Conquer of the town of Peshta by the Ottomans
The town of Peshta, located on the plateau above the village of Staravina, in the area of the village of Gradeshnica, was surrounded by a high wall of 3 meters.
This fortress did not allow anyone to enter it. So the Turks had come to the fortress, it was built of large stones, had great iron gates, so they could not enter it in any way.
They began to look for ways to enter Peshta. They began to analyze what it was they had and what they needed, i.e. what was necessary for people in Peshta. What they felt like necessary, it was the water. So began to explore where from the water comes to Peshta. So they began the research for the water supply of Peshta. The water was conducted with water-pipes from the monastery St. Elijas (St. Ilija). Turks caught a man from the village of Gradeshnica and requested him to tell where the town supplied water from. The man did not tell, so they beat and tortured him, but he stubbornly kept silent. Then an old woman was passing by here and seeing what was happening asked the Turks why they beat the man. They said to her that he was not telling where from the town of Peshta supplied water. Then the old woman said: it is easy, I will tell you. She told them that water comes from the monastery of St. Ilija, conducted with water-pipes. They further asked how to discover, because the system was underground.
Old woman told them to take cattle, horse or mule and to leave it 2-3 days without water. Then you would take it to the place where the system should be; since the cattle would be thirsty it wold smell the water. So, they took he horse, it smelled the water and started digging into and found the water system. So, they went in that direction, found out the water supply system and ceased the water; the people of Peshta could not withstand without water, so the gates were opened and the Turks entered Peshta.
Narrator: Bojkovski Trajko, 66 years, v. of Gradeshnic, noted by Igor Tasevski, January 2014.
Expert report on the natural/historical monuments in the municipality of Novaci
Subject: TRADITION AND LIFE in the MARIOVO PART OF MUNICIPALITY OF NOVACI
Prepared by: Igor Tasevski,
April 2014
