Bozhidar Boshkovski - Expert Report on natural landmarks in the Municipality of Novaci

Category: Документи - Documents - Εκθέσεις εμπειρογνωμόνων

Macedonia is a country that is known for its good location, a country with a rich history, indescribable nature and country with many customs.

An area known for its history, ethnology, tradition and culture that is in its extreme south is the area known as Mariovo.
There are many legends about the name of Mariovo. According to one legend Mariovo is mentioned as Marihova – according to the name of a dignitary from Byzantine times. Another legend associated with the name Mariovo originating from Roman times argued that this area was named Morina and was formed from sea; that is why even today there are skeletons of fish and shellfish found in various excavations in the area. Lately, the name of Mariovo is considered that it was derived from the Empress Marija (Mary). The area was inhabited since antiquity so in Mariovo there are plenty of relics of civilization and culture, which clearly indicate the existence of large and quite sumptuous urban settlements from Roman times, as confirmed by historians and archaeologists from this area.
The area of Mariovo, being a part of ancient Macedonia, is unusual in many ways: wild beauty, location surrounded by high mountains, isolation from the surrounding world, vast natural resources and probably its lake origin, which is not hard to believe if we take into account the beautiful location of Mariovo. It is hilly region situated between the slopes and ridges of mountain Selecka from west, Nidze and Kozhuf from south, Dren Mountain on the north and Kozjak from east; Crna Reka flows through the entire region. Nidze mountain is famous for its forests, pastures and diverse fauna. Kozhuf mountain abounds with huge water potential, there are springs of many rivers, the lynx as rare and protected species still could be found here. Crna Reka, flowing through Mariovo, has the character of a mountain stream or river with fast flow, narrow bed and high sides looking like the canyon. In terms of fishing this river is very important for Mariovo, because of the presence of carp, roach, chub, and catfish. According to geographical location and accessibility to major urban centers, Mariovo is divided between Bitola, Prilep and Kavadarci area.
Rich ethnological character makes Mariovo region quite famous and Macedonian, too. The richest colorful national costumes are from this area. Mariovo is abundant with folk songs, fairy tales, myths and legends which make Mariovo even more attractive tourist region. When we talk about the diligence of Mariovo people it must be noted that the inhabitants possess rich furniture made manually; national costumes also made manually, recognizable for this area. The population mainly deals with farming and agriculture.