Skopje

Skopje is the capital of North Macedonia, situated along the upper Vardar River in the northern part of the country. The settlement originated in antiquity as Scupi, an ancient Dardani and Roman town situated near major Balkan trade paths. Nobel Peace Prize laureate Mother Teresa was born in the community during the late Ottoman period.

The Stone Bridge spans the Vardar River with 12 stone arches, linking modern Macedonia Square to the historical Ottoman quarter. The Old Bazaar preserves cobblestone lanes bordered by medieval caravanserais, traditional jewelry workshops, and Turkish bathhouses. Kale Fortress crowns a limestone ridge above the water, retaining stone ramparts that date back to 6th-century Byzantine rule. The Millennium Cross stands 66 m (217 ft) tall atop Mount Vodno to commemorate two millennia of regional Christianity. Memorial House of Mother Teresa marks the street where the humanitarian spent her childhood with a chapel and historical exhibits.

Alkaloid Skopje manufactures prescription medications, dermatological skin creams, and Good Nature organic herbal teas, processing medicinal herbs cultivated across the Balkan peninsula. Makstil operates an electric arc steelmaking plant and a heavy plate rolling mill, producing certified hot-rolled steel plates for oceanic shipbuilding and industrial pressure vessels. Pivara Skopje brews Skopsko lager and craft pilsners under historic brewing recipes, and Rade Končar TEP produces dry-type electrical distribution transformers and industrial control switchboards for regional electrical networks.

The Roman Empire established the settlement of Scupi during the 1st century, elevating the post to a colonia under Emperor Domitian. The Serbian Empire expanded into the valley during the 14th century, when Emperor Stefan Dušan proclaimed Skopje his imperial capital. The Ottoman Empire captured the town in 1392, renaming the settlement Üsküb and maintaining administration for over five centuries. A major earthquake destroyed much of the city in 1963, prompting an international United Nations reconstruction program that implemented modernist concrete master plans designed by Japanese architect Kenzo Tange.