Mariovo

There is one legend about Mariovo’s name which talks about how some Turkish bay wanted to married the beautiful girl Marija that lived in this area. After the long negotiations Marija appears to have agreed to go and live in the seraglio of the Turkish bay but only under the condition that the Turk won’t do Islamization in that area, doesn’t settle anymore Turks and doesn’t build mosques neither. The contract had been respected and all the area had been saved from the brutal Islamizations and damages. In a sign of appreciation to the beautiful Marija that saved all the area, the people gave the name Mariovo.

Today, this area of Mariovo has a little bit less than five hundred people, and appears on an area od more than 1300 squared kilometers. The time here has stopped long time ago. I’m walking across Dunje (Дуње), a village with specific ancient Macedonian architecture. The noise of the population snuffed out long time ago along these stone walls, along the decade migration. How many people would come here if they had known about this kind of place, when a person can feel really alone, out of the civilization, at least for a moment to feel the smell of an adventure, but the escape from the chaos of our routine life?

Here, along this area, went true the Solun’s forward line, during the First World War. Then, Mariovo roared across it whole length. The remains of that time are everywhere, even the trenches and the bunkers where the soldiers were hiding. 

One of the most beautiful architecture constructions in the Mariovo’s area is known to be the stone bridge. The bridge spans over the Gradeshka River in an immediate nearness of the Mariovo’s village Zovikj. Under the bridge on one of the highest rocks there is a picture of the saint Gjorgi. This picture actually is remaining of the little church that existed there. 

The wall of the bridge is built of huge rocks, under which goes the village river. Clear and cold water had made little canyon going through the cliffs. No one can really withstand to this beauty. One man simply stands in front of the dilemma: should we run an look for money or leave that killing fight with the day and night in order to breathe the life with full chest, in this kind of peacefulness?