Skopje Aqueduct
Encyclopedia
The Skopje Aqueduct is an archaeological site located in the village of Vizbegovo 2 km northwest from central Skopje
, Macedonia
. The Skopje Aqueduct is the only aqueduct
in Macedonia, and one of three largest and well preserved in the former Yugoslavia along with Diocletianus Aqueduct
near Split
, Croatia
and Bar Aqueduct
in Montenegro
.
The question of when the Skopje Aqueduct was built is unclear even today. There are three theories:
This aqueduct was in use until the eighteenth century. From this impressive structure of stone and brick, nowadays is remained only about 386 meters with 55 arches.
Today is assumed that the aqueduct took water from the spring Lavovec (village Gluvo in mountain Skopska Crna Gora
), 9 kilometers northwest from Skopje and brought water to city center.
Skopje
Skopje is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Macedonia with about a third of the total population. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre...
, Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
. The Skopje Aqueduct is the only aqueduct
Aqueduct
An aqueduct is a water supply or navigable channel constructed to convey water. In modern engineering, the term is used for any system of pipes, ditches, canals, tunnels, and other structures used for this purpose....
in Macedonia, and one of three largest and well preserved in the former Yugoslavia along with Diocletianus Aqueduct
Diocletianus Aqueduct
Diocletianus Aqueduct is an aqueduct in Split, Croatia constructed by the Roman Empire to supply water to the ancient Palace of Emperor Diocletian. The aqueduct was 9 kilometers long from the Jadro River to the palace.-Description:...
near Split
Split (city)
Split is a Mediterranean city on the eastern shores of the Adriatic Sea, centered around the ancient Roman Palace of the Emperor Diocletian and its wide port bay. With a population of 178,192 citizens, and a metropolitan area numbering up to 467,899, Split is by far the largest Dalmatian city and...
, Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
and Bar Aqueduct
Bar Aqueduct
The Bar Aqueduct is a stone bridge, located on the northern side of the Old Town of Bar , Montenegro...
in Montenegro
Montenegro
Montenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...
.
The question of when the Skopje Aqueduct was built is unclear even today. There are three theories:
- during the reign of RomeAncient RomeAncient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
(1st century), according to this theory Aqueduct has led the water to LegionaryLegionaryThe Roman legionary was a professional soldier of the Roman army after the Marian reforms of 107 BC. Legionaries had to be Roman citizens under the age of 45. They enlisted in a legion for twenty-five years of service, a change from the early practice of enlisting only for a campaign...
settlement ScupiScupiScupi is an archaeological site located between Zajčev Rid and the Vardar River, several kilometers from the center of Skopje, in the Republic of Macedonia. A Roman military camp was founded here in the second decade BC on the site of an older Dardanian settlement... - during the reign of Byzantine EmpireByzantine EmpireThe Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
(reign of Emperor Justinian IJustinian IJustinian I ; , ; 483– 13 or 14 November 565), commonly known as Justinian the Great, was Byzantine Emperor from 527 to 565. During his reign, Justinian sought to revive the Empire's greatness and reconquer the lost western half of the classical Roman Empire.One of the most important figures of...
), according to this theory, Aqueduct shipping water to new settlement Justiniana PrimaJustiniana PrimaJustiniana Prima is an archaeological site near today's Lebane in southern Serbia, It was a Byzantine city that served as the seat of an Archbishopric that had jurisdiction of the Central Balkans... - during the reign of Ottoman EmpireOttoman EmpireThe Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
, according to this theory Aqueduct is built in 16th century for a large number of Turkish public hamams.
This aqueduct was in use until the eighteenth century. From this impressive structure of stone and brick, nowadays is remained only about 386 meters with 55 arches.
Today is assumed that the aqueduct took water from the spring Lavovec (village Gluvo in mountain Skopska Crna Gora
Skopska Crna Gora
Skopska Crna Gora , formerly called Kara-dagh also called simply Crna Gora, is a mountain range on the border between Kosovo and the Republic of Macedonia, between the cities of Kačanik and Skopje.The Monastery of St...
), 9 kilometers northwest from Skopje and brought water to city center.