Visit Museums With Macedonia Travel
One way of exploring Macedonia is by visiting ancient ruins, historical places and the numerous churches and mosques that carry examples of art and architecture from the Ottoman and Byzantine periods. Impressive though all these places may be, you could get tired from all the walking around and wished there was another way you could learn about Macedonian culture and heritage. The wonderful museums of Macedonia offer you exactly that kind of alternative. Let us look at some of the most commonly visited museums in Macedonia.
Not surprisingly, the most important museums of Macedonia are in the capital city of Skopje. The Archaeological Museum contains ancient artifacts discovered during the excavation of ruins found all over Macedonia. These artifacts give us a glimpse in to the life and culture of the people that had made Macedonia their home. Some of the earliest artifacts date back to the Neolithic Age and one can find broken pieces of pottery, jewelry, weapons and various other objects dating from the Bronze and Iron Ages as also from the Hellenistic Periods. The Historical Museum attempts to record the various historical events, bring them to life and give the visitor a chronological glimpse of the history of Macedonia. The Ethnographic Museum also has a large collection while the Museum of Natural History brings to light many rare animals and plant species that are found only in Macedonia.
One of the smallest ethno museums can be found in the village of Dzepciste, where at a time, there can only be one person present in the museum. This small museum still manages to hold some amazing objects dating from as far back as 8000 BC and includes simple household utilities like pottery, furnishings or garments, weaponry, jewelry and coins, even some old measuring cups and various other relics. A visit to this museum is a must not just for the objects exhibited inside but also because the museum itself is very intriguing.
The National Workshop for Handmade Paper allows visitors to join the workers in creating paper the way the Chinese did from the second century BC. Another popular place to visit is the Botanical gardens of Macedonia. This garden was carefully cultivated to help identify, preserve and where possible help the growth of the local flora and fauna, many of which are unique to the region. The wonderful greenhouse in these gardens houses an amazing range of plants, from tropical to sub-tropical varieties as also desert and half-desert plants.
Most of Macedonia’s museums have permanent exhibitions in addition to which they hold regular temporary exhibitions, focusing on certain aspect of Macedonian culture and heritage. These places also have gift shops where one can pick up replicas of famous Macedonian icons, books and booklets and many other items.
The next time you want to visit Macedonia and wish to know more about its ancient culture and civilization, ensure you visit all the museums to gain a unique perspective into the rich heritage of the region.