Resen (town)

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Resen
Ресен
—  Town  —
Resen (Republic of Macedonia  )
Resen
Resen
Location within Macedonia
Coordinates: 41°05′20″N 21°00′44″E / 41.08889, 21.01222
Country Flag of the Republic of Macedonia Macedonia
Municipality Resen municipality
Government
 - Mayor Dimitar Buzlevski
Elevation 885 m (2,904 ft)
Population (2002)
 - Total 8,748
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 - Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code
Area code(s) +389
Car plates OH

Resen (Macedonian: Ресен) is a town in the southwestern part of the Republic of Macedonia. It has about 9,000 inhabitants. Resen is equidistant between Bitola and Ohrid. The town rises 880 meters above sea level and is very close to Lake Prespa. Resen is also the only town in the Prespa Lake area and is the seat of Resen municipality.

Contents

[edit] Name

The name of the city in Macedonian, Bulgarian, and Serbian is Resen (Ресен). In Turkish it is Resne. In Albanian the town is known as Resnjë.

[edit] History

Resen's history dates back to Roman times when the famous road Via Ignacia was built, passing through the city.

During the Middle Ages, the Prespa area was part of the Bulgarian empire under Samuil. After the Battle of Klyuch, some of Samuil's soldiers, who were each blinded in one eye, settled in a village on the shore of Lake Prespa. The Byzantines called the village Asamati. The Byzantine meaning of this word is "settlement of one-eyed people". From then on, Resen came under Byzantine rule.

Later, Resen became part of the Ottoman Empire, and it was the birth place of Ahmed Nyazi Bey, a Turk noble who was one of the iniciators and leaders of the Young Turk Revolution which began in 1908. Bey's most famous monument in Resen is the Saraj, a château he built similarly to the Château de Chenonceau in the Loire Valley of France.

Saraj, a château in Resen
Saraj, a château in Resen

[edit] Demographics

Most of the people in the city are Macedonians, who are Orthodox Christians. There is also a sizeable amount of Turks, who are mostly Muslims.

Number %
TOTAL 8,748 100
Macedonians 7,011 80.14
Turks 1,119 12.79
others 618 7.06

[edit] Climate

Resen has a mild continental climate with cold winters and warm summers, which makes it a tourist attaction, especially in summer. The climate and the quality of soil are key factors for Prespa's region to have a long tradition of agriculture. One of most important landmarks of Resen's today are the apple orchards, well known for the quality and specific taste of apples.

[edit] Culture

Resen is home to Prespa's Ceramic Colony, established in the 1970s, which attracts renowned artists from all over the world. The organization is included in the UNESCO International Pottery Academy.

Resen is also the home to the Saraj, a beautiful French-style castle built in the beginning of the 20 century by Ahmed Nyazi Bey. The castle is known as the the Versailles of Macedonia. The Saraj today serves as an art gallery for the Prespa's Ceramic Colony. It also contains a public library and a local radio station.

[edit] Notable citizens

Some notable people born in Resen or its surroundings are:

[edit] References


[edit] External links

Resen (town) travel guide from Wikitravel