Tetovo

Understand

The population of Tetovo is majority ethnic Albanian, with a minority of Macedonians and others. While the city is often known as the unofficial capital of the Albanians of North Macedonia, and expressions of Albanian national pride, in the form of flag waving from houses and cars and graffiti depicting the map of the "Greater Albania", are common, this is by no means an exclusively Albanian city, and referring to it as such will offend the non-Albanian residents, particularly the ethnic Macedonians — and you can never know who you have been talking to. The Roman alphabet, in which the Albanian language is written, dominates throughout the city, while Cyrillic signage can be seen on one of the main streets, which is probably the part of the city where the Macedonian community gathers. Travellers will be rewarded with local hospitality and beautiful scenery in Tetovo.

History Although there may have been inhabitants in Tetovo's area as early as the Bronze Age, Tetovo was mentioned for the first time in the beginning of 13th century as a small medieval Orthodox settlement around the Holy Mother of God Church in the upper part of town. At the end of the 14th century, Tetovo, along with all of Macedonia, fell under the rule of the Ottoman Empire. As the Muslim population in Macedonia began to expand in the early Ottoman period, mosques, baths, and markets began to appear as early as the 15th century. Tetovo under Ottoman tutelage became an important trade center for the local farmers and craftsmen, as well as an important military fortification. Turkish influence deeply impacted Tetovo and it was renamed Kalkandelen (Turkish for "shield breaker", in honour of the blacksmiths of the city, who produced powerful swords and spears) to reinforce the new Islamic presence. Haci Halife in the 17th century noted in his writings that Kalkandelen was expanding at an amazing rate in its lowland areas. By the 19th century, when the population of Tetovo began to increase with sett

Getting there

By bus 1 Bus Station (Тетово Автобуска Станица), Boris Kidrich Street (Борис Кидрич), ☏ +389 44 339130. 24/7. There is perfect and regular bus connection with all of the cities in North Macedonia. There is a regular bus line from/to Skopje on every 30 minutes, taking around 50 minutes to an hour to cover the route, costing 110 den one-way. Sat-bus departs , to Gostivar (hourly, between 06:00-19:40), to Skopje (half-hourly, 06:00-19:40), to Kičevo (06:00, 07:00, 12:00, 13:20, 15:20, 17:00, 19:20), to Struga (seven times per day, 06:00-18:25), Kumanovo (three times). - Eurobus is an international coach operator based in North Macedonia that has almost daily tours from Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and Slovenia. Prices from €70 and possible to get student discount. Almost daily in modern coaches from Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Italy, Slovenia. Stops in the major cities Skopje, Tetovo, Ohrid.

By car The highway Skopje-Gostivar goes through Tetovo. It is very nice and smooth road, but you have to pay on pay-tolls to drive on it twice (once while leaving Skopje, and once again on the approach to Tetovo), price 60 denars each time.

Getting around

On foot All of the sights within the city of Tetovo are within close walking distance of one another. The fortress, however, is almost an hour walk from the churches in the upper part of town.

By taxi Taxis are available in Tetovo, with larger concentrations on major boulevards like Ilindenska and Maršal Tito.

See

Tetovo's most important and most interesting sights are reminders of its Ottoman heritage. This includes a unique mosque, a Bektashi Order monastery, a fortress, and a Turkish bath.

1 Šarena Džamija (Шарена Џамија). The most unique mosque in North Macedonia, the Šarena Džamija (meaning "Decorated Mosque") was built in 1438. It was, however, reconstructed in 1833 by Abdurrahman Pasha, when it received its present appearance. Abdurrahman Pasha was an art enthusiast which helps explain why the mosque has bright floral paintings, unlike other Ottoman mosques which typically have ceramic tile decor. More than 30,000 eggs were used to prepare the paint and glaze that went into the elaborate decorations. In addition to the geometric and floral ornamentation, landscape is also encountered. Among the pictorial decorations, especially attractive is the depiction of Mecca, a rare and perhaps the only example of an illustration of the shrine of Muhammad in southeast Europe. Another uncommon feature of this mosque is that it is not topped by a domed roof. The courtyard contains a türbe (tomb), a fountain, and is filled with flowers. The mosque sits on Ilindenska Boulevard just west of the Pena River. (updated Aug 2016) 2 Čifte Hamam (Беговски амам). Built in the 15th century, this hamam (Turkish bath) sits across the river from the Šarena Džamija on Ilindenska Boulevard. The hamam, also known as the Bey's Hamam, and the mosque were built around the same time. In 1962, the stone-built structure was transformed into an art gallery. It was completely renovated in 2015. 3 Arabati Baba Tekje (Арабати баба-теќе). A tekje is a place of spiritual retreat in the Bektashi Order, a type of Sufi Islam, similar to a monastery. This one is the best surviving Bektashi tekje in Europe. The sprawling complex was established in 1538. Ali Baba, brother-in-law of Sultun Suleiman the Magnificent, was banished to Tetovo in the 16th century. He practiced the way of the Bektashi Order until his death

Do

1 Žena Park (Жена Парк), Boris Kidrich St. Ski at 2 Popova Šapka (Попова Шапка) (W 18 km). A peak of the Šar Mountains rising 1,780 m (5,840 ft) and a ski resort surrounding the peak, west of Tetovo. It is North Macedonia's most popular ski resort with several hotels and restaurants. Various ski trails are good for beginners and experts. It is basically a ghost town outside of ski season. Since 1947, the Šar Mountain Cup ski tournament has been held here annually. A cable car running from Tetovo to the ski resort, damaged in the 2001 conflict, was restored in 2020. (updated Feb 2020) Watch football: KF Shkëndija play soccer in the Macedonian First League, the country's top tier. Their home ground is Ecolog Arena, capacity 15,000, northeast side of the city. Listen to Glasoečko Singing. This male two-part signing is on the list of UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. The tradition of this singing has been passed down for generations, but faces existential threats today as the much of the Macedonian population has left the area following the 2001 conflict, leaving not many individuals with both the skill and interest to learn. (updated Sep 2021)

Buy

1 City Shopping Center, Ilindenska St. 2 Vero Supermarket (Веро), Vidoe Smilevski Bato. 3 Market, Illyria and Blagoja Toska corner. 4 Komercijalna Banka AD Skopje, Ilirija bb.

Eat

Tetovo is a food paradise. It is said that Tetovo produces the best Burek, a sort of greasy, phyllo dough pastry filled with cheese or ground meat that is popular throughout the Ba