Kičevo, North Macedonia

🇲🇰 Kičevo is a city in the western part of North Macedonia, located in a valley in the south-eastern slopes of Mount Bistra, between the cities of Ohrid and Gostivar. The capital Skopje is 112 km away. The city of Kičevo is the seat of Kičevo Municipality.

Medieval Kičevo was noted in one of the documents of the Byzantine emperor Basil II in 1018, and also mentioned by the Ohrid archbishop Theophilact in the 11th century. The city would fall to the Bulgars and would become a part of the First Bulgarian Empire, one of the first cities to be added to the Archbishopric of Ohrid and also a part of the Second Bulgarian Empire. Serbian ethnographer of Mijak descent Toma Smiljanić-Bradina mentions the city being advanced in the reign of Justinian the I and the Macedonian dynasty, the city first fell under Serbian rule during the reign of Stefan Uroš I and finally under Stefan Milutin in 1283, both rules founded and rebuilt monasteries and churches in the wider region. After the downfall of the Serbian Empire the city was under the rule of Vukašin of Serbia of the Mrnjavčević family after which it passed to the rule of his legendary son Prince Marko and finally to the Ottomans.

Ottoman When the region was conquered by the Ottoman Empire, Kičevo was turned into the military and administrative centre of the region. Notable monument of that period is a clock tower built in the foothills of the nearby hill called Kichevsko Kale.

According to Serbian ethnographer Toma Smiljanić-Bradina, the local Slavs of the region still lived in a semi-independent fashion as they did under the rule of Prince Marko retaining their status as "earthly lords" of their fortresses. This semi-independent way of life persisted until the 15th century with the military campaigns of John Hunyadi, according to local folklore the Sultan visited the region for the first time on his way to the Battle of Kosovo, this alongside the locals support for Skenderbeg infuriated the Sultan who ordered mass conversions and atrocities that peaked in the time of the Sultan Selim I. According to local folklore the inhabitants of the region also participated in the Christian rebellions during the Austrian advance of the Great Turkish War and were forced to flee after its failure, he also noted that Ali Pasha of Ioannina was well liked by the local population after his rebellion, having lost his support with the Sultan he sought it from the local people and established law and order and punished outlaws. The activities of the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (IMRO) in the region of Kičevo were initiated by the priest Josif from the monastery of Bogorodica Prečista near the city, supported by many teachers from the neighbouring villages. On August 2, 1903, the Christian citizens of Kičevo participated in the Ilinden Uprising, led by Arso Vojvoda and Yordan Piperkata.

Modern In 1913 Kičevo and the whole region were incorporated in the Kingdom of Serbia. The city was occupied by the Kingdom of Bulgaria during the First world war. It became part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes in 1918. From 1929 to 1941, Kičevo was part of the Vardar Banovina of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia.

During World War II, Kičevo was occupied by forces from Fascist Italy and ceded to Albania. On September 9, 1943, after the Armistice of Cassibile, Macedonian and Albanian partisan units disarmed the Italian garrison and took temporary control of the city. Thus, Kičevo became the first city seized by the communist Partisans during the World War II in Macedonia. However, soon after the capitulation of Italy, Nazi Germany occupied that area. The Germans put Balli Kombëtar in charge of Albania under German rule. The city was finally seized by the Communists on November 15, 1944, after German retreat. In 1945 the area was ceded to Communist Yugoslavia. In 1991 the city became part of the newly proclaimed Republic of Macedonia.

Monuments Monastery of St. Bogorodica Prečista (Monastery of Immaculate Mother of God) is a significant monastery near Kičevo. Dedicated to the Virgin Mary, Mother of God, the feast day of this monastery is "Mala Bogorodica", (Birthday of the Virgin Mary on the 21st of September). The monastery, dedicated to the Annunciation and lodgings for devout female monks, represents a medieval monastery that was known under the name Krninski monastery in the past.

This monastery is actually an important site for the study of common cult of Christians and Muslims because it is visited by believers from both religions. The reason of this common cult is due to the miraculous powers of the water source inside the monastery.

Another important monument is the monastery of St. George located in the vicinity of Kičevo. There are also many important mosques from the Ottoman Empire's times of rule and from the Islamic population.

Sports Local football club FK Napredok has spent several seasons in the Macedonian First Football League and KF Vëllazërimi 77 plays in the Macedonian Third League.