Sv. Bogorodica (Holy Mother of God), Štip, 19th century

The church of the Holy Mother of God is one of the architectural masterpieces of the well-known Macedonian constructor Andrea Damjanov. It has the shape of a basilica, with a three-nave disposition and an interesting design of the roof with three different layers.

The interior is wide and decorated with floral motifs and animal figures. The iconostasis and the baldachin are carved.

According to the sign over the south entrance, the temple was renovated in 1850.

The people of Štip talk about the building of the church by the Damjanovi brothers. It took 31 years to build. The material was brought by oxen and the outside columns were made and processed by hand.

A gallery of rare icons was formed on the second floor of the church. Today, there is a male and female altar, because nuns used to live in the church.

In the yard of the church there is a school where revolutionary Goce Delcev used to teach. Next to it is the house where the revolutionary lived. Today it is privately owned, but restored in authentic style. The church has a hiding place where Goce Delcev used to hide. In the walls of the church there are two more hiding places where 30 other men used to hide. There was a tunnel under the throne of the archbishop that led from the church to the houses in the village. This is how they escaped from the Turks.

Bezisten, today an Art Gallery

Among the buildings in the central part of the town of Stip, there is a building outstanding with its architecture, typical for the Medieval Islamic trade centers. It is the Bezisten (Turkish word for market place). The time of its construction cannot be precisely determined, but one thing is certain: the Bezisten was used as the main market place where trade and selling of various goods was going on during the time of the Turkish rule in these areas.

Considering this, we may suppose that this building dates from 16th or 17th Century. It was burned down during the war between Austria and Turkey.

The Bezisten in Stip has a stone construction with a rectangular basis that is divided into three separate rooms covered with vaults with massive domes rising above them. There are glass holes on them that allow for the daylight to penetrate the interior space and contribute to the noble ambient of the Bezisten.

Today, the Bezisten is adapted to the needs of contemporary life and is used as an exhibition space of the art gallery.

Husa Medin Pasha mosque, (St. Ilija), 16th century

The Husa Medin Pasha Mosque was built on a hill in the left side of the town. It is known as the church of St. Ilija, because it is believed to have been built on the foundations of an ancient Christian religious place.

According to the legend, Husamedin Mehmed Pasha built the mosque in the 17th Century on the foundations of a church from the 13th – 14th Century that was dedicated to St. Ilija.

Next to the mosque is the grave of Husa Medin Pasha

Church St. Spas, 14th century

The church of the Holy Savior is located on the left bank of the Otinja River, on the road to Novo Selo. Standing on a flat rock, it draws attention with its small dimensions and peaceful beauty.

The church has one dome and it is assumed to have been built by the duke Dimitar in 1369. The fresco ensembles from the 14th Century have not been saved. The second painting inside the church is from 1601 done by the fresco painter Jovan, who put his signature in Greek.

Around the church there is a necropolis with graves from different times.

Church Sv Arhangel Mihail

The road that leads to the fortress, on the east side of the hill, under the Veterans’ Monument is the one, which reaches the church of Holy Archangel Michael. It is a small medieval church, built in the first half of the 14th Century by the Protosevastes Hrelja and in 1334 Czar Dusan devoted it to Hilandar.

The church has one dome on a cross-shaped basis. The outside walls are decorated with blocks of processed stone and the only entrance is on the west side.

The church is not fresco painted.

Development of Stip from ancient Astibo

The discovery of the location of the roman city of Astibo, has attracted the attention and caused curiosity of different explorers for a long time.

During history, this name has been mentioned for the first time by antique historiographer Polien, in the 3th century BC, who brings it in connection with the river where Payonic emperors have been crowned. It is presumed that this is river Bregalnica of today. Towards the end of the 4th century, a very important roman settlement has been designated as Astibo, also mentioned in the map of Poytinger as the second station along the Stobi-Pautalija road.

There are different theories about the exact location of this settlement: I.Venedikov locates it under the Ezovo mount, in the proximity of the village of Cardaklija; F. Papazoglu locates it in the city of Stip itself; Blaga Aleksova mentions the locality Kale in the village of Krupiste, and V. Sanev offers the theory that Astibo stood at the location of present district Star Konak in Stip, on the eastern foot of mount Isar. This theory is supported by Z. Beldedovski who discovered a series of archeological findings at this location: water supply installations, mining dugouts, a necropolis, marble workshop, also extending its location to Tuzlija and Gorno district.

At present, the collections at the Archeology museum of Republic of Macedonia, Institute and museum in Stip, as well as in the National museum in Belgrade, contain many items of rich findings of marble sculpture, discovered at the locality of Star Konak: a head of young Epheb, torso of naked Aphrodite, man’s portrait head, statue of Nike, statue of Aphrodite, and a large number of statue fragments portraying horses and horsemen, compositions of lions etc.

There is no information about the time when life ceased in this city.

Archeological site - Bargala, s. Gorni Kozjak

The ancient town Bargala was located at the foot of mountain Plackovica. Nearby is the river Kozjacka and small village called Kozjak. It is believed that the ruins found there belong to ancient town Bargala. The town was built in the early 4th century, because there are some Roman documents found, containing information that the city gate of Bargala was built by Anthon Alipius, administrator of the province.

Bargala town soon expanded into a powerful center, and become Episcopal center of Bregalnica region. The latest is believed because of the Episcopal basilica discovered in the center of the city. Bargala was civilian city, there were no military inside. There was a military fortification near the town, near the today's villaga - Krupiste. But army was withdrawed in the time of Constantin I, and this place was inhabited by civilian population too.

Bargala became christian city since the first years of existence. On the capital entrance of the tribelon the following inscription was found "Christ, help your slave, the episcope Hermia". It is believed that donors of the basilicas here, were episcopes Philipe and Eustatius, from the Stoby city. The complex of the Episcopal vasilica comprehended the Episcopal residenc, the town piscina and the housin complex with a wide porch and colonnade.

The church was build according to the standard type of old Christian construction of the Balcan Peninsula. From the architectural point of view iti is three-nave basilica. It had it had impressive floor covered with stone plaqes, except for the north floor that was covered with multicolored mosaic. The beauties floor is considered to be that one in the presbytery, which was covered with white and gray plaques in opus sectile.

In 1984, another Christian building was found near Bargala. It was just behind the walls of the city. It is believed that this building is dating from the end of the 4th century too. it is a three-nave pasilica, with protruding apse and with a floor covered with plaques, which were well ornamented.


On the south border of the city, near the southeast tower, there is another church. That is a midcentury church built in the name of St. Georgi.