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National Museum

The large white building just below the Mustafa Pasha mosque houses the rambling and under-appreciated National Museum. The ethnographic section houses a stunning collection of instruments and traditional costumes, arranged by the region of origin in Macedonia and surrounding territories. The women’s bridal costumes are especially beautiful, some hung with dozens of coins symbolising the wealth of the family, not to mention making the dresses weigh up to 40 kilograms. The coins are in themselves an indication of trade relations within the area. Many are of Ottoman and Arabic origin, but there’s also a coin from the USA on the dress from Kriva Palanka. Across the courtyard in the archaeological section you may have to ask them to switch on the lights of the endless rooms with pottery, jewellery, and statues. Interestingly, Macedonia’s first Stone Age artefacts were dug up accidentally by soldiers digging trenches duriing WWI, and it’s been good digging ever since. Don’t miss the peculiar clay fertility statue at the end and the unique 6th-century terracotta icons, examples of which having only ever been found in Macedonia and Tunisia. Unfortunately many exhibits have been spirited off to Belgrade and Sofia over the years and not returned. Upstairs is the museum’s best room, housing a priceless collection of icons, some dating back to the 11th century. The famous Bogorodica Pelagonitisa icon from 1422 was painted for the icon screen of Zrze monastery and depicts a playful Jesus in the hands of his mother, who is looking sad while pressing her lips to his cheek while looking at the viewer. Opposite the courtyard stands the old Kursumli Han which holds the lapidarium, though the building is more interesting than the few statues on display. The museum is in a bad state, with old-fashioned exhibition techniques, bad lighting and buckets positioned to catch leaking rain water, but renovations are underway. There’s a museum shop, with a city centre outlet inside the Bey’s Tower. Find the main entrance hidden in the courtyard.

Admission 50den.


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Terms and conditions

Open:

Open 09:00-17:00, Sat 09:00-15:00, Sun 09:00-13:00. Closed Mon.

Address:

Curciska bb

Phone:

311 60 44

www:

http://www.musmk.org.mk