-psychiatry at the Hospital Centre in Kumanovo, believes that the two most common narcotics among Kumanovo's youth are marijuana and hashish. The drug trade in Kumanovo has lead to a criminal underworld directly tried to Albanian mob factions.
External links
- Kokino megalithic observatory
- Kokino ancient observatory
- Kumanovo jazz festival
- Narcotics in Kumanovo
- Terrorism in Kumanovo
- Kumanovo FAQ