Tetovo

Tetovo (Тетово in Macedonian, Tetova in Albanian, Kalkandelen in Turkish) is a 52,915 inhabitants city (3rd largest in North Macedonia) by river Pena, in the northwestern part of North Macedonia, close to the border with Kosovo. It's located on the foothills of Sharr Mountains and although Tetovo has historically been home to multiple ethnic groups, now is mainly inhabited Albanians and then by Macedonians, having had an important Turkish minority (nowadays it's around 4%). Tetovo has become the unofficial capital and center of a predominantly ethnic Albanian region in North Macedonia. The city is home of two universities: South East European University (3rd largest in North Macedonia) and the State University of Tetovo.

How do I arrive to Tetovo?

  Tetovo is an important city in North Macedonia and is close to Skopje, making it well communicated. 

• Train: there are railways to Tetovo from Skopje (aprox. 1 hour). 
• Bus: there are buses that reach Skopje (aprox. 50 minutes) every 30 minutes from Tetovo. There are buses to Gostivar, Kičevo, Struga and Kumanovo too.
• Car: if you rented a car from Tetovo you can reach Lešok (aprox. 15 minutes), Bogovinje and Šipkovica (aprox. 20 minutes), Skopje (aprox. 40 minutes), Mavrovo National Park (aprox. 1 hour), Kumanovo (aprox. 1 hour 15 minutes) and Struga or Ohrid (aprox. 2 hours). It can also be reached from Pristina or Sharr Mountains National Park (aprox. 1 hour 40 minutes) and Prizren (aprox. 2 hours 10 minutes) in Kosovo.

History

Although there may have been many inhabitants in the Tetovo area as in the Bronze Age, Tetovo was officially founded in the 14th century as a small medieval Orthodox settlement around the Sveta Bogorodica church. Tetovo grew up with the buildings and construction of houses around the Orthodox Church. At the end of the 14th century, Tetovo, like all of Macedonia, fell under the rule of the Ottoman Empire. As the Muslim population began to expand in Macedonia 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 commercial center for farmers and artisans, as well as an important military fortification. Turkish influence had a profound impact on Tetovo and was renamed Kalkandelen to reinforce the new Islamic presence. In the 19th century Tetovo's population grew and Abdurrahman Pasha (prominent Albanian landowner) beautified the city. In 1912, due to the First Balkan War, Tetovo became a Serbian city and in WW2 it was was jointly governed by Italy and its puppet regime in Albania. The Macedonian Communist Party was formed in Tetovo on 1943 and during socialist Yugoslavia years, Tetovar Albanians demanded for the attachment of the Albanian areas of Macedonia to Kosovo and their joint reconstitution as a 7th republic of Yugoslavia. In 1990 ethnic Albanians marched through Tetovo demanding secession from the Socialist Republic of Macedonia and unity with Albania and during Kosovo War, Tetovo became the rear supply base for the Kosovo Liberation Army. In 2001, ethnic Albanians launched an insurgency and Tetovo was the main backdrop of the war. Fortunately, the Ohrid Agreement was established allowing peace to return to the city again.
 

What can I visit in Tetovo?

 Tetovo has some interesting things to do and its proximity to Skopje make it very worthy for a day trip. Tetovo Old Town is located around river Pena.

These are Tetovo's main attractions:

• Tetovo Painted Mosque (6-22; free): mosque first built in 1438 and rebuilt in 1833 by Abdurrahman Pasha by river Pena. This mosque is unique appearance for the drawings that have inside and outside, the impressive décor of the Ottoman-Turkish Baroque style. Most of the topics are the names of the Prophets, the four Caliphs and Hazrat Hasani and Hussein, as well as the frescoes of Mecca and the towns of Anatolia, geometric and plant motifs and improvisations of buildings. According to the traditions of the dying of colors, 30,000 egg whites were used to paint it.
• Bey's Hammam: 16th century hammam by river Pena, one of the most interesting munitions of the Ottoman era in the country. Currently it's used as art gallery and showroom.
• Alim Bey's House: unique estate was built by local Ottoman ruler Alim Bey as his personal residence. It's asymmetrical and has colourful Baroque elements. Nowadays it's used as part of the hospital of Tetovo.
• Arabati Baba Tekke: khaniqah (building designed for gatherings of a Sufi brotherhood) built in 1538 by Sersem Ali Dede. It's the finest surviving Bektashi monastery in Europe and its characteristic because of the unique harmonization.
• St.s Kiril i Metodij Macedonian Orthodox Cathedral: 20th century cathedral with three naves. In 1963 an earthquake caused serious damage to the structure of the church and the dome was damaged, requiring immediate restoration, restored in 1991.
• Castle of Tetovo: unfinished castle built in 1820 by Abdurahman Pasha on the top of Balltepe mount. It's is a rare beauty of the past and it provides nice views of Tetovo.
• Going 10 km northeast it can be found the 440 inhabitants village of Lešok (Лешок in Macedonian, Leshka in Albanian), a Macedonian ethnic village that is home of Lešok Monastery. It's a complex of Byzantine style churches, with the oldest one built in 1326 and has three layers of frescoes. Today the monastery dormitories have been restored and are used to accommodate summer tourists. 

Decoration inside Tetovo Painted Mosque

Arabati Baba Teḱe

Bogovinje

In the northern part of Tetovo it can be found Sharr Mountains, in the border with Kosovo, that is a nice place to enjoy nature and do some hiking. In Sharr Mountains you can visit the picturesque mountain town of Šipkovica (Шипковица in Macedonian, Shipkovicë in Albanian) with 2,826 inhabitants. As for natural sights it can be visited close to the 926 inhabitants village of Bozovce (Бозовце in Macedonian, Bozoc in Albanian) the Karanikola glacial lakes, located 2,200 m high over the sea level and just on the border with Kosovo. Another nice lake in the area is Bogovinje Lake, largest of the 27 glacial lakes of the Sharr Mountains. It's close to the town of Bogovinje (Боговиње in Macedonian, Bogovinë in Albanian), 6328 inhabitants. Sharr Mountains are popular destination for skiing too, with stations such as Popova Shapka.

Where can I eat in Tetovo?

Tetovo is home of many popular salads in all over North Macedonia such as Shopska salad (made of tomato, cucumber, onion, oil, a little salt and a generous topping of a domestic feta-like cheese) or urnebes salad (with cream cheese in oil mixed with ground peppers, garlic and sometimes sesame) as well as being one of the centers of Albanian food in the country too. Some interesting places to eat are the restaurant Bakal [Бакал] (Marsal Tito, Brvenitsa), Punto Verde (Dimo Gavrovski Kara) or the fusion restaurant NOEL (Marshal Tito).

Posted in: Europe,North Macedonia