KIČEVO
Kičevo is settled in the valley of Kičevo in the south-eastern foothills of Bistra mountain, almost exactly in the middle on the road between Ohrid (61 km) and Gostivar (46 km). From the capital Skopje is 112 km away. It's location is in the western part of Macedonia. Kičevo is surrounded by mountains and forests, and is a town that is attractive not only of its natural beauties, but also its anthropogeneous and cultural values.
Kičevo was first time mentioned as Uskana during the rule of the ancient Maceodnian kings Perseius and connected with the Macedonian - Roman Wars, in 170-169 BC. Later it is mentioned in the year 1018 AD, under the name of Kičavis, noted in one of the documents of the Byzantine emperor Basil II. It is presumed that the today's name of the town originates by the name of this settlement populated by the Slavic tribe Brsjaci.
As Macedonia falls under Turkish rule, Kičevo was turned into military and administrative center of the Ottoman Turks.
In the foothills of the Kale of Kičevo, there was a clock tower built. The first roots of the work of the Macedonian Revolutionary Movement, here in Kičevo started with the priest Yoseph of the monastery St. Bogorodica Prečista (Holy Virgin Mary Most Innocent) and by many teachers. Here in 1878, by Pere Toshev was formed the first armed detachment, lead by Duko Tasev. The Kičevo citizens here in August 2nd, 1903, joined the struggle for independence of Macedonia, lead by the duke Arso and Yordan Piperkata.
Later in the second world war Kičevo was occupied by the faschists Italian forces and it was the first city in Macedonia that was liberated, on September 11th, 1943.
Today Kičevo, is one of the most beatiful cities in Macedonia, and has 25,129 inhabitans (Macedonians, Albanians, Turks, Serbs, Gypsies).
In the vicinity of the town, on the slopes of the mountain Vrboj, in the dense forest, the monastery St. Prečista (Holy Virgin Mary Most Innocent) is located, with its church dedicated to the Annunciation, and with the pleasantly arranged lodgings where there is active monks life. The St. Prečista Kičevska is a medieval monastery that was known under the name Krninski monastery in the past.
