Photo: Tamara Saveska, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
A main symbol of Skopje since the 15th century, though bridges have existed at the location since perhaps the 6th century. It is built of solid stone blocks and has 12 arches, stretching 214 m (702 ft) long. The pedestrian bridge connects across the Vardar the historic Old Town to Macedonia Square and the modern commercial centre of the city.
The Stone Bridge is a bridge across the Vardar River in Skopje, the capital of North Macedonia, built by Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
Byzantine Emperor Justinian I, born in Tauresium just outside Skopje, is depicted sitting on a throne on top of a pedestal. The monument is at the north side of the square, near the river.
Стара Градска Куќа
Most of Skopje 2014 consists of original buildings but some, like the Old City Hall, are reconstructions of buildings lost in the 1963 earthquake. The Old City Hall is under construction and will have the same appearance, although it is being built in a different location on the square than the original.
Мост на Цивилизации во Македонија
Another new pedestrian bridge across the Vardar, the Bridge of Civilisations contains 28 sculptures of individuals of the various civilisations that have existed in Macedonia.
Музеј на Археологија
The Museum of Archaeology, in the new Greek revival building fronting the Vardar, houses a collection of over 6,000 pieces. Each of the three floors hold two sections. Much of the upper floors exhibits things like pottery and necklaces. The ground floor exhibits, on the southeast half, a coin collection starting from ancient times and, on the northwest half, a collection of statues and busts recovered from various sites in North Macedonia. One of the most significant pieces is the statue of Venus found at nearby Scupi in superb condition.
Музеј на македонската борба
Take a tour and have the guide walk you through this museum that chronicles the history of the struggle of those in North Macedonia in achieving an independent state, starting in Ottoman times through the creation of the Republic of Macedonia in the early 1990s. It contains countless wax figures of the individuals involved on all sides of the struggle. The entrance hall is nicely decorated with stained glass ceilings. The museum opened in 2011 to commemorate 20 years of Macedonian independence.
Плоштад Македонија
Macedonia Square has had two major changes in appearance in the past several decades. Following the 1963 earthquake, most of its neoclassical buildings were destroyed with the exception of the southern section crowned with the "СКОПСКО" sign. Then in the 2010s, after decades of being a mostly empty open space, it became a major site of the government-funded Skopje 2014 project which has constructed mostly neoclassical-style buildings and monuments across the central part of the city. The facades of socialist-era buildings on the square have been changed into neoclassical styles as well. It is now fronted by older-looking buildings and massive statues. The new buildings and monuments have generated much controversy but, regardless of your opinion, they have once again made Macedonia Square a major point of interest in the city.