Skopje Aqueduct: A Historic Water-Supply Structure in North Macedonia
Site at a Glance
- Rating
- 4.2
- Popularity
- Low
- Country
- North Macedonia
- Primary era
- Classical
- Eras represented
- Classical, Medieval, Early Modern
- Civilizations
- Byzantine, Ottoman, Roman
- Site type
- Infrastructure
- Remains
- Aqueduct
On this page7 sections
History
The Skopje Aqueduct is an archaeological water-supply structure near Skopje, North Macedonia, approximately 2 km northwest of the city centre. Its construction date is uncertain, with proposed origins in the Roman period, the reign of the Byzantine emperor Justinian I between 527 and 565, or the Ottoman period, probably in the sixteenth century. It is described as the only aqueduct in North Macedonia and as one of the three largest and best-preserved aqueducts in the former Yugoslavia.
Roman and Byzantine theories
The Roman interpretation places the aqueduct possibly in the first century and connects it with Scupi, an ancient Roman settlement associated with the Skopje region. The Byzantine theory links it to Justiniana Prima, a sixth-century settlement traditionally associated with Justinian I. Justinian ruled the Byzantine Empire, the eastern Roman Empire that continued after the division of the Roman world, from 527 to 565 and was known for major building and infrastructure projects.
Support for a sixth-century date has been drawn from Procopius of Caesarea, a historian of Justinian’s reign whose account of the emperor’s building works refers to an aqueduct. The reference has been used to associate the structure with Justinian’s construction programme, although the aqueduct’s exact date and circumstances remain unresolved.
Ottoman use and later history
The Ottoman interpretation places the aqueduct’s construction in the sixteenth century, with 1514 also associated with its building. The proposed Ottoman context is Skopje’s expansion and the large quantities of water needed by public hamams, or bathhouses, and mosques. The system probably carried water toward the city fortress and central urban facilities, and it may have supplied the artillery barracks, Mustafa Pasha Mosque, the former Ottoman government building, Kurshumli An, and Sija Bey Mosque.
The aqueduct remained in use until the eighteenth century. In 1669, the traveller Dr Brown described it as an impressive old structure that gave the location considerable distinction. In 1896, the writer and revolutionary Gjorche Petrov described the route of the water system and its spring near Gluvo. He also related that villagers had opposed incorporating a nearby spring and drinking fountain into the system because the fountain was needed for watering livestock.
Later neglect followed the loss of the aqueduct’s practical function and an inadequate understanding of its historical importance. Three arches and two pillars collapsed in the 1963 Skopje earthquake and were repaired during the restoration that followed. A further restoration campaign began in September 2021, with its first phase completed in early 2023.
Remains
Structure and surviving arches
The surviving aqueduct extends for approximately 385 to 387 m and reaches about 16.5 m in height. A stone water channel runs along a sequence of open arches carried by massive supports. The masonry consists mainly of broad bricks set in mortar, with rubble on the exterior and alternating horizontal bands of brick.
Descriptions differ in their counts of surviving arches and supports. The remains are variously described as having about 50 or 55 arches, while earlier accounts proposed totals of 60 or even 200. One description gives 55 arches supported by massive pillars with square bases and records 42 openings intended to reduce the weight of the wall. Another lists 53 surviving columns, 52 bases, and 42 arches. Petrov’s 1896 description counted 62 pillars, each stated to be 6 m high, 5 m long, and 4 m wide.
Watercourse and landscape setting
The aqueduct was probably supplied by the Lavovec spring near Gluvo, on Mount Skopska Crna Gora, approximately 9 to 10 km northwest of Skopje. The source area near Banijane was described as lying at about 480 m above sea level. Near the beginning of the water system, a spring was enclosed by a walled opening and protected by an iron grate to prevent contamination.
From the spring area near Gluvo and Banijane, the route continued toward Skopje from west to east. It crossed the valley of the Banjanka, whose lower course is also called the Kriva River, and crossed the valley of the Serava. The water system also bridged a stated elevation difference of approximately 300 m. Below Brazda, the aqueduct crossed a hill before continuing along the river valley toward Skopje.
Near Orizari, the channel crossed an elevated section on a bridge supported by pillars. These structures correspond to the arched sections described by earlier travellers. The water lines probably continued toward the city’s fortress and urban facilities, linking the elevated spring area with the places that used the supply.
Condition and present setting
The monument is weathered and eroded. It is physically separated from the urban area and lies between the M3 motorway and the Ilinden military camp, a property of the armed forces of North Macedonia. Repairs after the 1963 earthquake and the restoration campaign begun in 2021 form part of the modern effort to preserve the surviving stone-and-brick structure.
