Bid to Defuse Row Over Skopje Fortress

The fortress is a Skopje landmark | Photo by: Balkan Insight

Pasko Kuzman, who is head of the National Agency for Protection of Cultural Heritage, has unveiled a plan to heal a dispute over the city's ancient fortress, which brought tensions to boiling point ealier this year.

In February the fortress was a scene of a pitched battle between ethnic Albanian opponents of a small churchlike museum that was being constructed there, and ethnic Macedonians who came, they said, to defend it.

Eight people were injured in the clashes after which police shut down the fortress and halted construction, depriving Skopje residents and tourists of the opportunity to visit the historic landmark.

Albanian opponents of the museum said the plan was provocative to Albanians who make up a quarter of the country's 2 million population. The fortress adjoins the mainly Albanian old bazaar area of the city.

Many feared the violence could spin out of control, reviving memories of Macedonia’s 2001 conflict, which almost escalated into all-out war between the mainly Muslim Albanians and Orthodox Christian Macedonians.

Kuzman's agency was behind the first plan that triggered the dispute. But now he has a new proposal, which envisages construction not only of the church-shaped museum but also the reconstruction of an Ottoman-era tower, an object designed to appeal to Muslim Albanians.

The different objects should each hold artifacts from their relevant eras and communities, satisfying both Christian Macedonians and Muslim Albanians, he said.

 “I am hopeful that my proposal will be adopted,” Kuzman said, adding that as soon as the government gave a green light and approved funds, the Agency is ready to turn the fortress into a tourist attraction, which was the original plan.

Kuzman is seen as as the favourite archeologist of the nationalist government of Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski and his VMRO DPMNE party. 

Under his supervision a major archeological dig was conducted at the Skopje fortress and at a site overlooking the ancient lakeside town of Ohrid.

Archeological digs inside the fortress | Photo by: Balkan Insight

During his time in office Macedonia in 2009 launched a massive archeological excavation campaign at dozens of sites across the country.

While the Ohrid fortress was successfully revitalized and adapted for tourism, work on the Skopje fortress was interrupted mid-way.

The fortress has had its outer walls and towers rebuilt but the area inside remains full of unsecured holes left by the archeological digs.

Meawhile, courts in Skopje this week issued three-month probation sentences to 51 people charged with participating in the February clashes.

Police spokesperson Ivo Koteski told the newspaper Utrinski Vesnik on Tuesday that the fortress will remain closed for the meantime, "until we are 100 per cent sure that there will be no renewed incidents".