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The city was formed for the first time at the place where river
Topolka pours into river Vardar. The fortress of the Peonies city
Vilazora (Byllazora) was located here, together with the ancient town
build on two rivers, living in the time of the Roman Empire, i.e. in the
3rd century. In the Charter issued by the Byzantine king Vasilie (Basil)
II, for the first time Veles is mentioned as town, belonging to the
Bitola bishopric.
In 1330, Veles joined the Serb Feudal state, which at that time, was
ruled by the king Stefan Decanski. At the time when king Duhsan was
possessor, the town was governed by the Duke Oliver. At that time under
approval of king Dushan, the Veles monastery St. Nikola, with its entire
property and people, was joined to the Prizren monastery with the same
name.
For the time of the Ottoman Empire the town was known as Kiprili-most,
town of bridges. The traveling writers, who were passing through
Macedonia in the 13th century are mentioning Veles as town situated on
both banks of river Vardar, with a big bridge with four columns built in
its center. Houses were covered with Turkish tiles and flagstones, and
the facades were facing river Vardar. The town was divided in four
neighborhoods, with a lot of mosques, inns, Turkish bath and over fifty
stores.
Since the 17th century Veles was hosting the Bishop, who, until 1750,
lived in Dolni Grad or old Veles. |
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From the middle of the 19th century Veles became famous trade center
in Macedonia and according to the data left by many traveling writers,
at this time Veles had over 4000 houses with more than 20.000
inhabitants. Traders from Veles were trading with Serbia, Austria,
Italy, Thessaloniki and Carigrad (Istanbul). The most famous Veles
Saftijan - made of goat leather was produced in Veles, and the traders
were selling it in Vienna and Pest (today part of Budapest). The town
was also trading with corn, wine and brandy, which were exported by
boats to Thessaloniki, and by caravans to Kustendil, Sofia, Kriva
Palanka, Bitola, Prilep and Skopje. After the railroad Thessaloniki -
Belgrade was build in 1878, trading by boats (gemidzii) stopped. After
the Russian-Turkish war, that happened the same year, most of the
abovementioned towns found themselves behind the newly established
borders. The towns were lost as trade areas of Veles. That contributed
to the decrease of trade and handcrafting, from which today only the
most famous Veles pottery remained. |
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