Skopje

Skopje is the capital and largest city of North Macedonia. It lies in the northern part of the country, in the Skopje Valley along the Vardar River, and is the political, economic, and cultural centre of the country. As of the 2021 census, the city had a population of 526,502. Skopje covers 571.46 km2 (220.64 mi2) and includes both urban and rural areas, bordered by several municipalities and close to the borders of Kosovo and Serbia.

The area of Skopje has been continuously inhabited since at least the Chalcolithic period. The city, known as Scupi at the time, was founded in the late 1st century during the rule of Domitian, and abandoned in 518 after an earthquake destroyed the city.

It was rebuilt under Justinian I. It became a significant settlement under the First Bulgarian Empire, the Serbian Empire (when it served briefly as a capital), and later under the Ottoman Empire, which ruled the city for over five centuries.