THE BRIDGES OF KRATOVO

24/02/202124/02/2021 DMWC Magazine

The road from Skopje, through Veles and Probistip to Kratovo, is about 140 km. It must be shorter through Kumanovo, at least by about 40 kilometers, but somehow that morning storks led us. As mysterious and ridiculous as it sounds now, but that morning we followed the storks’ nests. They returned. Although, much later this year.

When you cross the Grofchanski Bridge you are already in Kratovo. From the regional road, you go directly to the narrow bazaar stone alleys.

“Kratovo is the oldest city in the Balkans.”
This is evidenced by the large number of artifacts found here. Several coins from the time of the Paeonian king Adaljon (315-285 BC) have been found in the vicinity of Kratovo and Kratovo region. “Near the village of Shlegovo there is a mine, which Professor Stevan Simic in 1910 systematically researched for everything that meant ancient mining,” began the story of our host Stevche Donevski, a man who has been collecting information about Kratovo and the Kratovo area for 25 years.

Kratovo towers are the special pride of this city. They were built in the Middle Ages and were once 13. Today, in a “more decent” condition, only six: Simiceva, Saat-kula, Zlatkova, Krsteva, Emin-begova, and Hadzi-Kosteva kula.

The most beautiful is Simiceva, the Cross was the richest, and the oldest is the Golden Tower. The clock tower has been turned into an exhibition setting. The towers were once owned by miners. They lived here, together with their families, but also with the workers and their families. The guards who guarded the towers also lived here, in fact, the money (forged from the ore in the mines), so the towers were connected with tunnels and underground corridors. It is presumed that they were built by Kostadin Dejanov, to create a defensive wall from the Turkish army. One of the entrances is located near the Grofchanski bridge, while the exit is located on the other side, near the Radin bridge, from where it was easy to escape to the dense forest and the mountain known only to the locals. Towards the end of World War II, when the Germans were retreating and arriving at this place (near Radin Bridge), a soldier asked the commander-in-chief where they were. He replied: “At the end of the world.”

Today, the tunnels are cleared in the first phase and can be seen. In 1956, Stevan Simic wrote in his article about Kratovo that in 1936 the city was affected by a big storm, followed by a flood. Many of the tunnels were then flooded and buried.

The city of coins, towers, and bridges.
The road from Skopje through Veles and Probistip to Kratovo is about 140 km. It must be shorter through Kumanovo, at least by about 40 kilometers, but somehow that morning the storks “led the road”. As mysterious and ridiculous as it sounds now, but that morning we followed the storks’ nests. They returned. Although, much later this year.
When you cross the Grofchanski Bridge you are already in Kratovo. You enter suddenly. From a road literally to narrow bazaar stone alleys.

“Kratovo is the oldest city in the Balkans. This is evidenced by the large number of artifacts found here. In the vicinity of Kratovo and the Kratovo region, several coins from the time of the Paeonian king Adaljon (315-285 BC) have been found. Near the village of Shlegovo, there is a mine, for which Professor Stevan Simic in 1910 made systematic research on everything that could be seen from the ancient mining “, began the story of our host Stevche Donevski, a man who has been collecting information about Kratovo for 25 years and Kratovo region.

The bridges of Kratovo
According to prof. Stevan Simic, at the beginning of the 20th century Kratovo still had 14 living bridges. Now, the ones that work are the Grofchan Bridge, the Bazaar Bridge, the Yorkshire (or Pig Bridge), the Argulich Bridge, and, of course, the Radin Bridge. Grofcanski is the only bridge with two arches that connects the Ajduk Bazaar with the right bank of the Kratovska River. To its left is the House of Culture, an old but restored building that also testifies to the non-architectural skill of the nameless masters.

In the vertical of the abyss, large stone arches are visible, remnants of a former inn. The bridge belonged to the wealthy Grofchanci family, who came from Asia Minor. In fact, in the rise of Kratovo, according to the story of Stevche Donevski, there were 38 rich Jewish families – Koljo, Simon, David…, who were prominent in their businesses. One was a trader in southern fruits, another – a trader in leather, a third – a meat trader…

That was the time when people traveled from Kratovo to Thessaloniki three days on foot, the same as from Kratovo to Sofia. The city then had strong trade links with Dubrovnik, as well as with other trading cities in the Balkans and beyond.

„Radin most”
There is a bridge called Radin on the Manceva River. Legend has it that it was built by nine brothers. But as they built during the day, a bridge collapsed at night. Someone whispered to them: for the bridge to stand, it must be given a sacrifice that will be built into it. The brothers agreed that the daughter-in-law who would bring them lunch the next day would be walled up

All the brothers warned their women not to come, except for the youngest. The next day, the youngest one, Rada, cooked lunch and took it. When the brothers-in-law threw her in the foundation to build her into the wall, she screamed: “Please leave my right breast, so I can nurse my son.”

Interestingly, the towers are also decorated with carved symbols (Zlatko’s Tower – a man’s skull), to scare the potential robber when he sees them. The towers were residential buildings built of semi-finished stone. Volcanic balls (which are very heavy) along with lead and pine resin (the easiest to melt) were climbed to the fourth floor to be fired at the potential enemy. Kratovo towers still have owners today. But they are padlock at all gates. Unfortunately, most homeowners are waiting for better times.

Kratovo towers
The towers are the special pride of this city. They were built in the Middle Ages and were once 13. Today, in a “more decent” condition, only six remain Simikjeva, Saat-kula, Zlatkova, Krsteva, Emin-begova, and Hadzi-Kosteva kula. The most beautiful is Simiкјeva, the Кrsteva’s was the richest, and the oldest is the Zlatkova’s Tower. The clock tower has been turned into an exhibition setting.

The towers were once owned by the mine owners. They lived here, together with their families, but also with the workers and their families. The guards who guarded the towers (in fact the money, forged from the gold&silver exploited in the mines) also lived here, so the towers were connected with tunnels and underground passages.

It is presumed that they were built by Kostadin Dejanov, to create a defensive wall from the Turkish army. One of the entrances is located near the Grofchanski bridge, while the exit is on the other side, near the Radin bridge, from where it was easy to escape to the dense forest and the mountain, along a path known only to the locals. Towards the end of World War II, when the Germans were retreating and arriving at this place (near Radin Bridge), a soldier asked the commander-in-chief where they were. He replied: “At the end of the world.”

Today, the tunnels are partially cleared and can be visited. In 1956, Stevan Simiкј wrote in his article about Kratovo that in 1936 the city was affected by a big storm, followed by a flood. Many of the tunnels were then flooded and buried.

Sarah
Legend has it that there was a so-called Queen’s Tower (near the Saraj Bridge), a tower of Empress Elena and Emperor Kostadin Dejanovic, who had a daughter, Sarah. When the Turks pressed them, Sarah threw the keys to the tower and escaped through the underground tunnels with bags of gold. It is said that the Turks did not find the money, but they did not find Sara either. Even today, people want to tell the legend, but also to dream, and maybe look for the gold coins.
of Sarah.

The towers were residential buildings built of semi-finished stone. Volcanic balls (which are very heavy) along with lead and pine resin (the easiest to melt) were climbed to the fourth floor to be fired at the potential enemy. Kratovo towers still have owners today. But at all gates padlock. Unfortunately, most homeowners are waiting for better times.

“Five pine trees and two chestnuts”
There are a thousand and one tales about Kratovo. If you want to listen to them, not one will put you to sleep. Personally, the most impressive for me was the story of the five pine trees and the two chestnuts. Do you believe we have two 14th century pines? Alive and healthy, connected to its branches as one. The story goes that in the 13th century, when whole families from Silesia moved to these parts, wanting to mark the beginning of a permanent and fertile habitat, each family planted a tree. Five pine nuts and two chestnuts. The pines (four) were planted in the part where today is the city park. Two have been saved. One caught fire by itself (in the 1920s), most likely by lightning. The ancients say that the tree burned for ten days, it was so big. The second pine was demolished sometime in 1951 when this part of the road was being built. Some say – intentionally so that there are not three pines, but two … one male and the other female. It seems that the pines do not want a “third party” either. It is interesting that with them the population credited their future. Figuratively and divinely, they kept and rejoiced. They circumcised the male pine, from which the white gold – the resin – flows, and on the female, a hollow was made with a primordial reflection of fertilization.

But the most beautiful is the view of the sky. The pines, although more than ten meters apart, intertwine their branches. Ah, love.

„St. John the Baptist”
You will lose a lot if you are in Kratovo and do not “peek” at the church “St. John the Baptist”, restored in 1836. It was restored by the famous architect Andreja Damjanov. The data speaks of its multiple demolition and looting. The people in Kratovo like to name it a women’s church.

You enter the church with a headscarf and impeccable humility. “Silver Hands” of Jesus Christ, Mother of God, Apostle Thomas and St. John, every believer wants to touch them, something worth looking at. Like a bright thought, to thaw reality for a moment. The icons were made by Zaharie Dosev Svetogorac. Ten years ago, the left hand (silver part) of the Mother of God disappeared.

The church board assumes that she was taken by a woman who had no children, hoping to get them.

Ile, Dimko, Father Blazhe, the people from the Church Board want to believe that the care of conscience will make that woman return to her then. Because she will never be calm.

People with warm hearts
And quite at the end of this part of the story named Kratiskara (Roman period), Koritos or Coriton (Byzantine period), or Kratovo (today). This city still has potatoes of geographical origin. People still store indigenous bean and pepper seeds. They simply do not like new, industrial seed varieties. Maybe the yield is lower than the old ones, but they do not give them. They will tell you: “For 400 years my family lived from this seed, so can I.” If you catch the market day, you will vividly go back 100 years. The goods are brought to the market by horse or donkey. The narrow streets of the bazaar scream the past. Some pans or casseroles made from the most famous Kratovo b’k’r (copper) are still left as a legacy in the Kratovo homes. If you are lucky, you can drink Turkish coffee from a copper pot. And light the cigarette with beech fungus and quartz stone.

Kratovo has even more stories. For example, about the four tetra drachmas of Philip found in 1954, on the place where today’s “Taseva bar”, or, about the Shlegs who are direct descendants from the Schleswig and Saxons, about the famous “lady” who in the 60’s years of the last century with bags of gold moved to Kyustendil, Bulgaria, or one more for many living things that happened and written in the stone blocks of this city. A city where people with warm hearts live.

From Kratovo I will recommend you to try “K ‘cana” salt. It is part of the festive table for the religious holiday Easter, and very often for St. Trinity.
It is prepared in the spring, although the June herbs are the most delicious. Kca salt is a cooking secret of almost every Kratovo family. Someone puts something extra, someone takes something out of the basic recipe and gets their own “brand”. Inside, a bunch of healthy things: rumurus (grain plant), peppers, mint, nutmeg, thyme, sea salt, and a few other spices, which they will not tell you. You can only sense them.